Bloomin' News | Spring 2022 | Volume 31 Number 1

SPRING 2022

QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL LOS ANGELES FLOWER MARKET OF AMERICAN FLORISTS EXCHANGE, LTD.

FOUNDED ON FAMILY GIVE YOUR EVENTS THE MIDAS TOUCH IT’S A COLORFUL LIFE!

VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 1

TABLE Contents of

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COVER STORY Founded On Family

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FEATURE

Give Your Events the Midas Touch

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Cover: Vincent Gonzales of Wall Street Florals. Photo by Anchor City | Table of Contents: Photo by Kit Wertz.

BY DESIGN It’s A Colorful Life!

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This news magazine is published quarterly (January, April, July, October) by The Los Angeles Flower Market of The American Florists’ Exchange, Ltd. Location 754 Wall Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014 PUBLISHER

The Original Los Angeles Flower Market of the American Florists’ Exchange

Special Holiday Hours, maps, tenants, seasonal flowers and more available at originallaflowermarket.com Market Information 213.622.1966

Market Manager/Mellano 213.622.0796 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

American Florists’ Exchange, Ltd. Los Angeles Flower Market Christine Duke

Lizbeth A. Ecke Jim Mellano Jon Prechtl

John Williams Paul Ecke III

EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING Stephanie Barba | IMW Agency

23191 La Cadena Drive, Ste. 101 Laguna Hills, CA 92653

714.557.7100 | stephanie@imwagency.com | imwagency.com Peggi Ridgway | Wordpix Editorial Solutions ART DIRECTION

Colin Grey Voigt | colingreyvoigt.com LAFD ASSOCIATION MEMBER BADGE PROGRAM Frank Reyes

766 Wall Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014 laflowerdistrict.com

Monday - Saturday, 6 am to 2 pm | 213.627.3696 SUBSCRIBE

Sign up here to stay in touch & receive a link to the quarterly digital issue!

DISCLAIMER

Neither the Bloomin’ News nor the Original Los Angeles Flower Market recommends or endorses any products or advertisements displayed in this publication but presents them as a service to our readers.

ADVERTISE IN BLOOMIN’ NEWS Contact our editor, Stephanie Barba, for advertising rates, dimensions, and details.

Advertise in color. We’ll design your first ad for free!

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS CalFlowers.................................................................................................................Page 4, 19 Floral Supply Syndicate.............................................................................................Page 22 Mayesh Wholesale Flowers...........................................................................................Page 5 Mellano & Company.......................................................................................................Page 5 Teleflora...........................................................................................................................Page 2 The Bloomin’ News

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family F OU ND ED ON

THE VARIET Y OF VENDORS

WRITTEN BY: ANDI BASISTA

The Original Los Angeles Flower Market stands as the single most successful wholesale floral district in the US. The key to such success?

Sticking to the roots of multi-generational prosperity.

The Flower Market is a vibrant space where vendors can operate their family businesses and express each eclectic floral style and personality.

Being the largest venue in the industry, we have a variety of vendors who have established their roots here at The Market—some since the very beginning in the 1920s. Let’s meet a couple.

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Vincent’s Story Vincent didn’t always have his eyes set on owning stall 2. He traveled overseas where he immersed himself into culture, language and business before diving into the growing floral industry.

He came to the realization that his passion was not to be a “big executive with a fancy job and a suit and tie,” but to go back home to the states and join the family business.

However, he never lost his entrepreneurial spirit, he blends it beautifully with his history of floral appreciation.

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Wall Street Florals First impressions are everything. So it is only fitting that the first stall guests see when walking into the Flower Market from the front doors that face Wall Street is none other than, Wall Street Florals.

Currently owned by Vincent Gonzales and assisted by his niece, Qiana Rivera, Wall Street ​​ Florals wields on the foundation of fresh. The family business stems back four generations to the 1920s, starting with both sets of Vincent’s great-grandparents—who were all flower growers in Torrance, CA. Time carried on, and his grandmother

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on his father’s side later founded a 20-acre farm in Torrance, where she would grow her product to sell at the Flower Market until her retirement in the later 60s. The stall she owned was none other than stall 2, the same stall that is still occupied by the Gonzales generation.

In the early ’70s, Vincent’s father, Phil Gonzales, stepped in to keep stall 2 secure under the family name. Vincent joined his father’s business in 1997 after graduate school and worked alongside him until 1999 when his father passed away.

