North Carolina State Florists Association

The NC State Florists Association held their annual convention this year (August 11-13) at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Greensboro.  The event, which was themed “Celebrate… It’s What We Do!!!”, drew over 30 different florists from across the state.  Congratulations to President John Herron for a wonderful and fun time as we got to celebrate.

The convention featured a variety of educational programs, including workshops on floral design, marketing, business management, and even a program on mental health in the workplace.  There were also networking opportunities, a silk design show, and a gala awards ceremony.  Some of the main highlights of the convention were the floral design competitions. Florists from all over the state competed in a variety of categories, including wedding bouquets, centerpieces, and sympathy arrangements. The winners of the competitions were awarded cash prizes and trophies.

The NCSFA annual convention is a valuable opportunity for florists to learn new skills, network with other professionals, and stay up-to-date on the latest trends in the floral industry. The 2023 convention was a huge success, and the NCSFA is already planning for next year’s event. In addition to the educational programs and networking opportunities, the convention also featured a number of social events. On the first night, there was a welcome reception with some great food and comraderie. On Saturday night, there was an Awards Banquet. And we had a nice lunch laid out for the membership on Sunday.

Overall, the NC State Florists Association’s annual convention was a huge success. The event was well-organized and informative, and it provided florists with a valuable opportunity to learn, network, and CELEBRATE.  A successful party, wedding or convention takes place with proper planning and having a great team.  Let’s thank all those who participated in making this year’s convention great !

Design Competition Results

Competition winners images provided by Donnie Springfield, Chapel Hill

Mask Winner - Flannery Keating from Kaylynne's Briar Patch Florist, Asheville
Body Flowers Winner - Caitlin Chappell of Floral Dimensions, Durham
Headdress Winner - Jaclyn Pline, CFD of the Skinny Vase Florist in Raleigh
Centerpiece Winner - Ellen Meachum, Former DOY from Penrose
Miniature Winner - Kaylynne Lanning of the Briar Patch Florist in Asheville
Bridal Bouquet Winner - Ansley Averitt of Sandy's Flower Shoppe, Morehead City
Bridal Bouquet 1st Runner-Up - Mackenzie Belton of Always & Forever Florist, Madison
Bridal Bouquet 2nd Runner-Up - Cassie McIntosh of BriarPatch Florist, Asheville

MASK COMPETITION

Winner:  Flannery Keating

1st Runner-Up:  Jeff Freeman

2nd Runner-Up:  Charita Walker

BODY FLOWERS COMPETITION

Winner:  Caitlin Chappell

1st Runner-Up:  Mackenzie Belton

2nd Runner-Up:  Logan Smith

HEADDRESS COMPETITION

Winner:  Jaclyn Pline, CFD

1st Runner-Up:  Robert Huff, NCCPF

2nd Runner-Up:  Jeff Freeman

CENTERPIECE COMPETITION

Winner:  Ellen Meachum, 2022-2023 DOY

1st Runner-Up:  Kaylynne Lanning

MINIATURE COMPETITION

Winner:  Kaylynne Lanning

1st Runner-Up:  Cassie McIntosh

2nd Runner-Up:  Joan Caudle, NCCPF

BRIDAL BOUQUET COMPETITION

Winner:  Ansley Averitt

1st Runner-Up:  Mackenzie Belton

2nd Runner-Up:  Cassie McIntosh

The NC State Florists Association's 2023-2024 Designer of the Year

WINNER:  Jaclyn Pline, CFD of The Skinny Vase Florist in Raleigh, NC

DOY First Runner-Up Winner Joan Caudle, NCCPF of Young's Florist in Kernersville
DOY 2nd Runner-Up Winner Elva Graham of the Green Thumb Florist in Goldsboro

The NC State Florists Association's 2023-2024 Designer of the Year

WINNER:  Jaclyn Pline, CFD of The Skinny Vase Florist in Raleigh, NC

DOY First Runner-Up Winner Joan Caudle, NCCPF of Young's Florist in Kernersville
DOY 2nd Runner-Up Winner Elva Graham of the Green Thumb Florist in Goldsboro

