After some discussion with Importers in Miami, I learned the following: Long roses are hard ..read more

After 11,309 miles of Floral related travel this year I am happy to report that I made it through with many tales to tell. Most of them I hope you have read by now right here on Flowersandcents.com, or via my newsletter as I have done my best to document my travels through my camera lens and my words. These were the last shows for me this year and they did not disappoint. At both events there was the unsettling reality that there are two ongoing wars happening very close to Europe’s borders. While there was no obvious concern if you managed to talk with folks the feelings are there. One inter ..read more

https://bit.ly/3tVePJu ..read more

International Fresh Produce Association. As the floral exhibition tour continues I find myself on the west coast going from Disneyworld to Disneyland. The 2nd edition of the IFPA is huge and is certainly a different experience from a pure floral show, as this show is dominated by the produce industry. Floral only represents about 10% of the show floor space but that 10% represents nearly 100% of the bouquet makers. This is where “The Gerber guy meets Mr. Potato head. There is simply a lot going on at this show and you need to focus on your mission before you wander off in search of all the s ..read more

Bogota Colombia, August 2023 Proflora   People on a mission arrived at Proflora in large numbers and proceeded to begin their task of finding those buyers or vendors on their to do list. This fabulous show brings together the best growers and the most interesting buyers and after a four-year hiatus it was good to get back to Bogota. There were not a lot of US wholesalers represented and I saw more European buyers than Asian. With that said there were a lot of people attending and the enormous hall was packed on the second day. Vendors are very aware of who they are expecting to find and ..read more

SAF Phoenix 2023 After attending the latest edition (#138) of the SAF convention it occurred to me that SAF connects all the dots. They offer a welcoming event that features everything one might expect from a world-class gathering. Nearly 500 floral professionals from around the globe, an effective tabletop exhibitor display, design competitions, educational programs covering everything from AI (Artificial Intelligence) to sustainability and everything in between. Outstanding floral decorations by the fabulous Ian Prosser, made the hotel a magical place. But as always, the stars of these even ..read more

I have been following this company for a few years after seeing their product in Kenya. Their box design is very clever and most importantly it could save you a bunch of money on airfreight! I suggest that this is worth your time to listen if you are paying airfreight on incoming shipments. The short video will help explain how it works ..read more

Click here to view September issue ..read more

Just when you thought that Jet Fresh could not get more creative. Boom and bloom! they did it again. Most floral exhibitions are held by Associations or professional Convention companies rarely by an individual company. But that is exactly what Mike Black and his group of floral fanatics did. Customers and vendors of JetFresh Flowers were invited to attend this two day event with everything you might expect from a floral event and some you would not expect. A golf tournament, Cigars and flowers gave the attendees a taste of Miami on Thursday and then on Friday the main event took place at the ..read more

Here is a link to the Purple Sapphire variety, enjoy.   ..read more