“It was something that I knew and grew up with. It was a part of our family history and culture, going back many generations,” Vincent said. “After graduate school, I thought this would be a great opportunity for me.”

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First impressions are everything.”

How It Started Today, The Market is flooded with people from all sorts of different backgrounds; wholesalers, florists, even your everyday Joe looking to freshen up a room in their home. It is a booming warehouse of floral exchange.

But it wasn’t always operating in such robust ways. In the ’20s, The Market was run vastly different from the fastpaced workings of today.

“It was very, very small. There weren’t stalls back then for all-day sales or every day of the week,” Vincent said.

“People would come in once a week, put their things out, and then they would sell them, so it wasn’t like it is now.”

The downscaled business model of the past comes from the inability to reach resources outside of the internal community. In the ’20s, there were only local flowers. The demand was just as strong, but the quantity of product was not sufficient. With a limited supply, wholesalers and florists got the first pick, and whatever was leftover was sold to the public—if there was anything left.

However, things are much different now. Flowers can be shipped worldwide at the touch of a button. The public is no longer placed on the backburner for their floral needs because we are living in a digital time where the supply of flowers is limitless.

“The biggest change is that [because of the imports] there is an unlimited supply of flowers,” Vincent said.

“With unlimited supply, you can be a wholesale florist or a florist and just make a phone call and Ecuador can ship them to you overnight and you are in business with just a few buckets of water and a refrigerator and a cash register.”

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Where We Are Today So how do you stay afloat competing against a limitless market due to expansive imports? Vincent says the flower shops, the ones that are surviving doing well, reinvented themselves to make themselves profitable for the next generation to come, if they choose.

Inevitably, changes are going to continue to develop over the next decade—and the one to follow. But Wall Street Florals is set up for a successful future, for the next turned leaf.

“The best thing about the Flower Market is that each generation can be handed over to the next,” Vincent said. “Qiana is doing really well and she is poised to be the next generation, if she chooses.”

“The market is very dynamic, it’s changing daily,” Vincent said. “If you think you are going to do business the way you did last year, the year before, five years ago, ten years ago, you’re not going to thrive and flourish.”

Thinking Ahead Prices are constantly changing, sometimes even daily. To keep up with the evolutionary aspects of the floral industry, vendors must stay on top of the supply and demand of consumers and make the necessary swaps in products as they see fit.

“That always keeps you always on your toes and always on the edge, trying something new, getting new products in, watching each product go through its product life cycle,” Vincent said.

1. Qiana Rivera in her element at stall 2 of Wall Street Florals in The Original Los Angeles Flower Market.

2. Vincent’s grandparents, Felipe and Gabrielle Gonzales on their flower farm in Southern California.

Photo from Vincent.

3. The family flower farm founded in Torrance, CA by Vincent’s grandparents. Photo from Vincent.

4. Vincent manning his stall with beautiful florals for his loyal customers to select from.

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Flores Deos Co. Daniela’s Story The makings of Flores Deos Co.— originally named Dayro’s Wholesale Flowers—dates back to 1985 on a flower farm in Mexico. Founded by Daniela’s grandfather, the family flower farm quickly became a booming business. But times got hard. As the years passed, many vendors would take advantage of their growers, which instilled a lack of trust amongst the family. To keep business, Daniela’s father took a leap of faith and decided to move the office to the States.

It was 1993 when her father obtained a business visa and settled his family in Southern California. There was a small stall—a stall about one-third of the size you see today—vacant in the Original Los Angeles Flower Market.

The warm-hearted and always cheery owner, Johnny Mellano, saw the chance for growth and graciously gave Daniela’s father the opportunity to set up shop. And thus, Dayro’s Wholesale Flowers was born.

“I do remember coming to the market being 10,” Daniela said. “My brother and I would come because we would get bribed with the donut shop before you stop at the LA Market.”

But the good memories of The Market sprout past just the sweet treats.

“When Mr. Mellano opened the door to my father’s business, he allowed a lot of products from Mexico to enter the market for the first time in 1993,” Daniela said. “My father was the first to introduce Mexican Gladiolus and Tuberose to this market.”

and Flores Deos Co. now—provides 9-10 trailers full of Gladiolus from growers who have let go of their skepticism and built a trusting relationship with Daniela’s team.

“Although now there might be 20 vendors bringing [Gladiolus] directly, I find pride in knowing that a lot of our customers still come to us for this same product. Chinese New Year Celebration is still our most important holiday to this day.”

