We’re just a few weeks away from one of the industry’s biggest events, the 131st annual convention of the Society of American Florists.
Held at the Ritz Carlton on beautiful Amelia Island, Florida, the convention will assemble hundreds of floral leaders for three days packed with educational sessions presented by 48 experts.
Two of those experts are industry leaders very familiar to Florist 2.0 fans:
Ryan Freeman, founder of Florist 2.0 and president of Strider, Inc., will discuss the importance of “going mobile” –and what that phrase really means. Freeman and fellow web marketing guru, Brandon Kirkland, of Epic Flowers, will demystify mobile functions, such as GPS, that help customers find you when they’re on their smartphones — which is almost always. (According to a recent International Data Corporation study, 79 percent of people ages 18-44 have their smartphones within arm’s reach 22 hours a day!) This session will give you tips and tools to increase satisfaction, boost conversion and tackle unseen usability issues that can drive customers away.
Rick Rivers, owner of A Floral Boutique in Ormond Beach, Florida, better 
known as “bootcampguy” on the Florist 2.0 forums, will divulge some moves from his playbook, including how to determine a price point that will pad your bottom line without scaring away your customers. Rivers, a mentor to many florists across the country, shows how a small retail shop can mimic strategies of Fortune 500 companies to score bigger, more profitable orders. (For example, you can bundle flowers, chocolate and candles for a romantic package, just as McDonald’s or Burger King would with a “value combo meal.”) He’ll empower you with ideas and techniques to amass a loyal following.
To learn more about SAF Amelia Island 2015 and to sign up, click here.