In This Issue ...

1. Fun 'N Sun 2024
   
2. Get Ready for the 2024-2025 Membership Directory
3. CalFlowers’ Membership Drive: Spread the Good News
4. Show Us Your Peach Fuzz
5. Benefits Spotlight: FedEx Office
6. Newly Released! Grow Pro 2024 Lineup
7. 2024 Floral Events and Calendar
8. 25 Best Flower Instagram Accounts to Get Inspired
9. Transportation Updates
10. Welcome New CalFlowers Members

2024 Dates

NexGen Live
DoubleTree by Hilton San Diego Mission Valley
February 25 – 27, 2024
San Diego, CA

IFPA - Floral Conference Anaheim
February 27, 2024
Anaheim, CA

A World of Flowers
Great Lakes Floral Assn.
March 1 – 3, 2024
DeVos Place
Grand Rapids, MI

PHS Philadelphia Flower Show
Pennsylvania Convention Center
March 2 – 10, 2024
Philadelphia, PA

WF&FSA Floral Distribution Conference
The Doral (Registration starts in fall)
March 3 – 6, 2024
Miami, FL

WUMFA Annual Conference
Flower Power
Radisson Hotel & Conference Center
March 15 – 17, 2024
Green Bay, WI

44th Annual SAF Congressional Action Days
March 18 -19, 2024
Washington, DC

FFA Convention
March 21- 24, 2024
Sacramento, CA 

FloriExpo
Cultivating the Floral Community
June 5 – 7, 2024
Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Texas Floral Forum
Omni La Mansion on the Riverwalk
June 21 - 23, 2024
|San Antonio, TX 

Slow Flowers Summit
Banff Centre for the Arts
June 23-25, 2024
Banff, Alberta, Canada 

2024 AIFD “Emerge”
July 2 – 6, 2024
Orlando, FL 

California State Fair
July 12 – 28, 2024
Sacramento, CA 

WF&FSA DevX 2024
July 23 - 26, 2024
San Francisco, CA

SAF’s Annual Convention
JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa
August 6 – 9, 2024
Aventura, FL

2024 Fun 'N Sun Floral Convention
Omni La Costa Resort & Spa
September 4 - 7
Carlsbad, CA

IFPA
October 17 - 19, 2024
Atlanta, GA 

2024 Texas Floral Showcase
The Petroleum Club
October 17, 2024
Midland, TX

2024 Texas Floral Showcase
Shady Villa Event Center and Hotel
November 2, 2024
Salado, TX

 Latest Legislation
Updates:

Click Here to read the latest Legislative updates.

FLOWERS.
SELF CARE MADE EASY.

  CalFlowers Featured
"New Member" Spotlights

To see all of our past Featured "New Member" Spotlight stories Click Here.

If your company would like to be a featured "New Member", please contact Monnaie Pepin for more details.

Past CalFlowers Newsletters 

Click Here to view past CalFlowers Newsletters now available on our website.

CalFlowers News

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CalFlowers Members in good standing are now welcome and encouraged to use the CalFlowers logo to show that they are proud members of the Association. Read the full logo policy, suggested uses, and download the logo by visiting the CalFlowers membership portal and selecting “Marketing Tools” on the dropdown menu:
https://cafgs.memberclicks.
net/marketing-tools 

 

 

 

Fun 'N Sun 2024

Save the dates and plan to join us at the 2024 Fun 'N Sun Floral Convention, taking place from September 4 to 7 surrounded by the stunning backdrop of the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, CA. We're thrilled to announce that preparations for the Fun 'N Sun 2024 Floral Convention are well underway! The theme for 2024 is "Blooming for Success."

Important Date: Flower Fair booth/tabletop sales open on Monday, January 15, 2024. An email containing a sign-up link for booth / tabletops will be sent to all Floral, Ag Buddy, Associate Service and Associate Growers on that date. We have 18 single booths, 8 double booths, and 15 single tabletop spaces available. Click Here to see booth/tabletop pricing.

We’ve crafted an exhilarating lineup of events for Fun ‘N Sun, including a first timers' reception, dynamic networking opportunities, top-notch educational sessions, and hands-on classes designed for your enjoyment and enrichment.

The Fun 'N Sun golf tournament will be held on the picturesque Omni La Costa golf course, providing attendees with an opportunity to indulge in the sport while building valuable connections. Get ready for an unforgettable experience!