Rebuilding Trust Daniela watched her family be a role model for rebuilding the reputation of trust that has been ongoing since day one. She inherently carried over the same work, running the business alongside her mother and two aunts—all of which understand the value of building meaningful relationships with their customers and growers.

“It is the one thing that has allowed this business to be this strong even after 25 years,” Daniela said.

“I feel a responsibility more than anything, not just towards my family and keeping what they have built, but more than that, it’s the responsibility for our work team here and in Mexico.”

The chance to transport their product from Mexico to sell in the States was a monumental step for The Market’s expansion. Every year for Chinese New Year—Dayro’s Wholesale Flowers then

80% of the product that Flores Deos Co. brings in is from their team in Mexico that is orchestrated by Daniela’s aunt, Rosa Maria, and her brother, Daniel. Every Sunday, like clockwork, a trailer is delivered full of flowers—not only from the family’s original farm, but now 1015 other growers that trust them with their products.

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“I think it is very fulfilling, very satisfying to know that we are helping families that maybe wouldn’t be able to come and sell their product here,” Daniela said.

What’s Next While her father retired from the floral business four years ago to follow his calling as a pastor, the rest of the family is still greatly involved in keeping Flores Deos Co. thriving.

Only time will tell, but there is hope that Flores Deos Co. will carry on for another generation to come.

“Running the business, new generations like that of my daughter and little sister are multitaskers, they can have a career of their own and still care for and manage this team,” Daniela said. “I love our customers, but most importantly I respect all the growers behind Flores Deos, there is trust amongst all of us and I would want to keep that going.”

Here’s to an ever-growing family.

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“They know that we are going to pay for their product, we are going to try and always demand the same amount from them so they can keep their business going.”

The same loyalty of business carried through one of the toughest times in history; amid a pandemic shutdown.

Because of the strong customer base that her parents worked on for so many years, they knew exactly who to call and where to go to keep the business growing.

“I find it inspiring that even though the world faced a pandemic and many jobs were lost, we have brave souls that took it upon themselves to grow in this industry,” Daniela said.

“Believe me, to this day I want to cry remembering those things. When the market reopened on Mother’s Day in 2020, we had people line up where our warehouse is. It was really heartwarming to see people would still line up to get their flowers, they still trusted us with those flower needs.”

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1. Daniela’s daughter and her aunt running through their flower farm in Mexico. Photo from Daniela, owner of Flores Deos Co. 2. Daniela’s grandfather photographed holding carnations. Photo from Daniela.

3. Staple signage of the vendor’s personality and love for attention to detail.

4. Daniela’s parents photographed from when their business first started. Photo from Daniela.

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Midas Touch GIVE YOUR EVENTS THE

GOLD SETS THE MOOD FOR MORE THAN VASES WRITTEN BY: KIT WERTZ

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how they know what vases are on trend is a team effort.

“It’s funny,” says Alice, “When Robert and I go to trade shows to buy vases, we both choose different ones. I choose vases from a designer’s perspective and he chooses from what he thinks people will want to buy. The vases he chooses fly off the shelves!” she laughs. “Robert knows the right stuff,” she concludes.

In addition to the many kinds of gold vases that clients and floral designers are using this year, there are many other trends that can be identified.

Here are some vase trends and a few design tips for each:

Footed and compote vases popularized by floral designers via Instagram.

DESIGN TIP: These raised platform style containers offer a sought-after look to make asymmetrical organic and flowing designs.

Clear cylinders keep designs looking natural, clean, and eco-friendly.

A gold candlestick-style stand holds a floral bouquet by Flower Duet for a wedding at Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles. Photo by Kit Wertz.

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Gold vases, containers and stands are one of the most dominant trends for today’s floral and balloon designers.

“All metal is very popular,” says Alice Khosravian, co-owner of Vases by Robert, Inc. (VBR) located inside the Original Los Angeles Flower Market since 2001. “Gold is the most popular, especially for cake stands and balloon display rings,” she adds. Alice and her husband, Robert started the company in 1998 and have been a staple in the Original Los Angeles Flower Market for over two decades.

The company carries more than just an unparalleled selection of vases.

The Khosravians operate Vases by Robert in units 18 and 19 at the Market as well as running a coveted corner shop close by on 8th Street within the LA Flower District. She says their success stems from loyal customers like Harold Long of It’s Your Party. When asked what he thought about Alice, he responds, “She always gives me 110%!” Harold

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adds, “Alice goes out of her way for me all the time.”

