By: G. Alan Masters AIFD PFCI
The South Central Regional Chapter of AIFD® hosted its annual Forum March 18th and 19th in Houston, Texas at Bill Doran Wholesale where manager Eddie Morquecho and buyer Anne Brochtrup, as well as the entire staff, went above and beyond to make sure it was a complete success.
The weekend began Saturday morning with the Frankie Shelton SCAIFD Cup with the theme “Coronation Splendor.” Each of the competitors had to create a scepter fit for the late Queen Elizabeth. They could use the Holly Chappel Egg or Pillow or both, donated by Syndicate Sales, and a variety of floral products. Each of the 15 competitors did an amazing job. In the end Brandy Ferrer took home the 1st place trophy. Mary McCarthy AIFD TMFA came in 2nd place, and J. Ross Railey AIFD received 3rd.
Just before the end of the competition the “Queen of South Central,” Frankie Shelton AIFD, after whom the competition is named, gave a brief speech to encourage the designers. After the competition, the room was quickly reset to allow the contestants to come back in and sit and listen as Frankie regaled everyone with stories from the past, about family, her career, flowers, and of course, AIFD®. What a privilege it was to get to be with Frankie again and what a character she is. A special thank you to Tony Huffman AIFD for making sure she was able to be there and see everyone.
Nicola Parker AIFD, taught a hands-on class entitled “The Crowning Jewels.” Nicola really knocked it out of the park with an awesome flower crown. She and the students in the class created a stunning 3-dimensional crown using head bands, zip ties, bind wire, and more. Then they added flowers donated by Ponte Tresa, Rosaprima, and Bill Doran Co. It was great to see them having so much fun creating a really cool piece that will be perfect for weddings, etc. Thanks to Nicola, last year’s Frankie Cup winner, for teaching such a great hands-on class.
Sunday morning, our guests were greeted with a continental breakfast set in the fashion of an English Tea. Then, the moment we had all been waiting for, our mainstage designer, Suzie Kostick AIFD, took to the stage to present her program, “Designing for the Queen.” When we gave Suzie the title, she admitted she was a little baffled by what to do, but true to form, she got to work researching, studying and compiling information to ensure a successful show.
Suzie brilliantly navigated the life, experiences, and high points of the late HRH Queen Elizabeth and created amazing designs based on those events. One of the most moving pieces was a tower design that was fun and playful on one side, that when turned revealed a structured and formal diamond pattern. It was a demonstration of her years as a child before she became the heir presumptive, and after she came to know that she would one day become queen.
Among the other fabulous designs were sympathy arrangements for her beloved husband and tributes to her relationship building abilities dedicated to Africa and Ireland. Suzie ended the program with 6 floor pieces that created a beautiful garden around her on the floor of the stage and spoke about Queen Elizabeth’s (Lilybet’s) love for her garden and nature. It was a magnificent, multimedia program full of knowledge, not only about flowers, but also history that many of us never knew.
The Forum ended with a charcuterie table and a live auction to help support education events for the South Central Region. We were thrilled to have National President Todd Sweeden present for both days, his support and encouragement were invaluable. We were also excited to welcome a sales rep for Ponte Tresa, Hugo Castro, to the event. Hugo just happened to be in Houston that weekend and wanted to be there with us to see how their beautiful donation of roses were used. We, of course, could not have been able to hold the Forum without the support of our sponsors, The Bill Doran Company Houston, Smithers Oasis, Syndicate Sales, Roseprima and Ponte Tresa. These companies are so willing to help and always want to be a part of education in the industry, please send them a note of thanks for their support.
A recurring, but unintentional, theme for the weekend was “Never give up.” Frankie said it best when she spoke to the competitors, “Regardless of whether you win or not, this was a growing experience. Never give up. You always are learning and growing.”