Attendees will also have the opportunity to visit two local flower farms. These farms will provide an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities of producing top quality fresh flowers and greens in the unique San Diego climate. More information on these exciting tours will be released in the coming months.

Click Here to learn more about our exclusive Fun 'N Sun room rate, registration fees, golf tournament, sponsorships and more.

We can't wait to see you at the
2024 Fun 'N Sun Floral Convention!

Need more information about Fun ‘N Sun and all CalFlowers events? Please contact Monnaie Pepin, Director of Communications & Events (831) 610-4826 or via email at monnaie@cafgs.org. 

Get Ready for the 2024-2025 Membership Directory

The eagerly awaited 2024-2025 Membership Directory is set to arrive at your doorstep by the end of January. This comprehensive resource is crafted to foster connections, offer valuable resources, and enhance visibility throughout our membership network. Dive into detailed listings encompassing growers, wholesalers, designers, and retailers nationwide. Uncover new collaborative opportunities, connect with potential vendors, rediscover your CalFlowers’ benefits, and much more within the pages of the Membership Directory!

CalFlowers’ Membership Drive: Spread the Good News

Don’t let your flower friends miss out on the best deal of the year! CalFlowers recently announced major improvements to an existing partnership with FedEx that provides exclusive discounts and benefits tailored to the floral industry. In conjunction with this partnership, CalFlowers has launched a membership drive, inviting floral businesses to tap into exclusive networking opportunities, services, and savings.

"We're incredibly excited about this historic floral shipping contract between CalFlowers and FedEx, offering unmatched benefits and savings to our members," said Steve Dionne, Executive Director of CalFlowers. “This partnership underscores our commitment to providing meaningful advantages to the floral industry now and in the years ahead. In fact, the massive savings in this agreement will put $6 million freight dollars back in the pockets of CalFlowers’ members who use the program."

Now through March 31, new members will receive $50 off CalFlowers’ application fee. Be sure to pass this information along to your colleagues and partners to further strengthen the floral community.

Complete membership details are available on CalFlowers’ website [www.cafgs.org]. For membership inquiries or more information about CalFlowers, contact Member Relations & Services Coordinator, Jordan Richardson at (831) 217-3423 or jordan@cafgs.org.

Show Us Your Peach Fuzz

Pantone's Color of the Year 2024 is Peach Fuzz, and we want to see your designs! “The color is one whose warm and welcoming embrace conveys a message of compassion and whose cozy sensibility brings people together and enriches the soul,” - Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute.

Send or tag us in pictures of your Peach Fuzz floral designs to be featured on CalFlowers’ social media. Email Membership Coordinator, Jordan (jordan@cafgs.org), or tag us on Facebook or Instagram.

Newly Released! Grow Pro 2024 Lineup

Free monthly webinars featuring ground-breaking research! The American Floral Endowment (AFE) has released the first six months for the 2024 monthly Grow Pro Webinar Series. In these free webinars, nationally recognized researchers, hosts, and speakers offer ‘how-to’ advice based on AFE-funded and other research projects to help the industry navigate through ever-changing growing challenges.

Since May 2021, we have hosted these webinars each month. The topics are current and offer long-term opportunities for growers to focus on increased profit, greater sustainability, and improved labor efficiency. In addition, each session features a live Q&A discussion with industry experts.

The series is provided free-of-charge and open to all, thanks to our generous sponsors. In addition, each webinar is recorded and posted to our YouTube where they can be accessed 24/7. Viewers can subscribe to get notified when each webinar is posted.

Click Here to learn more and register for the webinars.

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2024 Floral Events and Calendar

The 2024 Floral Industry Events and Floral Conventions Calendar, another industry collaboration brought to you by Above All Flowers & New Bloom Solutions, has been officially released. This calendar's second edition is a notable addition to the 'Bloom Together' initiative, which fosters networking, collaboration, and community in the floral industry.

The concept of the calendar was initiated by a conversation between Sahid Nahim, President of NBS, and David Legge of DWF at the SAF Convention 2021. More than eight partners have contributed information and insight to this project, exemplifying a commitment to collaboration industry wide.

Challenges in compiling the calendar were acknowledged by Sahid Nahim, particularly regarding the need for more updates from some event organizers. To counter this, various methods were employed, including social media and direct outreach, to ensure the inclusion of a comprehensive range list of floral events and conventions. Acknowledging the floral events calendar as a dynamic and evolving project, Above All Flowers and New Bloom Solutions have invited the floral community to participate in its ongoing update. Contributions for new floral events and conventions, suggestions for improvements, or notifications of overlooked events are appreciated and can be sent to connect@newbloomsolutions.com.

