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Coast to Coast: November/December 2006
Garden Expo |
The Best Garden Expo/Florist Expo Ever!
“Our concept of one-stop shopping for the trade involved in lawn,
garden and outdoor living was a real success,” says Paul Day, show
manager. “We organized three shows under one roof, The Garden Expo,
The Florist Expo and The National Hardware Show.
Attendees not only saved time and expense, but for the first time they could coordinate all of their buying for the season in the three main areas of their business.”
This strategy worked well as attendance to The Garden Expo/Florist Expo trade show this past October ballooned to almost double (5,637 attendees) what it had been the previous year. The exhibitor isles at The Toronto Congress Centre were filled during the two days of the trade show.
 A CAFA Christmas
The Canadian Academy of Floral Art (CAFA) presented a CAFA Christmas show at the Latvian Culture Centre in Toronto, Ont., on Oct. 3. The audience indulged in cocktails and a buffet, and then sat down to enjoy an evening filled with Christmas carols and festive holiday designs created by CAFA designers. Even though the show was in the beginning of October, it didn’t take long for the audience to become enthralled with the festivities. Floral designs ranged from traditional to modern, including several themes, such as Urban Chic, which incorporated ladders and carts, for an industrial and construction feel, and Tropicana Christmas, which whisked the audience away to a tropical setting filled with flowers, exotic flowers, and bright colours.
The 2006 Canadian Florist Convention
The 2006 FTD Canadian Florist Convention took place Oct. 21 and 22 at the InterContinental Toronto Centre in downtown Toronto. The FTD Conference (formerly known as the Ontario Florist Conference) included education programs, a trade show, and networking opportunities geared to helping florists increase revenue and reduce costs.
 Highlights of the show included a sympathy design show by Jeff Corbin, AIFD, FTD, a design education seminar on party work by Sarah L. Home, AIFD, from England, and several business and motivational speakers. On Saturday Dr. Steve Atwood, a hypnotist, entertained the crowd following the cocktail reception and dinner.
The weekend proved to be a successful event, where florists could mingle with their peers and industry members. For more information on the 2007 Canadian Florist Convention, call your FTD Canada Team at 1-877-329-3171.
A Business by Creativity
Flowers Canada Toronto Chapter presented ‘A Business by Creativity’ with renowned Dutch designer and educator René van Rems, AIFD, on Oct. 17, at the Doubletree International Plaza Hotel in Mississauga, Ont. Rems presented an evening filled with creative designs, tips and techniques, and knowledgeable insight into how to help your floral business succeed in a competitive market.
 Originally from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, René has called San Diego, Calif., home for over 20 years. He is a member of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD), The National Speakers Association, and the Professional Floral Commentators International (PFCI). René was formally educated in the entire spectrum of Floriculture/Horticulture through his studies at the Rijksmiddelbare Tuinbouwschool at Aalsmeer (Floral Institute). He has led design shows, workshops, and seminars throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia on the styling of fresh-cut flowers.
Sponsors of the show included Golden Rose, Ei8hteen Karat, Highland Evergreen, Teleflora, Canpol, TOGA, and Flowers Canada Toronto Chapter.
Flowers Canada Retail Celebrates
Flowers Canada Retail celebrated their National Conference 2006 in Halifax, Nova Scotia on October 13-15. The weekend event was filled with networking opportunities, insightful seminars on the current and future state  of the floral industry, and the Flowers Canada Annual General Meeting.
An evening of fine cuisine and entertainment was enjoyed during the president’s banquet on the Sat. evening. This year’s theme was a murder mystery called ‘The Auction.’ Members eagerly participated to solve the tragic death of the Baroness Audry von Munchen, and the evening was a huge success.
Flowers Canada members also had the opportunity to attended a sold out hands-on design workshop with Neville MacKay. Neville shared his design secrets and techniques during the 4-hour workshop with the captivated audience.
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