What's new at the show

REVISED SCHEDULE The Super Floral Show will start a day earlier and end on Friday instead of Saturday. Many of those polled said their weekends during June are filled with graduations and weddings. Mr. Callahan says the new schedule allows more opportunity for exhibitors and attendees to participate in the conference program, more time to visit the exhibit hall and the opportunity to be home for the weekend. “Since this change was announced, the response has been overwhelmingly positive,” he says.

FLORAL DEPARTMENT SHOWCASE A new addition is “The Retail Done Right Showcase,” a fully operational retail floral department on the show floor that will feature professionally merchandised display cases; self-service floral; crisp, clear signage; packaging; vases and other hard goods; and all the fresh floral products necessary for a functioning department. Mr. Callahan says the showcase is designed to help retailers make the right decisions about their displays. “This show feature is a must for learning how to drive more sales from your floral department,” he says.
The showcase will tie into one of the education sessions, “Retail Done Right,” which is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 13. Part of the “Marketing and Merchandising” track, it will help attendees better understand all the necessary components for a profitable floral department.

STORE TOUR A second new feature is a store tour. Before the education program begins and the show floor opens on Tuesday, June 12, attendees and exhibitors are invited to spend part of the day visiting retail floral operations in the greater Columbus, Ohio, area.

NEW EDUCATION TOPICS Attendees also will notice improvements in the show’s education program this year, says Education Coordinator Lisa Keller. Since the last show, Diversified has consulted with the show’s advisory board and industry experts, researched industry publications and solicited ideas on the show’s Web site to come up with the topics for the 2007 education program, Ms. Keller says. New topics include Colombia’s floral certification program, supplier diversity initiatives, organic floriculture, community outreach, automation in the floral industry and the impact of flowers on the workplace.
“Last year, we heard too often that the session topics were too general and did not provide enough value to the attendees,” Mr. Callahan says. “This year, we are demanding that the sessions deliver specific ideas for attendees to take back to their businesses and implement.
“We think we have accomplished this by highlighting Rebecca Cole, host of Discovery Home Channel’s ‘Surprise by Design,’ and Paul Rice, CEO, TransFair USA, an affiliate of Fair Trade, as our keynote presenters.” Ms. Cole’s topic is “She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not … Selling Flowers in a Fickle World,” and Mr. Rice will discuss the market for Fair Trade Certified flowers.
Ms. Keller says the education sessions are designed so attendees can take home something concrete, such as a new process or product, that they can put into place. She also points out that the speakers will not give sales speeches or promote particular products.

ADDITIONAL SESSIONS Some past attendees also will notice one less keynote session this year. Ms. Keller eliminated one keynote to increase the budget for education sessions. She added three education sessions, bringing the total to 19.

Questions? Call Cynthia McGowan at (800) 355-8086, or e-mail her at cmcgowan@superfloralretailing.com. 


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