As things look and feel like they are returning back to normal, there are still many areas that have yet to rebound from the effects of the pandemic. One of those areas is product availability on the floral hardgoods side. We went from a very stable and predictable flow of product in 2019 to an environment now that is totally unpredictable in terms of both when product will be received and what the cost of that product will be once it arrives.

The root causes of both supply disruptions and price increases are many:

• Factories overseas were forced to sporadically close due to COVID, thus

The Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF), the industry’s organization for floral marketing research and resources, has announced its rebrand to the Floral Marketing Fund (FMF).

The comprehensive rebrand elevates the need to focus on collaborative marketing efforts and position the Floral Marketing Fund to bring industry organizations together. At the heart of the rebrand is the change of name to the Floral Marketing Fund, a new logo, tagline, and mission & vision statements encouraging industry collaboration to promote everyday purchasing of fresh flowers and plants.

The rebrand to the

Wednesday, July 14 marked the halfway point of AFE's 60 Day Fundraising Campaign. Thanks to the quick work of AFE's ambassadors and the generosity of our floral industry community, AFE has surpassed its initial goal of $60,000 within the first 30 days. With the support of AFE's volunteer fundraising team consisting of its Board of Trustees, staff, and longtime supporters, AFE is setting a new goal of $100,000 with the remaining 30 days. This new goal will break records for AFE's annual fundraising event — during its 60th Anniversary Year. Sponsors of this campaign will impact the industry by

Oscar Fernandez, director of sales for Equiflor-Rio Roses in Miami, FL, has been named SAF’s next president-elect.

“I am very excited to have been chosen to serve as president-elect,” Fernandez said. “We have all lived through an interesting time in the last year and a half, and our wonderful industry has proven its strength. Working with everyone in this role will be an honor and privilege.”

SAF’s president-elect is nominated by the Nominating Committee and elected by the Board of Directors. Candidates for president-elect must have previously served as non-officer members of the board of

"Proflora is an event that gathers prominent producers, exporters, buyers, sellers, suppliers, and service providers of the flower industry from all over the world. It is one of the best international showcases of Colombia and involves a huge commitment. Therefore, and in view of the global health uncertainty conditions generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we consider that in Proflora we must give priority to people's safety. Thus, we have postponed the event," stated Augusto Solano, president of Asocolflores.

Proflora is the main event of the floriculture sector in Colombia, and one of great

The Society of American Florists is now curating educational training, created by the industry's trainers, teachers, and floral pros, in one central location — its Career Connection learning hub. The first five courses dive into fundamental topics that have a bottom-line impact on shop operations, including setting new hires up for success, reducing shrink, getting new hires on the design bench faster and cross-training current employees.

“I managed a flower shop for more than 20 years and I was always hungry for educational content that would enhance my skills and improve shop operations,”