Welcome & Floral Industry Snapshot

Kate Penn welcomes attendees and sets the stage for SAF Orlando 2021 by providing a snapshot of the floral industry’s biggest challenges and opportunities.

Keynote Presentation: Searching for the End of Uncertainty

Speaker: Charlie Hall Ph.D., Ellison Chair in International Floriculture, Texas A&M University

The uncertainty of COVID forced us to reimagine our business models and implement within months changes that would have taken us years before. We’ve adapted to these new ways of doing business, but we’re in a vastly different economic climate. Driven by research and real examples from the past year, Charlie provides a snapshot of the state of the supply chain, the economic outlook for the post-pandemic world and how the industry will evolve over the coming years, including the changing role of the traditional florist, the increased importance of vertical integration between segments and the consumer behavior trends guiding these insights. Want to dig into what these insights might mean to your business?

Designs Worth Sharing

Speaker: Sharrai Morgan Faulkner, AIFD, Holly’s Fine Flowers, Port Townsend, WA

Many of today’s flower buyers are looking for the “wow” factor, the unexpected surprise or experience they can share via social media. How do you offer “wow” for big and small budgets alike? And what does “wow” look like for the traditional customer versus the more “adventurous” one? Sharrai Morgan Faulkner, AIFD, demonstrates how to efficiently create designs that quench the consumer’s thirst for an experience worth sharing.

You’ll learn:

• How to put a modern twist on your arrangements with just a few simple tweaks – using tools, flowers, and containers you already have in your shop.
• How to effectively incentivize your team to think outside the box when developing new arrangements or refreshing your current designs.
• Tips for staging and photographing your floral designs so that your marketing appeals to younger shoppers and aligns with the marketing channels they use for shopping.

Panel and Roundtable Reaction: Searching for the End of Uncertainty

Facilitator- Charlie Hall, Panel TBA

Dig into what you learned during the Searching for the End of Uncertainty presentation. A panel of industry leaders facilitates a roundtable discussion about how the shifting economic, consumer and business landscape will influence operations and overall business strategy for the next five years.

You’ll discuss:

• What does the retailer, wholesaler and producer look like in 2022 and 2030?
• How should the shifting consumer behavior, technology and the economy influence how you do business in 2022 and beyond?
• How must the industry adapt to supply chain disruption?

Recruiting in a Post Pandemic World
(Repeats Thur. at 3:15 PM)

Speaker: Glenna Hecht, Humanistic Consulting

The world was turned upside down during COVID-19, now the coin has flipped. In today’s market, recruitment is driven by candidates. Due to an increase in demand, quality candidates have multiple opportunities for jobs and your company is evaluated before the interview begins. As a result of these circumstances, you must think differently and be prepared for recruiting and retaining in a post-COVID world!

You’ll learn:

• How (and why) to rethink the skills and characteristics you need to hire.
• New ways to tap into talent where you’re least expecting to find it.
• How to deploy more effective remarketing, using readily available low-tech and high tech solutions.
• How to create weekly campaigns using email, texting and ringless voice mail.

Post-Pandemic Remarketing: Turning New Customers into Repeat Buyers (repeats Wed. at 3:15 p.m.)

Speaker: Dan McManus, Team Floral

Most florists welcomed a swath of new customers as a result of the pandemic, when available gift options were limited. What are you doing to make sure those customers come back to your store? A recent study showed that 7 out of 10 first-time customers do not call their florist the following year — instead, they go to Google to find a florist. The problem? Traditional re-marketing – postcards, email blasts, social media – isn’t doing the job. Today’s re-marketing has to be personalized, customized and relevant. Dan McManus walks through several options for turning your first-time buyers into long-time customers.

You’ll learn:

• Why remarketing programs have grown ineffective.
• How to measure your repeat purchase rate from customers year-over-year.
• How to deploy more effective remarketing, using readily available low-tech and high tech solutions.
• How to create weekly campaigns using email, texting and ringless voice mail.

Advanced Social Media Skills Builder

Rotate through different tables and spend time with a variety of social media experts who will dive into the latest Instagram, TikTok and Facebook features. Discover social media tips and tricks to apply to your business.

You’ll learn:

• Best practices for filming and uploading videos to each platform.
• How to develop and execute paid social promotions.
• How to work with influencers.
• Steps for creating an Instagram shop and selling through social media.

