Our Details University Guest Speaker for July is Kate Penn, the CEO of the Society of American Florists (SAF). SAF stands at the forefront of the floral industry, offering resources, networking opportunities, and advocacy for professionals nationwide. Kate shared how SAF memberships can help florists by providing access to industry-leading education, trends, and support. Whether you're a seasoned florist or just beginning your journey in the floral world, SAF is here to provide resources to help you succeed. If you could not join us this month, here is a recap of our session!
Kate Penn has been CEO of the Society of American Florists (SAF) since November 2017. Before that, Penn, a journalist, had been the driving force behind all of SAF’s content and education for three decades, from its magazine and digital newsletters to its educational programming at its live and virtual events. Prompted by the transformational changes in the US floriculture market, in 2019, she led the association through a strategic planning process to determine how the association can help the industry capitalize on the myriad changes in how consumers buy flowers. With its new mission – to connect and cultivate a thriving floral community – in addition to advocacy and local marketing, key strategies that emerged include creating an online training hub to attract and train floriculture talent, expanding its live and virtual educational events, and inspiring the next generation of floral industry members to build vibrant careers in floriculture.
Member Benefits
The Society of American Florists has represented and supported the floral industry since 1884, which makes it one of the oldest associations in the nation! SAF offers each membership segment unique tools and opportunities to help them grow their businesses. With a membership base of over 3,000, the community includes professionals from all corners of the industry. This includes retail, flower growers, floral wholesalers and suppliers, importers, event florists, educators, and students.
We have been members of SAF since 2017 and value all the resources that are available to its members. Being a member of the Society of American Florists (SAF) is incredibly valuable for all florists. In this blog, we'll explore these benefits in detail, and you can learn even more by clicking here. From the online Education Hub to virtual meetings and in-person events, there is something out there for everyone!
SAF Annual Convention
Getting involved with your floral community is so important, and SAF does just that for its members. The SAF Annual Convention is the largest of the events they host. Industry professionals from all over the globe attend to network, learn, and build lasting relationships with peers. The SAF Convention offers many educational sessions focusing on many business areas, from marketing to managing staff; there is much to learn from the presenters and attendees about their real-life experiences.
The Annual Convention is a great place to see the latest and greatest products in our industry. The Supplier Expo has exhibitors who provide solutions for florists' problems in their daily operations. Software solutions, Wholesalers, Suppliers, and even other floral associations are available to answer questions about their products.
Another aspect of the annual convention is the Outstanding Varieties Competition, where growers showcase their products for all attendees to view. This year, there will be a Breeder's Showcase where breeders can highlight their newest products that are about to hit the market or are new. This is a great area to broaden your horizons on the latest products for your events or daily orders.
The Sylvia Cup is the competition to watch during the conference. Florists from all over the nation compete to win the grand prize and be crowned the winning designer of the Sylvia Cup. Make sure to go by and see their work—it is quite incredible, and the different surprise themes are always so fun!
The Awards Gala is an experience not to miss. Industry professionals are recognized for their astounding contributions. What is great is that peers, coworkers, and other professionals can nominate the most deserving of the award. It is such an emotional experience to see the gratitude of the winners.
SAF NextGen
SAF NextGen is one of their initiatives to encourage and help build the future generation of floral professionals. Floral professionals ages 45 and under can join the online Facebook Group (which has almost 1,000 members!) and attend their annual conference. We have attended all of the NextGen Conferences and brought many team members to make connections and learn about our industry. It is a highlight for us and a true bonding experience!
One of the standout moments of any NextGen event is the tours provided, which give attendees an inside glimpse of our industry's interworkings. In the past, we've gone to the Miami Airport to see how flowers come into the United States from other countries and how they go through with a shipping company to the doorstep of a wholesaler or a bouquet-making company. We also saw a large event production company, Petal Productions, and their daily operations and the large-scale events they produce. It is so interesting to see how the puzzle pieces fit together!
The NextGen community is so welcoming that no one feels like an outsider or a stranger. This event is perfect for newcomers to the industry or members of your team who would like to learn more about business and network with like-minded individuals. The next event will be in Dallas, Texas, on February 23-25, 2025. Make sure you keep an eye out for more updates on registration openings!
SAF Profit Blasts
SAF hosts smaller events throughout the year called Profit Blasts. These one-day events are packed with a mini exhibitor showcase, speakers, and networking, all to experience the local floral industry members in your area. The next SAF Profit Blast is Tuesday, November 5th, in Somerset, NJ. If you want to gain new skills, ask questions, and share ideas, this is the perfect event to get familiar with what SAF offers!
To see what a Profit Blast looks like, check out our recap of the Cleveland, Ohio, event earlier this year.
SAF CAD365
Congressional Action Days is an event where floral industry professionals can meet with their local legislators in Washington, DC, to lobby for prominent needs to keep our industry thriving. SAF just recently launched CAD365, where activism continues all year. SAF looks at issues that span all sectors of our industry.
The key initiatives being discussed at Capitol Hill are:
More voices need to be heard from our industry to make real change! If you are attending the SAF Annual Convention this year, purchase your ticket for the SAFPAC Party! Proceeds from your ticket go directly to funding to lobby for our industry. We are a Floral Dominator Supporter for this event, and we truly believe in the work SAF is doing. To learn more about the topics discussed, check out our blog, Advocating For The Floral Industry.
Petal It Forward
In 2014, SAF launched a national movement to spread goodwill with flowers. Petal It Forward involves participants handing two flowers or bouquets to an unsuspecting stranger, asking them to keep one and share the other with someone else. This initiative demonstrates the positive health benefits of giving and receiving flowers.
Many florists who are involved in this say it is one of their favorite events. The community involvement is powerful, and everyone looks forward to it year after year! Florists and wholesalers collaborate to make the day even more special. Flowers have so many health benefits, as That Flower Feeling has proven. SAF provides graphics for creating marketing material to promote your involvement in the movement. If you are outside of the US, you can still participate! Kate mentions nine countries that have participated in the movement so far. Visit the Petal it Forward webpage to register your business to participate this year on October 16th!
Education Hub and Virtual Meetings
SAF provides so much content for florists that you can easily learn at your own pace. The Floral Education Hub greatly benefits members as these classes are tailored for business owners and their staff to gain skills from leading members in the industry. They also host monthly and quarterly virtual meetings where attendees discuss important topics with one another. Floral Management Magazine is a great way to learn about current trends and the latest happenings in the floral world. Sign up for their newsletter to receive updates on all content provided by SAF!
We are so thankful to Kate for joining us this month to learn all about SAF Benefits for florists! We cannot recommend SAF enough to the floral community. Follow them on social media and look at their website for all their offerings. Make sure to watch the full replay of our session below!