If you want to know what the trends are for vases, containers, stands and accent decorations, Vases By Robert offers one of the widest selections at the mart. From classic and elegant glass cylinder vases in every height a floral designer desires to unique ceramic containers in a variety of shapes and finishes, Vases by Robert has it. Their philosophy of business is summed up on their website, “We pride ourselves in providing quality in the three most important key point transactions of any business. We call our three simple principles The 3Qs: Quality vases, Quality customer service, and Quality prices.”

And they make it really easy for their customers who can call in their orders or stop by the stall and place their order for vases in person. The company then goes to their large nearby warehouse to bring the order for curbside pickup or for pickup right inside the Market. Regarding

DESIGN TIP: Keep stems neat underwater or add something interesting like reliable curly willow stems to help keep stems in place.

Wedding couples are requesting simple low glass cylinders with full rounded bloom designs.

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We inspired many imitators since 2001, but not a single equal.”

Face vases and head vases are still making appearances around the Market.

DESIGN TIP: These are great pots for living plants, succulents, interior design installations and dried floral bouquets.

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Tall metallic-finished candlestick stands are popular for candles and florals.

DESIGN TIP: For steady florals, work in a design dish secured with floral clay, anchor pins and waterproof tape to keep floral foam in place for large florals. Don’t overload the dish!

Large golden rings for florals, balloons and ceremony backdrops are super popular for weddings and all other celebrations from baby showers to mitzvahs.

DESIGN TIP: Before adding décor, make sure you know how to design on a lightweight ring that might be just for balloons and not for florals. See the article in the last issue of The Bloomin’ News “Foam-Free Large Scale Florals” for how to design lightweight flowers for arches and ceremony structures.

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Cement containers are still also very popular with designers and clients.

DESIGN TIP: The neutral tone of the gray complements so many color schemes of flowers and plants.

These are used a lot with succulent planters and designs featuring either pink or yellow flowers and include floral accents like Silver Brunia and Dusty Miller to highlight the silvery gray of the cement.

1. Footed metal containers like these at Vases by Robert come with plastic liners to keep designs watertight. Photo by Kit Wertz 2. Glass vases displayed at Vases by Robert.

3. Vases with faces are still peering out around the Los Angeles Flower Market and Floral district including at VBR. Photo by Kit Wertz.

4. The well-seen endcap display at Vases by Robert will always showcase the hottest trend in design.

5. Vases by Robert’s Alice Khosravian’s blue baby shower display shows off gold cake and dessert stands and her gold balloon circlet backdrop.

Photo and design by Alice Khosravian.

6. Green trick dianthus, mini green hydrangea, green celosia and shamrock hydrangea display well in this neutral cement bowl by Flower Duet.

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We call our three simple principles The 3Qs: Quality vases, Quality customer service, and Quality prices.”

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And finally, large cake and dessert displays are back with in-person events—and why not go big with fancy dessert stands? Vases by Robert has a huge selection of cake stands in a variety of finishes and sizes.

Alice says, “Everyone wants the gold stands.” Her designs featuring fresh flowers and balloons offer great ideas on how to decorate with these trendy platforms and structures.

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1. This baby shower décor in pink shows VBR’s popular silver stands, balloon display, silver trumpet vases and white lanterns. Photo and design by Alice Khosravian.

2. Vendor Vases By Robert displays many on-trend golden vases and containers at. Photo by Kit Wertz.

3. Another vase “face” and popular gold vases adorn the shelves at Vases by Robert. Photo by Kit Wertz.

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Vases by Robert’s product variety and selection, excellent customer service and uncanny knowledge of the next hot trend is a much-admired asset to the Original Los Angeles Flower Market. The Khosravian’s son Chris also works in the business and represents the next generation of their company for decades to come. An apt quote from Robert appears on their shelves among the hot and trendy gold vases and containers. It reads, “We inspired many imitators since 2001, but not a single equal.”

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while spreading joy and embracing each other for who we are and what we represent. That’s why I am choosing to share this step-by-step tutorial to create “A Colorful Life!”. And yes, this is a play on one of my all time favorite classic movies, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” In case you haven’t seen this movie, it follows George Bailey’s life from a child to adulthood.

