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In This Issue ...
- Have You Registered To Attend The Member Appreciation Meeting?
- CalFlowers Sponsors and Attends Slow Flowers Summit
- Member Benefit Spotlight: J Schwanke’s Life In Bloom
- When Promoting Self Care with Flowers
- Transportation Updates
- Welcome New CalFlowers Members
2023 Events
DevX
August 2 - 4, 2023
Hilton Niagara
Falls/Fallsview
Niagara Falls, ON, Canada
CalFlowers "Member Appreciation" Meeting
Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel
August 18, 2023
San Diego, CA
SAF "Phoenix 2023"
The Westin Kierland
Resort & Spa
September 6 - 9, 2023
Phoenix, AZ
2024
Save The Dates
2024 Fun 'N Sun Floral Convention
Omni La Costa Resort & Spa
September 4 - 7
Carlsbad, CA
Latest Legislation
Updates:
Click Here to read the latest Legislative updates.
Is a cooperative effort to get more Americans enjoying more flowers, more often. From upscale florists, farmers markets or grocery stores — as long as people are bringing home flowers regularly, that’s good enough for us.
We want everyone to experience the impact of flowers on a daily basis. They’re a beautiful, natural dose of feel-good, so why should they be reserved for special occasions?
Even the most modest bouquet of flowers can have all sorts of positive short and long term effects on how we feel — in other words, it’s that flower feeling.
Click Here and request access to all of the FREE Assets That Flower Feeling has to offer.
FLOWERS.
SELF CARE MADE EASY.
Self care has become a lot of work. You gotta pamper, practice mindfulness, balance life and work, and be awesome at all of them. Flowers on the other hand are self care made easy. They won't replace working out or eating well. But they're a spiritual tune-up. So treat yourself to a little off-the-shelf self care.
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
Our goal is to communicate with our members and interested parties on a monthly basis about recent, past, and upcoming events, program updates, and general information about CalFlowers engagement in the industry on behalf of the membership.
If you have an announcement or story you think our members should see, contact Monnaie Pepin, Director of Communications, Events and Administration.
2023 - 2024
Membership Directory Available Online
To purchase additional printed copies of the 2023 - 2024 Membership Directory please Contact Jordan Richardson.
For Members Only Access
Click Here for a quick reference guide on how to log into the members only site.
CalFlowers
Social Media
Show That You Are A Proud Member of CalFlowers!
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
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Have You Registered To Attend The Member Appreciation Meeting?
Tickets are selling fast!
Register today to save your spot.
The Board and Staff of CalFlowers are excited to have you join us on Friday, August 18, at the San Diego Hilton Bayfront, for a series of presentations outlining the Association’s most important industry support initiatives, along with round table discussions!
Board President Ivor Van Wingerden will kick the meeting off with commentary on CalFlowers’ current activities, and our positioning in the ever-changing floriculture industry.
J Schwanke will update you on the tremendous growth of Life In Bloom television show and explain what’s next for this exciting project.
And Executive Director Steve Dionne, will provide an update on the That Flower Feeling consumer marketing campaign.
Presentations will be followed by round table discussions on important industry topics.
 Don’t miss this exciting event, full of great information and the awesome networking you experience at all CalFlowers events. After the meeting and the industry happy hour, we will walk across the pedestrian bridge to Petco Park where we have reserved a suite in the Western Metal Building to show our appreciation for YOU!
You will need your username and password to register for the event. If you need help with that, please contact Jordan Richardson at jordan@cafgs.org or by calling (831) 217-3423.
For more information visit the 2023 Member Appreciation Meeting page on our website.
Thank you to the following companies for their valued sponsorship of the 2023 Member Appreciation Meeting:
 
CalFlowers Sponsors and Attends Slow Flowers Summit
CalFlowers was a proud sponsor and attendee of the 2023 SlowFlowers Summit. The Summit brought together creative professionals, thought leaders, and pioneering voices from across the floral community. We were inspired by keynote speakers, Amy Balsters (The Floral Coach), Lennie Larkin (B-Side Farm), and Julio Freitas (The Flower Hat), as well as the leaders of the breakout sessions and our fellow attendees. During our time at the Summit, we had the opportunity to build deep connections, learn about florists, producers, as well as tricks of the trade, and spread the word about CalFlowers and That Flower Feeling. Check out some of the Slow Flowers Summit happenings including a tour of Mayesh Wholesale- Seattle, design demonstrations, and a floral design takeover of the Bellevue Botanic Garden.
Member Benefit Spotlight: J Schwanke’s Life In Bloom
Did you know that CalFlowers members have free access to J Schwanke's Life in Bloom show, website, and resources? This includes streaming access to the complete uBloom premium video archive of over 800 How-To Arrange Flowers Videos. Contact Jordan (jordan@cafgs.org) if you are interested in sign up details.
When Promoting Self Care with Flowers
Boost summer sales by helping boost your consumers moods with fresh cut flowers. According to a recent study, having fresh flowers in your home can actually help you feel better, both mentally and physically. This is a win-win for both the floral industry and consumers and directly correlates with the campaign created by the That Flower Feeling foundation.
In the study, researchers from the American Society for Horticulture Science tested whether plants have therapeutic influences on patients recovering from surgical procedures. What they found is that fresh flowers can help reduce feelings of anxiety and even ease physical pain. So, if you are feeling under the weather, sick or stressed, flowers are self care, made easy!
That Flower Feeling has created a campaign, available to the entire floral industry that promotes self care and flowers. To utilize the free assets, please visit our website at Thatflowerfeeling.org and check out the partner’s page. The campaign and the assets are available due in part to many generous contributing partners across the floral industry both in the United States and abroad. For more information on how to become a contributing partner, please email info@thatflowerfeeling.org.
Transportation
This month we’d like to pass on some basic, but helpful information on filing product claims and surcharges. Although these two documents, created by FedEx, came out earlier in the year, they are an excellent resource. 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.
One more valuable resource has to do with any current Service Alerts. We suggest that you check this daily update each morning before shipping.
A few other reminders:
- FedEx has reinstated the Money Back Guarantee (MBG) for CalFlowers members for Priority and Standard Overnight only. Delays due to hazardous or disruptive weather are not eligible for shipping credits. Remember also that the MBG is not automatic and you will need to request it within 14 days via the website www.fedex.com.
- As of late, and different from the software glitch mentioned above, we have seen a rise in incorrect invoicing. Much of this is due lack of box dims being listed on the waybill. As a best practice, be sure to indicate the box dimensions on your booking/waybill as this will help if there is a dispute regarding the size of your box and ultimately your invoice.
- I have also seen an increase in incorrect billing mainly due to scanning errors creating incorrect box sizes and/or logging incorrect weights making the invoice typically higher than expected. To inquire, 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.
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- Find the latest news from FedEx here.
For members looking for the latest Program Summary and Rates for 2023, they can be found posted up on our website with all our other shipping program. Please visit www.cafgs.org.
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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
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 IAD in August
- 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
We will be rolling out new and additional information on our popular Alaska Air Cargo program. Look for details soon.
For the latest in Alaska Cargo News, Check out this https://www.alaskaaircargoconnections.com/.
For those that missed the news, Mike Narowski is our new Alaska Air Cargo Account Executive. Mike comes with a vast amount of industry experience, and we are happy to have him. Mike 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, while adding a few new destinations such as Seattle, Portland, and Anchorage. 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 June 20 - July 10, 2023:
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