Post-Pandemic Remarketing: Turning New Customers into Repeat Buyers (Repeat)

Speaker: Dan McManus, Team Floral

Most florists welcomed a swath of new customers as a result of the pandemic, when available gift options were limited. What are you doing to make sure those customers come back to your store? A recent study showed that 7 out of 10 first-time customers do not call their florist the following year — instead, they go to Google to find a florist. The problem? Traditional re-marketing – postcards, email blasts, social media – isn’t doing the job. Today’s re-marketing has to be personalized, customized and relevant. Dan McManus walks through several options for turning your first-time buyers into long-time customers.

You’ll learn:

• Why remarketing programs have grown ineffective.
• How to measure your repeat purchase rate from customers year-over-year.
• Before and after case studies of shops that tried new remarketing techniques.
• How to implement the right re-marketing approach for your shop.

Incentive Plans that Motivate and Retain Teams

Speakers: Chris Drummond. AAF, PFCI, Penny’s by Plaza Flowers
Derrick Myers, CPA, PFCI, Crockett & Myers Associates

Your long-term ability to retain top talent is dependent on how you reward employees. Floral businesses with solid incentive programs in place are finding they can compete with large corporations for talent and drive higher sales and profits. Discover how an incentive program revolutionized one florist’s business and how you can scale a program based on your busines size and model.

You’ll learn:

• How to structure an incentive program for different positions.
• How “blended” programs can work for teams that work across multiple departments.
• How to avoid the typical missteps of bonus and incentive programs.

Website Overhaul (repeats Thurs. at 3:15 p.m.)

Speakers: Vonda LaFever, AIFD, CFD, PFCI, Ellie LaFever, Kamii Martin, Lori Wilson, Flower Clique

Is your website designed with a critical eye and sales goal in mind? Do you know which aspects of your website provide the biggest ROI? See before and after examples of websites that help brands increase sales, customer loyalty and profitability.

You’ll Learn:

• How to identify problems on your website and what changes need to be made to grab consumer attention.
• Why featuring custom floral designs can transform your online success (and how to do it efficiently).
• The power of placement- with “hot spots”.
• How to connect the digital with the physical dots, to improve online and in-store sales.

SAF Annual Business Session

SAF President Chris Drummond, AAF, PFCI, provides a preview of SAF’s 2022 initiatives, before passing the gavel to SAF’s new president, Michelle Castellano Keeler, AAF.

Keynote Presentation: Making Paid Search Pay Off

Speaker: Nicolas Darveau-Garneau, Google Chief Search Evangelist 

COVID has unleashed a swath of consumers who are flocking online to buy flowers and plants. What are you doing to direct these eyeballs to your brand? Get insight from Google’s top search chief, who parlays the best practices of the world’s top e-commerce companies into a paid search playbook you can put to use. He also shows how machine learning is influencing the lifetime value of customers.

You’ll Learn:

• Why paid search has become an imperative aspect of online marketing.
• How to use online marketing to drive sales on the phone and in person and optimize your overall profits
• How to get started – or scale up your existing strategy to leverage the newest features in paid search.

Panel Discussion: Best Practices for Paid Search

Energized by Nicolas Darveau-Garneau’s keynote address? Consider it a springboard for a more tactical, peer-to-peer discussion, as a panel of seasoned retailers who’ve implemented paid search – and learned lessons along the way – share their own best practices for optimizing your paid acquisition strategy. Roundtable discussion at individual tables allows you to get down to brass tacks.

The Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion

Speakers: Laura Polo & Sarah Bagle, Accent Decor

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is not just the latest buzz phrase or “the right thing to do.” Companies that understand and honor employees’ differences and work to eliminate systemic inequities are more successful. A study by McKinsey & Company and the Society for Human Resource Management found that organizations with more gender and racial diversity bring in increased revenue, more customers and higher profits. What’s more: When young Black men and women and people of color see florists who look like them, it allows the next generation to dream about a potential career path. Learn about one company’s journey to make DEI a priority – and how you can, too.

You’ll learn:

• How to start diversity, equity and inclusion conversations within your workplace.
• How to create a Diversity Council, action plan and ensure everyone is held accountable.
• Where to find additional resources and best practices.

Talent Cheat Sheet: Put the Right People in the Right Seats

Speaker: Doug Kisgen, Kisgen Group

Increased flower consumption is a promising bright spot for the floral industry and your business – is your team aligned to allow the business to take advantage of that growth? Do you know what your team needs from you, as a leader – and where your blind spots are? The answers are here, with entrepreneur, personality expert and author, Doug Kisgen and the Culture Index program. Before the convention, Doug will provide a personalized link to a brief Culture Index survey for you and your team to take and will share the results with you. During the session, Doug will shed light on how to interpret the results — he’ll astonish participants with how he can identify strengths and weaknesses of entrepreneurs and their teams – and he’ll teach you to do the same.