It is full of opportunities that have come George’s way - some missed and some taken. Through this story, George faces true hardships and a few that he can’t see his way out of. Luckily a special something comes his way to show him how truly wonderful his life really is - the good and even the bad parts. It is important to be reminded by floral designs, the people of the market, your flower friends, friendly and loyal clients or even just a simple flower how Wonderful and Colorful Life really is.

Things you’ll need to create this everlasting installation:

Emily Jilg, owner of Emily Jilg Co.

BY DESIGN IT’S A COLORFUL LIFE! WRITTEN BY EMILY JILG

•

3 feet of chicken wire

• Wire cutters

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• 20 pound finishing line

With our world, country and even city facing challenging times I think it is important for us all to remember kindness

• A wide variety of textured dried florals in different vibrant colors. Get creative!

When The Original Los Angeles Flower Market approached me to write an article for the Bloomin’ News, I was over the moon honored.

The OLAFM has been a special place to me for years. As my floral design business began blooming the people of the market guided me, cheered for me and always shared a friendly smile or wave. It is only fitting that I can try to give the market what the market has given me.

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SUPPLIES

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• Extra wire for wrapping • Floral shears • A large mirror or other framed element

DRIED FLORALS FROM THE OL AFM:

STEP 1 First thing you’ll do is create your mechanics for the dried florals.

Take your chicken wire and roll it into a long and skinny cylinder.

Use wire to secure the shape of the chicken wire. I added three ties along the chicken wire log to secure it.

STEP 3

STEP 2 Next, you will attach the chicken wire log onto your mirror or framed object. Using heavy fishing line, weave around each side and the middle of the chicken wire and tie to the back brackets of the mirror.

Once fastened on, you can begin your design work!

First, set out all of the dried ingredients in a line by color to see what you are working with. To create a colorful design with a focal point, apply a good mix of color for the surrounding edge. Focus coming in towards the middle to draw your eye into the design.

STEP 4 Then, start placing your bigger ingredients that fill in space while also creating a grid within the chicken wire so smaller pieces and stems could have a place to nudge into.

It is important to create the shape you want with the placement of these larger pieces. I decided to create an art deco-like shape that fanned out with the center being the “star” almost like the way a light would illuminate outwards from the center. The best way to have that effect is to work from the outside in.

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STEP 5 After placing the larger pieces I began placing the less volume piece at the same angles moving my way inwards to the center.

Here you can see all of my large and more delicate pieces are placed. The last stems are to create that unique center that feels like the star of the piece. With all these beautiful and vibrant colors I wanted to make the center feel softer almost like a supernova! That’s when a star explodes and the center is a big light with colors jumping from the center of the explosion!

me. For this specific piece I wanted to highlight color and the feeling like this piece is alive. This piece represents the burst of life filled with all different kinds of people. It represents the wild and sometimes beautiful mess we live in together. All the colors, textures and movements of this piece represent the wonderful world that surrounds us everyday. It’s a Colorful Life.

I used blues, purples and pinks at the center of my Colorful Life with 5 white faux dried flowers at the center for contrast.

I like to pull inspiration from beauty and nature around The Bloomin’ News

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Happenings 2022

EVERY SATURDAY THE WALL FARMERS MARKET ON SAN PEDRO STREET BETWEEN SEVENTH AND EIGHTH STREETS, JUST OUTSIDE THE ORIGINAL LOS ANGELES FLOWER MARKET, 9 AM TO 2 PM.

TELEFLORA RECOGNIZES MOMS IN ROLE OF A LIFETIME • “The Role of a Lifetime” is how

Teleflora characterizes its latest “ode to Mom” television and radio commercial promoting Mother’s Day 2022. Directed by two-time Academy Award-winning American film director Barbara Kopple, the filmed social experiment features real-life actress-moms who auditioned for the job of Lilly, a mom struggling to make ends meet. Those who made it to the callbacks were asked to read a letter, which is met with teary eyes when they realize it’s not a script, but an authentic letter from their child. The commercial captures the moment when they realize they are auditioning for the part but have been living this “role of a lifetime”.

No casting calls, callbacks or approvals required. “I was overjoyed to work with the Teleflora team to bring these stories to life, ‘’ said director Barbara Kopple, and, “after we met our moms in casting, hearing their amazing stories, we knew we were onto something really powerful.”

Three unique stories of motherhood are told throughout the commercial, which is

airing on premium OTT content services, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram Reels and In-Stream. The Wonderful Company developed the campaign, headed by chief creative officer, Margaret Keene, with guidance from Teleflora’s Mason and Jeff Bennett, Teleflora president.

