The Society of American Florists will unveil its new strategic plan this September during SAF Amelia Island 2019, the association’s annual convention.
The plan, the result of a year-long, comprehensive effort shaped by direct feedback from SAF members and non-members, volunteer leaders and staff, along with expert counsel from an outside third party, empowers the 135-year-old organization to more robustly engage with pressing challenges facing floral professionals today — including a critical labor shortage — and to play a central role in connecting and creating a thriving floral community in the future.
“Over the past year, SAF has embarked on a transformational journey that challenged our board of directors and staff to answer fundamental questions about our industry and our organization: what are the biggest challenges our industry faces, and which ones are SAF uniquely positioned to help solve?” said Kate Penn, SAF’s CEO. “Moving forward, we will double down on our current strengths — government relations, education and marketing — and also tackle issues that we know have the biggest impact on our members’ ability to thrive, to help create a more unified, energized industry.”
Specifically, SAF’s new plan focuses the organization’s efforts to help the industry recruit and retain talent; connect industry members who want to learn, share ideas and grow; and prepare for the future.