The 2023 NC Jim Treadaway Cup Winner

Sherri Suttle, Owner of Bostic Florist in Bostic, NC

Sherri also won the Treadaway Cup People’s Choice Award

The 2023 NC Dogwood Cup Competition

First Place Winning Entry by Jody McLeod, AIFD NCCPF
Annie V’s Florist of Clayton

Second Place Winning Entry by Alicia Springfield, AIFD CFD NCCPF
Floral Expressions of Chapel Hill

2023 NCSFA Florist of the Year Winner
Donna Pierce Pittman, AIFD CFD NCCPF
Flowers on Broad Street, Fuquay Varina

2023 NCSFA Wholesaler of the Year Winner
Rocky Kallam
Mino's Florist Supplies, Kernersville

Accepting the award for Rocky Kallam is Hugo Mino, Jr. of Lihmil Wholesale

Hundreds of more exciting pictures to be posted at a later date.  Take a peek at what we have so far.

Membership is Expanding. New opportunities are on the drawing board.

BOTANICAL BODY FLOWER WORKSHOP
.....artistic design in real time with a unique perspective
3:00 - 4:30 pm Inquire at Registration table

This hands-on workshop will give you mechanical concepts and skills to easily construct intricate and impressive floral accessories to offer beyond corsages. These techniques will set you up to create designs that are updated, fashion-forward and artful while remaining mechanically strong and wearable.
* Please bring your own tools, i.e. clippers, scissors, wire cutters, and knives.

Heather Ann Miller, NCCPF is the creative director of Eclectic Sage, a Raleigh based event design and floral studio. While spending many years working in the interior architectural design field, Heather also explored product and textile design. During these explorations, she realized she loved the studio experience and started contributing her artistic eye for colors, trends, and design to a wide variety of projects. Her venture with Eclectic Sage bridges her various art forms and allows her to lend a unique perspective to every design. To see some of her work check out her website www.eclecticsage.com and follow her on Instagram where she often shares behind the scene stories. @eclecticsage

Sponsored by the NCSFA Education Committee

FREE to observe for Weekend Ticket Holders - $25 to Participate
Please pre-register so we'll know how many flowers to provide.

CONVENTION 2019 FRIDAY BOTANICAL BODY FLOWER WORKSHOP

CONVENTION 2019 FRIDAY FFA WORKSHOP CHECKOUT

DESIGN II PROGRAM - "Will You Marry Me"
secrets will be revealed from a pro .....
Saturday - 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm in the Chimney Rock Room

Flowers are much more than flowers in the 21st century, and to separate yourselves from the competition, you need to do much more than just flowers.  This program will open your eyes to possibilities that have worked well for Fresh Affairs and Michael will share some of their secrets that will help you take a different approach to your consults and services that you should be offering!

Michael Whaley Aifd Cfd has over three decades of experience in the floral industry and has been involved with every aspect during his career. He has a passion for continuing self-education and, more importantly, sharing that acquired knowledge with other designers in the industry. Over the years he has studied with some of the greatest designers in the world including Gregor Lersch, Hitomi Gilliam, Tomas De Bruyne and Per Benjamin among others.  Michael has been awarded NCSFA Designer of the Year and Southern Retail Florist Association Designer of the Year.  His love of interpretive design led him to The Jim Treadway Cup for interpretive design and after winning this coveted competition three times he was inducted into the Jim Treadway Hall of Fame.  He was also a regional representative for Americas Cup, Great American Design Competition.  Michael was inducted into the American Institute of Floral Designers and has been heavily involved with programs presented at AIFD National Symposium. He is currently the chairman of the National Education Committee, serves as vice president of the Southern Chapter of AIFD, and is an AIFD certified evaluator/judge.  Michael currently works as Creative Director for Fresh Affairs, an upscale wedding and special events studio based in Raleigh, NC. 

Get Your Brand New 2019 NCSFA Member Lapel Pin

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