For 140 emerging floral professionals, the Society of American Florists' (SAF) Next Gen LIVE! conference offered more than education — it provided a clearer view of their future in the industry.
© SAF
Held Feb. 22–24 in Raleigh, North Carolina, the three-day event brought together retailers, growers, wholesalers, importers and suppliers for immersive education, supplier connections, a design competition and networking designed to help early-career professionals build lasting industry relationships.
For Colton Thomas, who hasn't yet hit his one-year anniversary in the floral industry with Norton's Florist in Birmingham, Alabama, the event revealed the full scope of the industry.
"I always knew the floral industry was big," he said. "But I never really grasped how big it was until being here and meeting people from all over the country."
By the end of the event, he said he was eager to apply what he had learned.
"I'm ready to go back to work and take everything that I've learned here and apply it," he said. "This showed me the future that I could have here."
One of the defining elements of Next Gen LIVE! is the opportunity for attendees to connect with professionals across the entire floral supply chain — from growers and importers to transportation and logistics partners.
Shanda Zelaya of Flor de Casa Designs, based outside Washington, D.C., said those connections were invaluable.
"Understanding the transition that needs to happen between the cut bloom to my hand — and meeting the people behind those businesses — was really invaluable," she said. "Now I have a person and a face I can reach out to."
Attendees also toured research facilities at North Carolina State University, where they saw firsthand how scientific advancements in post-harvest care, cold storage and flower longevity are shaping the future of the industry.
For Leah Turner of Griffin's Floral Design in Columbus, Ohio, who has been in the industry less than a year, the experience helped clarify the industry's broader opportunities.
"It really lets you know all the growth opportunities that are available," she said. "It helps you understand how everything fits together."
Education sessions addressed a range of practical topics including communication, leadership, sales strategies and operational decision-making.
During the "Communicate on Cue" session, led by Eileen Weber, AAF, PFCI, of Lake Forest Flowers in Lake Forest, Illinois, attendees practiced navigating real-world workplace conversations that arise during high-pressure situations.
Jasmine Spires of Family Flowers said the session offered valuable guidance.
"As somebody who's younger and a woman, that's something a lot of people struggle with," she said. "Learning how to take charge and match your tone to different types of people — that's something I'll definitely take home with me."
Other sessions focused on operational thinking and understanding how decisions around pricing, staffing and sourcing impact business performance.
Emily Betler of McCandless Floral in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, said the sales-focused sessions provided takeaways she plans to implement immediately.
"It's definitely something I'm going to pull back and implement," she said.
In addition to education, attendees participated in a hands-on design session led by Talmage McLaurin of Esmeralda Farms, applying insights from the 2026 Flower Trend Forecast to retail, wedding and everyday design concepts.
With roughly 140 attendees, the event struck a balance between broad industry representation and meaningful relationship building.
Lindsay Ferrogine of Wildflower Stem + Sundry in Glen Burnie, Maryland, said a new vendor connection could help reshape their wedding offerings.
"We met a fabulous vendor who brought a whole new idea to us for our wedding side of the business," Ferrogine said. "We're so excited to collaborate and bring a new product to our brides and grooms."
For newcomers like Thomas, the event reinforced his enthusiasm for the floral industry and the opportunities it offers.
"I love what I do," he said. "And I would love to stay in this forever."
For more information:
Society of American Florists 
[email protected]
https://safnow.org/