Click Here to read full article and learn how to download your 2024 calendar today!

The Bloom Together Event 2023, (Photo courtesy of Above All Flowers and New Bloom Solutions).

25 Best Flower Instagram Accounts to Get Inspired

Who can resist gawking at a variety of exquisite floral arrangements? What better place to search for the best flower Instagram accounts? Here in this article, you can discover 25 flower Instagram accounts you have to follow. Much much-needed inspo if you're a fan of blooming flowers. These designers' content will quickly make your feed cheery and inspire you to create your fragrant arrangements. Get ready to follow them in 3,2,1... go!

Give yourself a fresh, new, blooming start to this year, and boost up your Instagram content to see what matters (flowers). Get a pen out or start following these twenty best flower Instagram accounts ASAP because they will give you the floral content of your dreams!

Click Here to read the full article on THURSD.

 Transportation

Happy New Year everyone! We hope 2024 will be a heathy and prosperous year for all. And if you haven’t heard, we have some exciting FedEx news to start off the year. After quite of bit of work, we signed a new historic agreement with FedEx vastly improving our program discounts and overall value package. Here are some highlights:

• Priority Overnight and Standard Overnight discounts rise to 78%
• Ground Discounts rise to 55%
• FedEx Home Delivery discounts rise to 40%
• New for 24 is FedEx One Rate.  Deep discounts as high as 45%
• Yearly GRI cap will be 5% in upcoming years.
• Flat-Rate Pricing is retained as well as Money Back Guarantee and no minimums.
• Substantial Surcharge improvements such as:
  • Fuel Surcharge            15%
  • Residential                   50%
  • Delivery Area Sur         35%
  • Declared Value             25%
  • Demand (peak)            25%
  • Saturday PU/DEL        100%
  • And many more…

All these improvements and many more have automatically been loaded into your FedEx account. There is nothing to do but enjoy the savings!

The 2024 CalFlowers FedEx Program Summary and Rates are now up on our website. Please visit cafgs.org for more information.

A few other reminders:

1. Incorrect billing seems to be getting better lately which is good news. As a good practice, remember to input correct box sizes as this will help to insure correct invoicing. If you do require assistance, contact the FedEx billing department (800) 622-1147 and have them open a file/case. They will investigate and be in touch. If you need help, your local FedEx rep can help. See #4 below.
2. For those wanting to know who your FedEx representative is, or if you want to be contacted by FedEx, please email me your FedEx account number and I will respond with information on your FedEx contact. It’s always a good practice to establish a relationship with your FedEx representative. They can be an asset when needed.
3. You can have your shipments held at your nearby FedEx Office instead being delivered to your door. Having shipments held at your local FedEx office can help with temperature management since your boxes will be stored in a temperature-controlled office rather riding in a truck all morning. It’s also true that you can drop off your shipments at your local FedEx office. This can be an advantage for some parts of the country where having your packages standing by in FedEx office is preferable to being in a truck for hours.
4. As we know, keeping an eye on the weather, nationally as well as locally is important, and a great way of doing that is by routinely checking the “Service Alerts” section of the FedEx website each morning for the latest updates. Here you will find the most current alerts and service disruption alerts updated each day.
5. Find the latest news from FedEx here. 

For those members looking for good general information on Surcharges and Claims, the following information can be helpful:

This first resource offers information regarding surcharges and fees. Keep in mind that the CalFlowers program offers members MANY surcharge and fee reductions that are significantly lower than these standard surcharges, however it’s still a good reference point and has some clear definitions on what each fee/surcharge is. If you would like a summary of your program surcharge / fee discounts and waivers, please check our website or email Chris Johnson (chris@cafgs.org) for a copy.

The second resource is very helpful when you need to file a claim for damaged or lost product. Keep in mind, a product claim is different from our Money Back Guarantee, which applies to shipping charges and is handled differently. Product claims are more involved and can be confusing, but this resource helps navigate the process.  

To all our new members who are just starting with FedEx shipping, they have a helpful “Customer Training” service that is available upon request. This service offers shippers direct one-on-one assistance from FedEx covering many of the questions new shippers may have. If you are interested in signing up, please contact Chris Johnson via email: chris@cafgs.org. FedEx also has some excellent information for new shippers on their website. Visit: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/get-started.html for a good summary of what FedEx offers.

