Convention Registration Form

“It Can Be Arranged”

Convention Registration Form

June 26^th & 27^th 2010

Please Pre-Register by June 12^th to Ensure Your Meals

Registration for convention is $65.00 Members, $75.00 Non-members

This price includes all meals and events.

Your Name:_____________________________________

Name of Shop:___________________________________

Mailing Address:__________________________________

City:_________________State:_________Zip:_______

Phone:______________________Fax:________________

Email:_________________________________

Please fill out one registration form for every attendee. Please mail your check and registration form(s) to UPFA, 2233 East Murray Holladay Rd., Holladay Utah, 84117

If you have multiple attendees, you may pay with one check for all.

For those wanting to enter the Design Contest the Rules are as follows:

Theme is Don’t Contain Yourself Bring your design already made to the Escala. The maximum you may spend on design including all flowers, material, containers, this means everything, is $100.00 Wholesale.

Designs must be there and set up by 5:30 pm Saturday Evening.  For more information on the Design Contest or Registration call Caroline Mabey, 801-278-4800.  Please call Caroline by June 12^th to enter the Contest.

A special convention room rate is available from the Canyons resort.  Contact them at 1-888-226-9667 and make sure to mention that you are with the Utah Professional Florist Association Convention.

Announcing The 2010 Utah Professional Florist Association's State Wide Convention

Everyone is invited to attend our annual convention.  Delight your senses at the Escala Event Center at the Canyons Resort in Park City. June 26th and 27th, 2010

Join your fellow floral professionals for The premiere event for the floral industry in Utah. There will be numerous opportunities for networking with wholesalers, retailers and vendors of all types relating to the floral industry.  

Conference registration includes a Cocktail Hour and Kick-Off Dinner Saturday June 26th with a live band and poolside conversation, oh and don't forget the dancing!

 Sunday June 27th will be food and fun-filled as well as an educational experience to be remembered.  Early Bird Breakfast will be followed by a fantastic Design Program by Teleflora Education Specialist Darla Pawlak AIFD, FCI.  

Afterward, join us for our Fashionably Late Lunch followed by a second Design Program with Oasis Design Director Mario Fernandez.  

Great door prizes and thank you gifts will be awarded throughout the weekend.  Special convention room rates are available for the unbelievably beautiful rooms at the resort.

You will not want to miss this amazing opportunity--all for the low price of Only $65 for UPFA members or $75 for Non-Members.   

• World Class Floral Education
• Three Meals
• Award Winning Musical Entertainment
• And did we mention the Mind-Blowing Floral Decor?

 All for only $75 bucks?

Don't delay, space is very limited to provide an intimate, educationally rich environment.  Call one of your board members today:

Caroline Mabey, UPFA  801-278-4800

Annie Whittaker, UPFA 801-544-5999, 877-621-7188

*Don't forget the Design Contest too!!!

Online vs. Local Flower Ordering in the News

Did you see the story on KSL TV News about buying from a local florist versus online?Here is the link: story
What do you think about the story? How does it affect you and your business model?

April President's Message

Utah Professional Florist Association

April 2010 President Message

Tracy Barlow AIFD, UPFA President

BEING COMPETITIVE IN THE FLORAL INDUSTRY

Over the past years professional florists have seen more avenues open up for people to purchase flowers.  The times have gone from only arranged flowers given as gifts to a more European approach of unarranged and hand-tied bouquets as floral gifts.  The venues that have opened up to floral sales have made it known often that they sell flowers too.  What have you done to let people know you sell flowers and can compete with these other venues?

More often than not I hear florists mention that they can’t compete with price.  We are under the impression that several hundreds of bouquets are being sold to these vendors and that is how they get such a good price.  My experience is that these vendors do price bouquets a very small profit margin.  There are multiple reasons for each company choosing the price structure that they do.  Some do a modest flower business so they simply can say that they offer that service.  Others have developed a branded look.  Some do them as a loss leader, just to get people in the door and spend money on their higher ticket items.  All of these reasons can be turned around and applied in a floral shop.

How many additional sales could you get by starting to offer pre-wrapped bouquets for a minimal price point.  With little labor required it makes it possible to lower the standard mark -up of 3.5 and provide an additional service.  I would display them near my cooler so that guests would see our higher end designs and styles to educate them to all the services you offer.  You could offer a value price point in a unique decorative wrap that reflects your branded image.  Simple up-grades like extra filler, ribbon trims or balloons are just another way to increase sales. 

