Much like the rest of the world, the floral industry experienced unprecedented disruption in 2020. Increases in demand have affected the floral supply chain in unexpected ways, leading to disruption for supermarkets, chain stores, wholesale florist distributors, online retailers and more. At this year’s live International Floriculture Expo (IFE) event that took place in Miami Beach, floral category vendors were finally able to connect with mass-market floral buyers in person to not only explore what solutions to these challenges could look like, but also discover new products, innovations and make brand new connections across the sector.
Every aspect of the floral industry is undergoing massive transformation but the presenters during the Education Day highlighted what these changes mean for floral buyers. Some buyers highlighted increases of up to 30% in sales, but what specific products are being purchased and how sustainable are these increases? Presenters connected these insights to the show floor, where exhibitors showed off the products that could meet these increased demands amidst supply chain challenges that other suppliers struggled with throughout 2020.
At the 12th Annual Flower Naming Ceremony, a new Chrysanthemum named Sarah’s Brush was unveiled in honor of Sarah Armellini. Additionally, Ghean Maksimow, co-founder of Bow Genie International, was honored by the floriculture industry after having a flower named in her honor in 2020. The theme for this year’s Iron Designer competition was Miami Vacation Vibes and the competitors had to use the newly named flower, Sarah’s Brush, within their design. Although there were numerous amazing arrangements, Steven Santos, AIFD, was crowned the 2021 Iron Designer Competition Winner.
That’s just a small sample of the news and happenings at IFE that were all centered on providing buyers with the supply chain solutions that have and will continue to redefine the floral category as a whole. To get a better sense of what else went on at the 2021 edition of IFE, check out the collection of pictures and videos below. For complete coverage, click here.
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Playlist
3 Videos
IFE Floral Connections – Fresca Farms Showcases Their “Welcome Home” Collection at IFE
1:23
IFE Floral Connections – Silver Vase Showcases the Orchid Twister
1:30
IFE Floral Connections – Melody Farms Specializes in Selling to Supermarkets
2:00