|
|
 |
CAFA Celebrates 15 Years
CAFA celebrated its 15-year anniversary |
|
Written by Amanda Ryder
|
When CAFA celebrated its 15-year anniversary during the Floral Haute
Couture gala in September, it was clear the organization wasn’t
experiencing any teenage growing pains. On the contrary, the gala was a
perfect example of CAFA’s sophistication beyond its years.
|
Susan Wetheral, cafa, presented September’s “Grape Harvest” for the gala’s Calendar Girls design show.
|
The two-day event was held at the Sheraton on the Falls hotel in Niagara Falls and attracted 150 florists, designers, students, suppliers and wholesalers. The weekend was filled with design shows featuring the top designers in Canada and the world as well as a trade fair.
The feedback from the attendees was positive and many were wowed by the four design shows that took place. Susan Sottile, one of the owners of Astra Florist in Toronto says she attended the conference “to get some inspiration, to learn some new techniques and to meet new people.” As a result of the weekend she is now looking into becoming a CAFA member. Out of all the events that took place during the two days, her favourite was the Charm of Thailand show by Phubast Chesdmethee. “It was fabulous, breathtaking,” she says.
Another Toronto florist, Emily Strapa-giel, the owner of MoonFlower Florist, was also
 |
| “May Flowers” by Anne Leeson, cafa, aifd, for the Calendar Girls design show. |
looking to get new ideas from the conference. “We were very interested in getting new ideas for designing, to see what trends there were and see if there were new suppliers,” says Strapagiel. She walked away from the show with a new supplier, lots of photographs and she was even able to take home one of the wedding bouquets.
And florists weren’t the only ones who saw the event as a learning opportunity. Conestoga professor Dorina Idvoiran brought some of her students to the CAFA Conference so that they could take in all the new trends and designs. Monique Neubert was one of the students and says “overall I really enjoyed the weekend, I’m glad I had the opportunity to be there.”
Q&A With CAFA President Inta Taurins
After the conference came to a close, CAFA president Inta Taurins spoke with Canadian Florist about the event and the future of the organization.
Q: What feedback did you receive from conference attendees?
A: We received a lot of positive feedback from people. Even our website got e-mails from attendees who really found it stimulating and some even expressed an interest in trying their hand at a portfolio.
Q: Did any new partnerships result from the conference?
A: As president, I can choose to induct an honorary CAFA member in the years of my term, and I chose to induct Dean White, international chairman of the World Flower Council. CAFA joined the WFC as an associate member and vice versa. CAFA has supported the WFC at its summit in Gatineau, Que., and this October seven of our CAFA members will be offering support at the 24th summit in Nice, France. The broad membership of the WFC has exposed CAFA to international floral contacts that can only help our organization grow even stronger. We also invited members of AIFD to join us in our celebration. Ten of their members from all over Canada and the U.S. presented the wedding segment entitled “Above & Beyond... A wedding fantasy.”
Q: Does this mean AIFD and CAFA will be working together more in the future?
A: We sure hope it does. I think we’ve extended our hand and they shook back! The members of AIFD who attended the convention seemed to really enjoy the camaraderie between us all. There was already some talk of reciprocating. After all, we all have the same passion for flowers.
 |
| At the President’s Luncheon, Patricia Patrick, Maija Asaris and Inta Taurins were surprised with a secret design competition and given an assortment of veggies and flowers to design with. |
Q: What do you think is next for the organization? What are CAFA’s future goals?
A: I want to spend my next term taking a hard look at growth. I hope the convention acted as a springboard to show florists and floral artists what we are all about and hopefully it sparked some interest. There are a lot of talented designers out there who do think outside the box and we invite them to challenge themselves and go through the CAFA examination process.
Our other focus needs to be on the future of our industry as a whole – the students. CAFA has a student program that recognizes the artistic abilities of those enrolled in colleges or professional educational facilities. We need to get the “up and coming” energized and stimulated, and to let them know there is a creative outlet available to them.
Q: Looking ahead, what vision do you have for the organization over the next 15 years?
A: I see strong growth in our membership. We’ve begun to brand ourselves and with continued alliances with associations like the WFC and the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (CARAS), Canada Blooms, The Canadian Tulip Festival, just to mention a few. We can gain exposure so that we have florists saying “gee, I want to be a part of that.”
|
| Anne Leeson, aifd, cafa, and Franca Logan, cafa, worked together to design a large grapevine ball for the Two Worlds of Floral Fashion design show finale. |
Q: Can you tell me more about CAFA’s new judging program?
A: We have a judging program developed by two of our CAFA members, Malcolm Angus from Auckland, New Zealand, and Joel Marc Frappier from Gatineau, Que. These gentlemen developed and presented phase one in Ottawa at the 23rd WFC summit and more than 30 people completed the program. We have adapted a policy that if a CAFA member is invited to be a judge, and he or she is representing themselves as a CAFA, then they must have completed the program. Phase two, which is a much more in-depth look at the way floral designs and floral art is judged, is now ready and we will be offering both phases in the new year.
Q: As your presidential term comes to a close, who’s next to head up CAFA?
A: We just had our first meeting of the newly elected board of directors after the AGM, which was held in Niagara at the convention. The new board elected the new president elect, Joel Marc Frappier, mfa, cafa, from Gatineau, Que., who will take over after I finish my term. Frappier brings his commitment to the CAFA table with a strong drive and passion to ensure that CAFA continues along a path of healthy growth and strong branding.
For more CAFA conference coverage and pictures, visit www.canadianfloristmag.com.
|
|
|
