March 12, 2020

FloraCraft® Helps Celebrate 100 Years at Great Lakes Floral and Event Expo

FloraCraft® the world’s leading manufacturer of craft and floral foam products, sponsored numerous events at the 100^th annual Great Lakes Floral and Event Expo at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids.

Held from March 6 to 8, the event featured exhibitor booths, business sessions, on-stage demonstrations from the industry’s top designers, guest speakers and networking opportunities.

FloraCraft continued its long-standing tradition of offering floral certification scholarships to three individuals. The scholarships aid participants financially in their process of earning the status as a Certified Florist, which serves as a pathway to pursue additional national floral certifications.

The Ludington-based manufacturer also sponsored a main stage professional floral design contest, where nationally accredited professional florists had to create an arrangement in front of a live audience within a thirty-minute time period.

FloraCraft was also a co-sponsor for the expo’s annual luncheon, attended by approximately 350 retail florists, designers, wholesale distributors, event planners, manufacturers and flower growers. In addition, FloraCraft also sponsored all nine divisions of floral design contests ranging from students and beginners to professionals.

“This is a great industry event that offers us the opportunity to connect directly with the florists who use our products in their artistic creations,” said Tim Timinski, business development manager for FloraCraft. “Showcasing our latest products and talking with attendees allows us the chance to hear what the industry is buzzing about.

“We are proud to engage with many generations of florists through the Certified Florist scholarship awards. There is a lot of talent out there and we are very honored to support education in the industry.”

The Great Lakes Floral Association is a full-service trade organization representing more than 400 florists, growers and wholesalers throughout the country. The organization provides education and professional partnerships to advance floral commerce and position members at the forefront of the floral industry.

“The Great Lakes Floral Association continues to drive new membership and this expo saw approximately a 35% increase in attendance,” said Timinski, who also sits on the association’s board. “In addition to some of the best networking opportunities in the nation, attendees were also able to learn about the latest technology that is driving the floral industry.”

For more than fifty years, FloraCraft has been a member of the association and supported the event.