Floral freshness

Floral and produce came together at McCormick Pace in Chicago, Ill., with United Fresh, Food Marketing Institute’s FMI Connect and the International Floral Expo to create one combined trade show that held more than 1,000 exhibitors showcasing their offerings to 13,000 attendees from June 8 to 10. On one side of the convention center, United Fresh and the International Floral Expo were set up side-by-side so show goers could browse back and forth between hard goods, packaging solutions, cut florals, new varieties, food safety solutions and more.

“Together, we bring solutions and innovation to all aspects of our industry. The opportunities are endless,” said Ron Carkoski in a welcome letter.

One hundred hours of educational programming were also offered. About 10 breakout sessions such as Maximizing Gift Revenue, Today’s Trends and the Future of Floral, Untapped Profits and The Art and Science and Style were offered at the floral expo.

The best entertainment of the show was the Iron Designer Competition — a contest to see which floral designer could make the most visually appealing arrangement from fresh flower and vegetable options within a 20-minute time frame.
 

Greenhouse Management Assistant Editor Chris Mosby contributed to this article.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNITED FRESH