Australian Flower Festival coming to Brisbane in September

The Flower Association, TAFE Queensland and Swann Agencies are proud to bring the first Australian Flower Festival to florists from around the country. The Flower Festival will be held in Brisbane at TAFE Queensland’s South Bank campus on Monday 18 September 2017 and will coincide with Australian Flowers Week, which is running for its second year from 16 to 24 September.

Departing from more traditional industry conference formats, the organisers of the Flower Festival have instead planned a fresh ‘music festival’ atmosphere to capture the fun of floristry whilst also providing essential information to help attendees manage and grow their businesses.

“This event is the first of its kind and we can tell from the level of interest we’ve received that it’s something the Australia floristry sector has been crying out for”, said organiser Shane Holborn, Executive Officer of the Flower Association. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for florists to connect with each other, as well as with the growers and allied traders on whose products and services they depend every day“.

The South Bank campus of TAFE Queensland features indoor and outdoor spaces that are ideal to host a range of activities for the Festival. The Business and Tech Stages will be open only to registered industry members and will feature presentations on issues affecting Australian florists’ livelihoods and futures, including business management and new business technologies. Speakers will include celebrated florists, business entrepreneurs and industry stalwarts, all delivering information and advice specifically targeted for a floristry-focused audience. The Inspiration and Competition Stages will feature live-action flower arranging and will be open to the public as a promotional initiative for the industry.

The Flower Festival is also a trade fair for companies to display their goods and services to the industry, including the latest from the floral sundries suppliers, flower fridges, wholesalers, freight and courier companies, insurance brokers, magazines and business financing options. A display by TAFE Queensland will provide information to budding florists about training options and to those in the industry looking to expand their qualifications.

Street food vans and local coffee shops will be on hand for visitors to purchase refreshments throughout the day. The event will wrap up with a catered cocktail After Party in the on-site restaurant and bar, with presentations to competition winners followed by an evening of dancing and music.

Registrations, the program and competition details are available at https://store.flowersqueensland.asn.au/event/flowerfest/.

Publication date: Thu 14 Sep 2017