CALIFLORA TEAMS WITH CALFLOWERS AND J SCHWANKE • ONE DYNAMIC DAY WITH FLOWERS,

slated for Sunday, August 28 at the Hotel del Coronado, Coronado, California promises to be a spectacular event led

by J Schwanke and Guest Designers.

Also featuring hands-on workshops, the unique event showcases some of the best floral designs and techniques. “Hours of Flower with Life in Bloom’’ marathons occupy prime time on Create TV and coincide with the launch of Season 4 of “J Schwanke’s Life in Bloom”. Five-hour marathons occurred in April but you may find additional airings at 2 and 2:30 a.m.

EST. “Even the most modest bouquet of flowers can have all sorts of positive short and long-term effects on how we feel,” says CalFlowers. In other words, it’s that “Flower Feeling”.

MAYESH OPENS NEW LOCATION • Mayesh Wholesale Florist will open

a new distribution center this summer in Raleigh, North Carolina, making 20 wholesale locations for the company.

Mayesh CEO Patrick Dahlson believes the Raleigh location “will significantly enhance our ability to serve the many great floral businesses throughout the region.” See Mayesh.com for all the exciting details.

FLORAL WHOLESALERS GET GREAT COVERAGE • The Bloom Show & Flowers & Cents

covered the Wholesale Florist and Florist Supplier Association in detail through three episodes. The WF&FSA’s 2022 Floral Distribution Conference was held in Miami in March with a theme of “Breaking Boundaries, Bridging Divides.”

While the last Conference had fewer attendees, the 2022 conference saw prepandemic numbers in a comprehensive program that introduced insightful topics for the floral industry attendees.

Calendar 2022 EVERY SATURDAY THE WALL FARMERS MARKET ON SAN PEDRO STREET BETWEEN SEVENTH AND EIGHTH STREETS, JUST OUTSIDE THE ORIGINAL LOS ANGELES FLOWER MARKET, 9 AM TO 2 PM.

MAY 5-30

• Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona

28-JUN 5 SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FAIR, VICTORVILLE

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MEMORIAL DAY

JUNE IS “LOVE” MONTH

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SHAVUOT

8-10

WORLD FLORAL EXPO, JACOB J. JAVITS CENTER OF NEW YORK

8-JULY 4

SAN DIEGO COUNTY FAIR AT DEL MAR FAIRGROUNDS

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FLAG DAY

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FATHER’S DAY JUNETEENTH (ALSO: EMANCIPATION DAY)

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SUMMER SOLSTICE

26-28

SLOW FLOWERS SUMMIT, POCANTICO, NY • (45 minutes from Manhattan).

Sessions at Maple Grove Farm, Stone Barns Center with outstanding designers and experts.

Visit Slowflowerssummit.com for details.

JULY 4

SAVE THE DATE MAY 5-30, 22 • Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona. 100th anniversary.

Closed Mondays/Tuesdays, except Memorial Day. LAcountyfair.com.

JUNE 7-9, 22 • International Floriculture Expo, Miami Beach Convention Center and Jacob J. Javits Center, New York.

JUNE 26-28, 22 • Slow Flowers Summit, lower Hudson Valley (45 minutes from Manhattan), in the Stone Barn Center, New York. See more at Slowflowerssummit.com.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

4-9

AIFD SYMPOSIUM “ROOTS’ • Caesar’s Forum Las Vegas,

NV. Hotel: Harrah’s Las Vegas.

See AIFD.org.

AUG 29-SEPT 1 “ALL ABOUT FLOWERS”

• Fun ‘n Sun event at the Hotel del Coronado, Coronado, CA

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INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP DAY

JULY 4-9, 22 • AIFD National “Roots” Symposium, Caesars Forum (Hotel: Harrah’s), Las Vegas.

See AIFD.org.

AUG 29 – SEPT 1, 22 • CalFlowers’ Fun ‘N Sun Convention “All About Flowers” featuring tours and visits to flower farms, learning sessions and fun activities; Hotel del Coronado. Get the scoop at CAFGS.org.

• SAF’s 137th Annual Convention, Hilton Orlando, featuring top retailers, floral designers, growers, wholesalers, importers, manufacturers, suppliers, educators, students and allied organizations — from around the world. See SAFnow.org.

OCT 19, 22 • SAF’s “Petal It Forward”, goodwill initiative.

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