With floral trade shows breaking attendance records and the economy ever so slowly coming back, perhaps we can look forward to better-than-usual Valentine’s Day sales.

Unfortunately, with our floral buying habits here glued to special occasions and holidays, Valentine’s Day is a make-or-break event for many in the floral industry. Let’s go for it and have plenty of product on hand. Remember, you can’t sell out of an empty wagon.

After the big one, Valentine’s Day, comes a floral holiday under development here, Women’s Day on March 8. We noted in last month’s issue that Lane DeVries at Sun Valley Group said a half-dozen or so supermarket chains are using the promotional materials he has offered. Another encouraging sign: The number of Women’s Day events in this country has grown from 74 last year to 273 and counting for 2013.  

We recently returned from Ecuador and our first visit to FlorEcuador, the biennial trade show billed as the world’s largest exhibit of roses. We have coverage and photos of this stylish event for you in this issue. We found that if the show doesn’t take your breath away, the altitude — three miles high at some of the flower farms in the Andes Mountains — will.

Also in this issue, guest columnist Gay Smith has advice on getting ready for Valentine’s Day and we have an update on the new perishables cargo center at O’Hare Airport in Chicago.

Our Dec. 3 issue will carry coverage of the Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association annual conference and all things floral at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit convention.

See you next month.

John Niblock is the floral editor and floral sales manager of The Produce News. He can be contacted at 843/724-9888 or [email protected].