For members needing FedEx Tech Support, this phone number takes your right into the department (877) 339-2774. They can help with many tech-related issues including guidance regarding on-line shipping platforms.

We would also like to remind members to stay current with their FedEx Express shipping invoices. FedEx payment terms are 15 days. All members shipping on FedEx Express are expected to stay within the FedEx payment terms. To obtain your invoice details and payment options, please contact FedEx Customer Service.

For members shipping on GLS, please note that from Oct 30^th to Jan 7^th, shipments will incur a “Peak Season Surcharge” of $1.25 flat fee per shipment. This is discounted from their current $1.50 fee. Keep in mind this only applies to Residential deliveries.

New for 2024 are exclusive GLS Ground rates. Now members have the option to ship Priority or Ground when shipping on GLS. The main difference is the time of day the delivery takes place and some product guarantees. For typical floral shipments, Priority with a morning to noon delivery time is the solution. For more hardy products or hard goods, GLS Ground can be an excellent choice.  No matter what service is selected, our CalFlowers GLS program is an outstanding value offering consistent on-time service.

The CalFlowers GLS program is one of our popular, most value-priced offerings, with discounts well over 70% off standard rates. GLS offers later pick-ups and earlier deliveries while providing express door-to-door services covering CA, AZ, NV, OR, WA, NM, UT, and ID. Members who want to ship on GLS must sign up in advance. It’s easy and just takes a few minutes. Please contact Chris Johnson for more details at (760) 533-5580 or chris@cafgs.org.   

GLS has been very receptive to our requests for program improvements. They have added the following features to our program for members to utilize when shipping Priority.

1. GLS will now honor product claims. Yes, if GLS is at fault (acts of God, not included) and the product arrives damaged, significantly late, or just missing, members now can file a claim. We highly recommend member shippers to indicate the correct Declared Value to be covered.
2. GLS will credit (100%) of the shipping costs if your shipment is not delivered on the day promised. Bad weather is excluded. Members will need to request this within 48 hours at customerservice@gls-us.com. 
3. GLS has given our account access to a special premium team of Customer Service agents. This high-level group was designed for fast response and problem solving. Please contact Chris Johnson for access to this important resource.
4. GLS has a new revamped website. Check it out at https://www.gls-us.com. Additionally, I recommend trying this handy Delivery Rates & Times Calculator to view delivery dates and estimated time of arrival.

Airlines: 

For our members shipping cargo on airlines, we’d like to remind you that just we had a significant update to our Alaska Air Cargo program.  We are pleased to add the state of Alaska to our discounts! Now members in Alaska can ship OUTBOUND nationwide, from any major airport in Alaska (serviced by Alaska Airlines), for super discounted Express rates. Member shippers just need a CID number and to sign up with us. 

Additionally, we added SEA and PDX to our program. Now the Pacific Northwest can ship to California at our highly discounted Express rates. Again, members just need a CID number and to sign-up.

Did you know Alaska Airlines is the largest airline operator out of San Diego. They have 67 daily flights to 33 non-stop destinations.

Newly added lane segments from Alaska Airlines are:

• SAN to TPA and EUG in October

Alaska Airlines has also added frequency to these lane segments:

• LAX – SFO
• FAT to SAN
• SAN to SFO
• SAN to STS
• SFO to SNA
• SNA to STS.

For the latest in Alaska Cargo News, Check out this https://www.alaskaaircargoconnections.com/.

Here is also a handy link for commonly asked questions: https://www.alaskacargo.com/faqs

For members wanting to get in touch with our Alaska Air Cargo Regional Sales Manager, California, Mike Narowski can be reached at mike.narowski@alaskaair.com. 

If you have been taking advantage of our new CalFlowers/Alaska Airlines shipping program, you know this offering really delivers when it comes to value. Our program offers EXCELLENT pricing to many areas of the country from California, Portland, Seattle and now Alaska. Check out all the program details on our website. To sign-up, contact Chris Johnson at chris@cafgs.org.

NOTE: Transportation Rate information and documents are viewable/downloadable as PDFs on the CalFlowers Members Only site. Please note that these documents are considered sensitive material and are available to the primary contacts for Ag Buddy, Associate Floral, Associate Grower, and Floral members. 

Welcome New CalFlowers Members

We are pleased to welcome the following new CalFlowers members from December 8, 2023 - January 9, 2024:

www.cafgs.org 

Ph. 831-479-4912 | Fax 831-479-4914