With social net working web sites like Facebook and Twitter to advertise your new lower price points, you can get your word out with no expense.  You can also use these media forms to develop your brand.  There are several web sites that help to teach ways to maximize your Facebook and Twitter use.  As you build your number of contacts your message will be in front of more people, and you can’t beat the price.  Many areas have networking groups such as BNI or local Chamber meetings, which can be another inexpensive way to get the word out.  I can see taking 10 or so bouquets and quizzing members of the groups about “the best place to purchase fresh flowers and arranged flowers in town”.  Those that answer favorably would get a small bouquet with your information attached to it.  People would remember your commercial and experience your fresh product. 

Teleflora Show at Red Mountain

Members Only Special from Red Mountain Wholesale

Hot off the Presses!

Red Mountain Wholesale, one of our member wholesalers, is offering a members only special just in time for spring.

This will be a 10 bunch box at the amazing price of $4.99 per bunch! The box will include 5 bunches of  ranunculus and 5 bunches of anemones in assorted colors.  You can't beat this price on such a small quantity!!!

To order call Red Mountain Wholesale this week for arrival next Monday or Tuesday.  Call their sales desk at 1-888-673-3686. 

Give your shop and your arrangements a spring makeover with this special for Utah Professional Florist Association members only!  

Not a member? It's easy to join, and at only $99 per year you not only get the flower price bargain, but you get all kinds of perks for your investment in your business.  Not only will you receive special prices on flowers at different times throughout the year, you will have discounted access to all of our educational programs and our convention on the last weekend in June. You will also benefit from rubbing elbows with your peers and colleagues who are joining in our partnership to elevate the floral profession in Utah.  Here's how you join:  
 
          Call or email our treasurer Caroline Mabey, owner of Brown Floral
                                    
                                   Phone:  801-278-4800
                                   Email:    csmabey@hotmail.com

President's message for March 2010--Time to Organize!

MARCH PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE FROM UPFA

TAKE A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE

By: Tracy Barlow, AIFD, UPFA President

The Window Box

1066 E. Gentile Street

Layton, UT 84041

801.546.3549

Thewindowbox.com

thewindowboxstaff@yahoo.com

I hope that Valentine’s was a successful and profitable holiday for you. With 2010 in full swing I am hearing more shops saying that it is looking like an encouraging year ahead. As many of us approached this year’s Valentine’s with a great deal of thought and planning to help secure a strong bottom line. I think it’s important to maintain that same focus for the rest of the year. This same kind of focus can apply to the day to day operations. We all have too much to do and it seems like there is never enough time in the day to get it all done. Just as you approach holiday ordering and operations with a plan and much thought, do that on a smaller scale for your day to day work. There have been 4 steps that have been helpful to me staying organized and productive.

Plan your day the night before. Start by listing the things that you didn’t get done that day. Then list out the other tasks that you need to accomplish the next day. Don’t worry about putting them in any kind of order or priority at this time. Your goal for doing this is to get a list of the important things you need to get done. I recommend this planning session should only last from 10-20 minutes. Remember to “write your plan and work your plan”.

Now, Prioritize your list. Depending on your role in the shop, priorities vary. I still do a lot of the designs for my shop and manage some of the business aspects. So my first priority is the sales of flowers, second the production of flowers. So the first part of my day is spent at the design table or meeting with new clients. It is best to do the hard things first. If you continue to avoid them they will mount up and eventually you’ll end up with a full day of all the things you don’t want to do. Come to work early; you never hear that successful shops start work at the crack of noon. Tell your staff when you are available and when you are working your plan. Take time to instruct your staff what they can be doing while you are occupied. This will allow you accomplish the tasks that will keep your shop profitable and efficient.

Group similar activities together. When you do this it’s much easier to multi-task. It’s helpful for me to make the office off limits to myself during the morning and accomplish the design requirements of the day. Being in the workroom I can see more of the needs there and can organize staff to be efficient for when I am out. My time in the office, like everyone’s, is for my correspondence, then tasks that relate to the finances of the business. After I know what my money situation is, it makes it simple to work on flower orders and other tasks pertaining to the distribution of those funds.

Delegate, delegate, delegate. Don’t do the tasks in your shop that your capable staff is trained to do. Regardless of how hard you try, you can’t do everything. If you teach your staff how things are to be done, let them do it and then evaluate with them. You can delegate with confidence, and you’ll see your lists getting done more and more efficiently.