LOS ANGELES – Teleflora, the world’s leading flower wire service offering only hand-arranged, hand-delivered floral bouquets by local florists, announced today its 2012 Education Center schedule. For 28 years, the Education Center has provided ground-breaking classes taught by the industry’s finest in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the company’s start-of-the-art center. Teleflora’s Education Center is a certified AIFD pathway provider and education partner of AIFD.
"With changes in the floral industry happening faster and faster, it's now more important than ever for retail florists to keep up with their education. Staying updated on the latest trends, networking with other florists and sharing best practices gives florists and their shops the edge over competitors," said Marie Ackerman, AIFD PFCI AAF, Vice President, Education. "Taking the time to attend classes at the education center pays off in so many ways. From gaining a new perspective on daily activities to seeing and practicing first-hand new design techniques and mechanics, florists are given the tools that help them successfully manage the daily operations of their shops."
The 2012 education program kicks-off in February and continues through October. Eight classes will cover a variety of floral-specific topics including design that focuses on ready-to-wear flowers for prom, sympathy, wedding and design for everyday occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, babies, get well and congratulations.
New to this year's curriculum is the "TRENDSETTER: New Design ideas for 2012/2013" an innovative class that will look at what's new in design and materials- both the practical and experimental. Florists will experience new design approaches to creating the latest styles from around the world. Many new techniques and modern mechanics will be demonstrated.
Teleflora's 2012 class schedule is as follows:
February 26-29, 2012
BLING: Designing Sparkling Prom Flowers
*Featuring Products from Fitz Designs
Instructor: John Hosek AIFD PFCI
March 25-28, 2012
TESTING, Testing…1, 2, 3
A Primer on using the Principles & Elements of Design
Instructor: Kevin Ylvisaker AIFD PFCI
April 29-May 2, 2012
Sympathy Tributes
Instructor: Bert Ford AIFD PFCI
June 3-6, 2012
Wedding WOW: Bouquets with Style
Instructor: Susan Ayala AIFD PFCI
June 24-27, 2012
TRENDSETTER: New Design Ideas for 2012/2013
Instructor: Hitomi Gilliam AIFD
July 22-25, 2012
Business Smarts Summit: Operating a Successful Retail Flower Shop
Instructors: Paul Goodman PFCI CPA, Marie Ackerman AIFD PFCI AAF
and Special Guest Speakers
August 5-8, 2012
European Design
Instructor: Els Hazenberg AIFD AAF
September 30-October 3, 2012
Everyday Magic
Instructor: Joyce Mason-Monheim AIFD PFCI
Tuition for Teleflora members is just $599.95 U.S. and $699.95 U.S. for non-members and can be billed on their Teleflora clearinghouse statement or placed on a major credit card. If a florist brings someone from their shop to the same class, each person will receive a $50 discount. Scholarships to attend the Education Center are available from local Teleflora Units.
For more information on Teleflora's Education Center or to register for classes, please call (800) 456-7890 ext. 6234. A description of each class can be found online at www.myteleflora.com.
About the Teleflora Education Center
The Teleflora Education Center founded in 1984 conducts classes for thousands of retail florists. Housed on the second floor of the Teleflora office in Oklahoma City, the school features a state-of-the-art classroom, custom workroom and pleasant hospitality area. Classes are limited in size to enable personal coaching of each participant.
About Teleflora
Teleflora is the world’s leading flower delivery service connecting customers with the nation’s best local florists for over 75 years. All Teleflora flower arrangements are artistically arranged and hand-delivered in a keepsake vase using only the freshest flowers available through its member florist network. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Teleflora has over 16,000 member florists throughout the U.S. and Canada, with an additional 20,000 affiliated florists outside North America. Through its extensive member florist network, Web sites including www.teleflora.com and www.findaflorist.com, and its toll-free line 1-800-TELEFLORA, the company offers consumers fast, convenient and high-quality flowers and keepsake products. Follow Teleflora on Facebook.
Source: Teleflora