The BEST of the International Floral Expo 2013

It's Great to attend ANY Trade Show and this year I had the opportunity to attend the International Floral Expo in Miami Beach!This Show is dedicated to Flower Sellers... Wholesale, Retail, Mass Market... and it showcases the Best in the World of Cut Flowers, Foliage and Plants for consideration in our Great Flower Industry!I love walking a Trade Show because you get so many wonderful ideas and this is where you see Trends begin to take hold in the world of Flowers...So here's My "BEST OF" list from the International Floral Expo 2013American Family Farming... from Kendall Farms!  I loved this Point of Purchase Display created by Troy Connor and the Team at Kendall...Made of Hardwood... that's stained... and "BRANDED"... literally with CA Grown Signature and my Favorite Emblem... Kendall Farms 25 years of Family Farming! That's bringing the Local Message Home for sure!I also loved the Mason Jars... an opportunity to showcase the DIY concept at market level and encourage Flowers placement EASILY In the Home!Note how the Display also changes up... so you can feature a Flower Bucket Look instead of All Mason Jars depending on the Type of Flower you are Featuring... Tall buckets make more sense for the Gorgeous Kendall SunFlowers!Succulent Symbols!I wanted to pack up all these Beauties for a ride back to Grand Rapids. Scott Fulton of Proven Winners showed me these Incredible Succulent Gardens planted into Symbols of Hearts or Yin-Yang...A Higher End Flower Gift... and definitely a Show Stopper! What a great way to "Say it with Succulents" The Textures of these Amazing Succulents and the Combination of Colors made these Wonderful Symbolic Gardens... A "MUST HAVE" at the IFE Show in Miami Beach! Tulips... on the Bulb! I love Tulips on the Bulb... Just Ask Doug Dobecki from Sun Valley... I'm fascinated about how the bulb continues to provide a Life Source for the Amazing Soil Grown Tulips... and Nobody Does Soil Grown Tulips Better than Lane DeVries and Sun Valley Flower Farms!Never to be outdone... The Sun Valley Group always has dynamic displays... and their suspended Tulips on the Bulb were Magnificent!This shows the Durability and Longevity of the Soil Grown Tulips from Arcata that have made Sun Valley Famous! It was a World Class Display!Laser Hypericum...Jolo Flowers showcases some really incredible flower introduction and the New Laser Hypericum was exciting! This precision painted Hypericum was a super attention getter... and really got people excited!I particularly liked the "Candy Corn" application for Halloween... a FUN way to "Trick" and "Treat" for the Holidays!Slow Flowers... America's Flowers... CA GrownThe Local Movement continues to Grow and the groundswell is evident and Exciting!My Pal Debra Prinzing was there making appearances and signing her Book "Slow Flowers".. Same concept as "Slow Food"... finding Local Flowers to enjoy and supporting the Local Flower Farmers and American Grown!CA Grown Featured Farms... Mellano & Co, The Sun Valley Group, Continental Floral Greens, Kendall Farms, B&H Flowers noticed an Increase in Interest for CA Grown Flowers and America's Flowers!My Comrade Kasey Cronquist was on hand for a presentation about American Grown... and highlighted the America's Flower Movement! Kelly and I enjoyed a Great Evening with Ko Klaver, Kasey and Debra... a wonderful time to discuss American Grown Flowers!"Flowers in Every Home"... was a New Motto shared throughout the convention... and I like that concept! It's a Motto we can all embrace... similar to "More Flowers for More People More often"... I like the idea of everyone in every home... big, small or otherwise having Flowers Inside! Add this great sentiment to your conversations, It will make a Difference!