You’ll learn: 

• What most entrepreneurs get wrong when it comes to aligning talent with the work you need to get done.
• Whether you have the right people in the right jobs, and how to motivate your team.
• Insight into your own leadership strengths and weaknesses.
• How to assess your bench strength so you are prepared for growth.

Instagram Reels Mean Deals: The Power of Short Form Content and How Retailers Are Cashing In
(repeats Thur. at 1:30 p.m.)

Speaker: Crystal Vilkaitis, Crystal Media

Are you leaving money on the table by not using Instagram Reels or TikTok to sell to your customers? Short-form content has taken social media by storm, so gear up and get in the game! This session will simplify understanding of these platforms, share the posts that will engage (and sell!) the most, show the tricks to save you time, and spell out why retailers need to leverage this content format NOW! Get ready to stand out and cash in.

Seed Your Future

Speaker: Jazmin Albarran, Seed Your Future

Learn how Seed Your Future is driving interest in careers in floriculture and horticulture, and how you can use their tools to do the same in your community.

Converting Browsers to Buyers

Speaker: Dan McManus, Team Floral

The vast majority of consumers who visit retail websites will not make a purchase. Discover how shops have been able to beat those odds and double their web sales by understanding and implementing the four key factors that influence online performance.

You’ll Learn:

• Why consumers are visiting your website, but not purchasing.
• The role that pricing and product mix play in successful e-commerce sites.
• When and where to implement discounts codes for the highest return.
• How to increase your conversion rate by implementing website add-ons, up-selling, tips jars and much more.

Instagram Reels Mean Deals: The Power of Short Form Content and How Retailers Are Cashing In (Repeat)

Speaker: Crystal Vilkaitis, Crystal Media

Are you leaving money on the table by not using Instagram Reels or TikTok to sell to your customers? Short-form content has taken social media by storm, so gear up and get in the game! This session will simplify understanding of these platforms, share the posts that will engage (and sell!) the most, show the tricks to save you time, and spell out why retailers need to leverage this content format NOW! Get ready to stand out and cash in.

Website Overhaul (Repeat)

Speakers: Vonda LaFever, AIFD, CFD, PFCI, Ellie LaFever, Kamii Martin, Lori Wilson, Flower Clique

Is your website designed with a critical eye and sales goal in mind? Do you know which aspects of your website provide the biggest ROI? See before and after examples of websites that help brands increase sales, customer loyalty and profitability.

You’ll Learn:

• How to identify problems on your website and what changes need to be made to grab consumer attention.
• Why featuring custom floral designs can transform your online success (and how to do it efficiently).
• The power of placement- with “hot spots”.
• How to connect the digital with the physical dots, to improve online and in-store sales.

Talent Cheat Sheet: Put the Right People in the Right Seats (Repeat)

Speaker: Doug Kisgen, Kisgen Group

Increased flower consumption is a promising bright spot for the floral industry and your business – is your team aligned to allow the business to take advantage of that growth? Do you know what your team needs from you, as a leader – and where your blind spots are? The answers are here, with entrepreneur, personality expert and author, Doug Kisgen and the Culture Index program. Before the convention, Doug will provide a personalized link to a brief Culture Index survey for you and your team to take and will share the results with you. During the session, Doug will shed light on how to interpret the results — he’ll astonish participants with how he can identify strengths and weaknesses of entrepreneurs and their teams – and he’ll teach you to do the same.

You’ll learn: 

• What most entrepreneurs get wrong when it comes to aligning talent with the work you need to get done.
• Whether you have the right people in the right jobs, and how to motivate your team.
• Insight into your own leadership strengths and weaknesses.
• How to assess your bench strength so you are prepared for growth.

Recruiting in a Post Pandemic World (Repeat)

Speaker: Glenna Hecht, Humanistic Consulting

The world was turned upside down during COVID-19, now the coin has flipped. In today’s market, recruitment is driven by candidates. Due to an increase in demand, quality candidates have multiple opportunities for jobs and your company is evaluated before the interview begins. As a result of these circumstances, you must think differently and be prepared for recruiting and retaining in a post-COVID world!

You’ll learn:

• How (and why) to rethink the skills and characteristics you need to hire.
• New ways to tap into talent where you’re least expecting to find it.
• Tips for accelerating the hiring process.
• Three ways to reduce turnover in today’s market.