Emily Betler has owned McCandless Floral in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for less than nine months, but she’s determined to build on founder Janet Woloszyk’s 48-year legacy, which included tapping into the Society of American Florists’ resources and events for continuing education.
“I wanted to go to the Next Gen conference earlier this year, but the timing just did not work out,” Betler says. “When I saw that the convention was in August when things are a little slower for my store, I had to register.”
Betler is especially keen to attend sessions at SAF Phoenix 2025, the associations’ 140th annual convention, related to marketing, training employees, and using Artificial Intelligence tools. “As unnerving as it is, AI is not going away, and I want to be as educated as possible about when and how to use it,” she says.
Additionally, she’s excited for the networking aspect and discovering how others troubleshoot problems and use their creativity to bring floral visions to life. “I’m also excited to formally meet people I’ve seen on Zoom,” she says. “The Flower Clique team, for example, was very helpful during the ownership transition. Having the opportunity to thank them in person will be amazing.”
Betler is one of 436 floral professionals from 44 states and four countries who will gather in Phoenix Aug. 11 to 14 for three days of education, networking and events.
The event brings together 41 expert speakers and panelists for 21 educational sessions focused on operational strategies, business growth and profitability, staffing, and trends.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to cheer on 19 designers as they compete in the 56th annual Sylvia Cup Design Competition, and pour over 183 entries in the Outstanding Varieties Competition.
The event kicks off with lunch and the 2026 Flower Trend Forecast by floral trend-spotter Talmage McLaurin, AIFD. His presentation is followed by the Supplier Expo, featuring 48 companies, from tech to flower farms, which will have representatives on hand to talk with attendees about their products and services. New this year, retail attendees can enter to win high-value giveaways such as boxes of free-flowers and free subscriptions to floral software (see a complete list here).
The convention also includes seven opportunities to network, including during receptions for first time attendees and Next Gen floral pros, as well as the SAFPAC fundraiser, which raises money for the only national political action committee dedicated to advocating for the floral industry.
The event concludes with the Stars of the Industry Awards ceremony and dinner honoring the industry’s most accomplished professionals.
“There is not another industry event that comes close to matching the level of industry educational programming and networking that you receive at the SAF convention,” says Kaitlin Radebaugh of Radebaugh Florist & Greenhouses.
Keep up with convention on SAF’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts, and search the hashtag #safconv to see updates from attendees. Also look for updates in next week’s edition of the SAF NOW.
Katie Vincent is the senior contributing editor for the Society of American Florists.
