Join AFE’s Young Professionals Council on Thursday, November 9th at 4:00pm Eastern for an interactive session on Professional Problem-Solving focusing on the STAR method. The presentation will be led by industry expert Laura Walsh, Director of Marketing at Smithers-Oasis. The STAR method, which stands for Stop, Think, Act, and Review, is a problem-solving and decision-making framework commonly used in various professional settings to approach and resolve problems efficiently. Join us to learn how you can put this method into action in your professional (and personal) life to help solve some of your toughest challenges. Following the presentation, we will have time for networking and open discussion, including planning ahead for YPC opportunities in 2024.

Calling all young professionals looking for additional professional development opportunities! Join the American Floral Endowment’s Young Professionals Council (YPC) on September 27th at 4:00pm Eastern for a FREE webinar on team management led by expert speaker, Dr. Megan Bowman of Ball Horticultural Company.

Topics will include:

• How to be an effective team member
• Preparing to step into a management role
• Active listening and expressing appreciation to team members
• Tips & Tools for managing people and their time

This interactive webinar will also include ample time for open Q&A with Dr. Bowman. Don’t miss your chance to gain insights from an industry leader and tips to take your team management skills to the next level!

Get ready for upcoming industry conferences and events! Industry expert Jackie Lacey, AAF, AIFD, CFD, PFCI, Director of Education and Industry Relations at BloomNet/Floriology, and one of AFE’s Board Members, presents on for Tips for Making Effective Industry Presentations. This webinar is geared specifically for young professionals in the floral industry and is hosted by AFE’s Young Professionals Council. 

Topics include:
-Tips for public speaking and combatting nerves
-How to make an engaging presentation and digest data
-Dos and Dont’s at industry events to engage your audiences
-How to seek collaboration

“Personal leadership is the process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with them.”- Stephen Covey
 
Launch into 2023 with a fresh look at your leadership skills! Join us for this four-session, two-week course to learn more about your unique strengths (and weaknesses) and develop a plan to maximize your professional potential. You will develop the tools necessary to articulate your values and align them with your professional goals through lectures, group activities, and independent exercises. 
 
Each interactive session will be an hour long and include access to paid resource/assessment tool, Gallup Strengths Finder. These resources are provided free of charge for the attendees thanks to sponsorship from Smithers-Oasis. This course is being presented as a part of the American Floral Endowment’s Young Professionals Council (YPC) and is aimed at budding young professionals and students.
 
Schedule: 
All sessions are at 4:00pm Eastern. 

“Personal leadership is the process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with them.”- Stephen Covey
 
Launch into 2023 with a fresh look at your leadership skills! Join us for this four-session, two-week course to learn more about your unique strengths (and weaknesses) and develop a plan to maximize your professional potential. You will develop the tools necessary to articulate your values and align them with your professional goals through lectures, group activities, and independent exercises. 
 
Each interactive session will be an hour long and include access to paid resource/assessment tool, Gallup Strengths Finder. These resources are provided free of charge for the attendees thanks to sponsorship from Smithers-Oasis. This course is being presented as a part of the American Floral Endowment’s Young Professionals Council (YPC) and is aimed at budding young professionals and students.
 
Schedule: 
All sessions are at 4:00pm Eastern. 

This program was presented by Laura Walsh, Director of Marketing for Smithers-Oasis North America and moderated by Melinda Knuth, YPC Advisor and Assistant Professor at NC State University. 

Learn how to make the most of trade shows, conferences, and more as a budding young professional in the floral industry. Nervous about returning to events after the lull during COVID-19? Optimize your next in-person event with pointers from this webinar whether as a first-timer or a regular attendee. This session will discuss networking tips and tricks from making a strong introduction and putting your best foot forward to follow-up post-event. Learn how to create and maintain lasting connections to aid in both your personal and professional development moving forward. Marketing and communications experts, Laura Shinall and Melanie Spilbeler, Managing Partners of FreshPath Marketing, will lead a fully interactive session for young professionals to answer questions on networking and making the most of industry events. During this session, attendees will participate directly with the speakers and ask questions to prepare for attending upcoming events

In August and September of 2021, the American Floral Endowment created two informal surveys for professionals in the industry and academia about their experiences and advice to help young professionals interested in pursuing a career in floriculture/horticulture. The surveys include insights on the job market, career development, application advice, background on how professionals attained their current roles, and more. The surveys were released to AFE’s community of faculty, donors, and industry members.

Do you have the necessary skills to succeed in today’s floral industry? Join us for a 40-minute interactive discussion hearing directly from floral business owners and faculty on the challenges and changes brought by COVID-19. Learn what the new floral industry looks like, and what young professionals must do to prepare for a successful career in the industry and/or university system.