We are very proud to announce that from the 1st April 2024 we have been accepted as Members of the British Florist Association. The BFA is a trade association and gives the floristry trade a voice and a status as an industry in the eyes of the government. The BFA works with its members, to ensure that the floristry trade is well represented and at its strongest. As members of the BFA, Averil’s Flowers can benefit from a host of member benefits as well as it giving us a professional status.
One of the benefits is that the BFA will now be displaying a “florist profile” for us on their website. A search for florists in King’s Lynn on the BFA website will show Averil’s Flowers as the sole member within 10 miles of King’s Lynn.
As a business we are hoping to venture more into the Weddings sector of floristry. Although our florist Debbie has already done some simple wedding for a select few brides, she is now confident that she can assist wedding organisers, venues and brides with a wedding offer that will include bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids, buttonholes for the groom, best man, father of the bride and other members of the groom’s entourage, table decorations and decorative features for the reception. The BFA can assist with contracts, training and help with quotations, so Debbie will be free to design the perfect wedding flowers for her clients.
We can also access “Bloom Rooms” which is a private chatroom for members. At 6.30pm every Tuesday we are able to chat to other florists and the guest speaker. It’s a great way for florists all over the UK to connect.
There is also the option of downloading promotional images and materials to assist with website and Point of Sale promotions and events. It is really useful to have ready-made promotional materials to use on Social Media platforms in preparation for some future date such as Valentine’s and Mother’s Day.
The BFA also promotes a number of events throughout the year. This year in 2024 there will be a major Awards Ceremony taking place at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham on the 28th September. Members now have the opportunity to nominate individuals and businesses for a number of award categories including: Floristry Student; Floristry Tutor; Floristry Service Supplier; Sundries Supplier; Flower Supplier; Floristry Wholesale Supplier; Wedding/Event Florist; Retail Florist.
Other events include Hub Meetings to boost your creative flair, a competition for UK Florist of the Year, the FleurEx full scale Floristry Exhibition, a Florist Conference that focuses more on business strategy and marketing and the European Floristry School which consists of a full three days of inspirational workshops with highly regarded European Florists.
Suffice to say hundreds of professional florists, floristry students and industry suppliers come together at these events to be inspired, to network and re-energise their passion for floristry!! You can be assured that Debbie will take full advantage of what the British Florist Association has to offer.
For more information about the BFA please go to https://britishfloristassociation.org/
