‘Tis the season — of preparing
‘Tis the season — of preparing
Even though we celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas this month, the countdown has begun for another critical floral holiday — it’s only 75 days until Valentine’s Day. Are you preparing?
Since I was told by a number of industry professionals at the PMA Fresh Summit Expo in October that they’d like to see more coverage on merchandising tips and ideas, this edition of Floral Marketing offers various Valentine’s Day helpful hints by industry experts, along with a few ideas to make your December holidays more profitable. Gay Smith gives us the rundown on how to get it right with roses; Marla O’Dell reminds us about the importance of ribbons and bows; Sue DeMuth advises us to anticipate all of this month’s holidays and Hillary Fish focuses on the ever-growing popularity of orchids.
We also highlight the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree’s journey across the country; introduce you to the giving back program at Silver Vase in Miami; Nick Fronduto recaps the WF&SFA conference; Lennie Larkin reports on the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers conference, and we preview Florida’s Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition that will take place in January.
In closing I truly wish you all abundant blessings this busy holiday season and I remind you, as Bob Larson does in his Valentine’s Day article, to take care of yourself, smile a lot and have fun amidst — and sometimes in spite of — all the hustle and bustle. After all, you’re in the business of bringing joy, hope, love, comfort and beauty into people’s lives. What could be more appropriate at this time of year?
Richard Lutes is the floral editor and floral sales manager of The Produce News. He can be contacted at 763/595-9559 or [email protected].