E-MAG
PANTONE COLOR OF THE YEAR
GREENERY
great news for the floral industry
VALENTINE’S DAY
SURVIVAL GUIDE
planning for success on Valentine’s
JANUARY
2017 ISSUE No.1
in this issue:
TRENDS RIO HOLIDAYS COMMUNIT Y OUTREACH
on the cover: white Calla Lilly leaf
LIVRIO THE E-MAGAZINE OF RIO ROSES Issue No.1 JANUARY 2017 IN THIS ISSUE: Pantone’s Color of t he Year Valentine’s Da y at RIO Valentine’s Da y Sur vival Guide People of RIO Holida y Celebrations Co mmunity Outreach Bir t hda ys + Anniversar ies FOR INQUIRIES marketing@equiflor.com
WE’RE EXCITED TO INTRODUCE LIVRIO YOUR FRESH SOURCE FOR INDUSTRY TRENDS, TIPS, AND RIO NEWS CONTACT US TO CONTRIBUTE
in this picture: “Yellow Babe”
PEOPLE of RIO
WHAT INSPIRES YOU ABOUT RIO? < LUPE BARRERA
MARKETING DEPARTMENT (5 YEARS WITH RIO) “I can definitely say I’ve been inspired to achieve higher goals; I’ve been given great opportunities to develop myself professionally, that to me is priceless.” SANTIAGO MENDEZ > FARM SOURCING (1 year with RIO) “I really like the people in my department and all those I get to work with. It almost feels like you’re among friends or family, Rio hires awesome, quality people.”
RIO HIRES AWESOME, QUALITY PEOPLE HEATHER ROGERS > SALES (14 years with RIO) “One of the things I love about Rio is the unconditional support and encouragement given to all associates to pursue professional and personal growth.”
UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT NORMA HARDISSON ACCOUNTING (12 years with RIO) “One of the things that impressed me the most about Rio is that as a company, they hold a lot of integrity, respect, and honesty towards
INTEGRITY, RESPECT AND HONESTY TOWARDS THEIR EMPLOYEES
their employees ”
JEFRY VIERA-FIALLOS
QUALITY CONTROL (8 years with RIO) “Work is work, but I feel like when i’m here I’m surrounded by my friends, not just my coworkers”
PAINT THE TOWN GREEN Pantone sets the scene for floral designs in 2017
Pantone has once again hit a perfect note with their 2017 Color of the Year: Greenery – an evocative shade that matches the style trends for today’s hottest floral arrangements. Roundly praised by floral and fashion designers alike, Greenery has been recognized for its freshness and hint of new beginnings as we look to the future. With its “fresh and zesty” tone, Greenery embodies the hues of the natural world and provides a reminder of the beauty around us, both in the country and the city. For the flower world, Pantone’s choice reflects a growing trend amongst brides, who are moving towards a more foliage-driven, textured design for their bouquets. The added use of foliage in arrangements also provides a more natural look, allowing the bright colors of the flowers to ‘pop’ against a beautiful background which is both neutral and complimentary.
RIO’S “GREENERY” COLLECTION 1. Bells of Ireland 2. Baby Rose “Snow Flake” 3. Queen Anne’s Lace 4. Lemonade 5. White Mondial 6. Mini Green Hydrangea 7. Green Trix
P.R.E.P. FOR OUR BIGGEST HOLIDAY OF THE YEAR
P.R.E.P.: PLAN, REVIEW, EXCECUTE, PROFIT Valentine’s Day is a huge occasion for the flower industry – according to the National Retail Federation, spending in 2016 reached $19.7 billion, and floral purchases took nearly two billion of that! This spending is on the rise, increasing significantly every year since 2010.
“READY FOR THE RUSH? U.S. SOLD $2 BILLION ON VALENTINE’S 2016” Valentine’s represents one of the biggest sales days for many flower companies and florists, the extra sales mean extra efforts. In the same way that the Main Street florist must order extra stock while avoiding the price rise and ensure deliveries are coordinated well, Rio has to do the same. To help you with your preparations, we’ve got a few handy tips to make sure the day runs smoothly.
VALENTINEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S
DAY
STARTS
NOW Photo: Rio Roses, Miami, FL, U.S.A. (Flower cooler No.2)
VANTINEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DAY SURVIVAL GUIDE
Ready for the rush? A Valentine’s Day checklist WEEKS BEFORE VALENTINE’S DAY • Get your pre-orders in to avoid the higher prices on the market. Make sure to order from suppliers with the freshest product. • Pre-book and let the farm wrap your roses. • Update your website and any other online promotional materials or marketing. • Check last year’s records to make sure you’ve got enough stock, and don’t forget to keep them this year too. • Designate someone to manage the deliveries – one person knowing it all is better than a few knowing some. • Capitalize on the colored, non-red roses by offering them as Valentine’s alternatives – not everybody loves the red classic look! • Grab ahold of new regular customers with a promotion for March – “Why not treat your loved ones more than once a year?”
THE DAY BEFORE/ON VALENTINE’S DAY • Have your packing material out and ready. • Keep your staff happy, relaxed, and in the shop by sorting out a schedule for breaks and providing food and drink for them. • Freshen up any pre-prepared arrangements – change the water and rinse the stems. • Email customers with dispatch notifications – clear phone lines mean more orders coming through.
THE DAY AFTER • Make sure you show your hard-working staff some appreciation – maybe even with a bunch of flowers or lunch!
RIO ROSES
HOLIDAY
CELEBRATION THE RIO TEAM CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAYS IN STYLE The Rio Roses team celebrated the holidays recently with a night at The Knife, an Argentinian steakhouse in Miami. Everyone shared a wonderful evening and had some great food. As well as a good time, our yearly get-together gave us the chance to reflect on how lucky we are to have such an amazing team. At Rio, we feel it is important to show every person who works at the company how important they are to us and our success, and events like these always help us to bond as a team. It was, and always is, a privilege to spend time having fun with our fantastic team and show them that their year-round enthusiasm and hard work is appreciated. After the dinner, as per the Rio tradition, we had a raffle where everyone was able to participate. We had amazing prices such as plasma TVs, iPads, and, of course, some beautiful flower arrangements. We had several lucky winners that were very excited to receive their prizes.
COMMUNIT Y OUTREACH
RIO EMPLOYEES SPREAD SOME HOLIDAY CHEER In the spirit of the giving season, Rio’s generous employees have been bringing in toys and gifts for donations to the Salvation Army, which are then passed on to children from poor and low-income families for the holidays. At Rio, we are always looking for ways to give back to our local communities, and it is hard to think of a worthier cause – especially during this time of year – than the Salvation Army, who bring so much joy and care to those who are in need in our local areas.
COMMUNIT Y OUTREACH
RIOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ROSES PUT SMILES ON CHILDRENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FACES Our yearly flower donation, to the Francis in the Schools charity, provided over two thousand roses for children in the San Francisco and Oakland areas of California. The reason for the donation is to celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The charity aims to bring joy and fun to children from disadvantaged neighborhoods, with concerts, plays, and other activities. Children in the choir picked and presented a rose to each child, who then placed it in a tilma as an offering to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Afterwards, the children enjoyed a healthy lunch, arts and crafts activities, and face painting, with many asking for a rose on their face!
ANNIVERSARIES + BIRTHDAYS
“Thank you for your years of dedication to our team. You are terrifically tireless, exceptionally excellent, and abundantly appreciated”
Maria Penaherrera Gisela Flores Aerlim Diaz Annmarie Neira Celia Gossin Yadira Garcia Duban Builes Givanny Aguirre Luis Morales Norma Edwin Orlando Garcia Alessandri Rodriguez
“Happy Birthday, may all your B-day wishes come true on your special day”
Cesar Molina Celia Gossin Pedro Muro Nina Companioni Sonia Yanez
01/02/07 01/03/11 01/05/04 01/05/04 01/10/05 01/10/11 01/14/11 01/20/98 01/20/14 01/23/12 01/28/92 01/30/10 01/02 01/17 01/18 01/19 01/28
10 years 6 years 13 years 13 years 12 years 6 years 6 years 19 years 3 years 5 years 25 years 7 years
T H A N K S
S E E
F O R
Y O U
R E A D I N G
N E X T
rioroses.com
M O N T H