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Customer Testimonials:"It was an excellent event, exceeded my expectations!!"
Lee George, George's Greenhouse, Emmaus PA
"Hitomi gave me a renewed sense of faith in my ability and my shop's future in
an economically tough time."
Megan Murlo, Floristic Creations, Lansford PA
On Sunday, September 14, 2008, Dillon Floral presented its 34th annual Design Show/Trade Fair Open House.
This year’s theme, “Future SUCCESS, it all begins with U!” focused on Dillon Floral and retail florists designing their future success together. In attendance were over 215 professional retail florists from PA, NY, NJ and MD.
Our feature designer for the all-day design show was Hitomi Gilliam, AIFD. Assisting Hitomi were Pamela Heller, Pamela’s Flowers, Enola PA and Susan Miller, AIFD.
Hitomi inspired and motivated the audience with an outstanding show, filled with design as well as marketing ideas. Learn more about Hitomi Gilliam, AIFD here.
An all-day trade show featured vendor partners including domestic and off-shore farms, international flower importers and domestic floral manufacturers. Each shop was given a “passport” to be filled out by each vendor; completed passports were gathered for a drawing at the end of the day. Dave Woodring from Woodring Floral Gardens, Bellefonte, PA won an American Tourister suitcase.
During design show breaks, Dillon Floral team members from Bloomsburg, Allentown and Scranton welcomed guests. The large gathering of Retail Florists, Vendors and Wholesale Florists provided an rich opportunity for discussion of new products and services geared to the future success of the industry.
Blooms from Bloomsburg, fresh cut Alstroemeria, Lilies and Gerbera Daisy produced in the Dillon greenhouses in Bloomsburg, PA, were on display. In addition, Plant Kingdom, the potted plant department of Dillon Floral, displayed foliage and flowering plants as well as their popular line of Dillon designed dish gardens.
Guests voted on 35 decorated 6” potted Spathiphyllum that customers embellished prior to the show, resulting in the “People’s Choice” award given to Mindy Ando from Spring Leaf Flowers, Cresco, PA. The designs were diverse and awesome, giving retailers 35 new ideas on how to “kick it up a notch” when sending out a 6” Sapth!
Two year-long memberships to Direct2Florist were given away at the end of the day to A Flower Basket, Bellefonte, PA and R&S Flowers, Pine Grove, PA who were among those shops who placed year-long standing orders for floral products while at the Trade Fair.
L&S Floral Designs, Beaver Meadows won their entire day’s shopping FREE in the Grand Prize drawing at the end of the day.
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Next year, Dillon Floral Design Show/Trade Fair Open House will be held on Sunday, September 20, 2009.
Special Thank You to our 2008 Sponsors
| Amys Orchids Phoenix | VA Berneckers Nursery Goulds, FL |
| Candle Artisans, Inc Washington, NJ | Carson & Gebel Ribbon Company Rockaway, NJ |
| Choice Farms Corp. Miami, FL | Country Joes Nursery Inc. Lake Worth, FL |
| Design Master Color Tool, Inc. Boulder, CO | Esmeralda Miami, FL |
| The Farm Direct Company Bogota', Colombia | Fern Hill Holly Farms Astoria, OR |
| Flora Craft Corp. Ludington, MI | Flores Aurora LTDA Bogota', Colombia |
| Flores Del Este Medellin, Colombia | Fresca Farms Miami, FL |
| Flores Del Lago Medellin, Colombia | Flores Los Sauces Medellin, Colombia |
| Flores Funza Bogota', Colombia | Milton Adler Pleasantville, NJ |
| Gardens America, Inc Miami, FL | The Hiawatha Corp Shelton, WA |
| The John Henry Company Lansing, MI | Hills Imports, Inc. Quakertown, PA |
| Miramonte/Miraflor Ft. Lauderdale, FL | Misty Flowers Miami, FL |
| Norben Import Corp. Hackensack, NJ | John Nuckton Enterprises Palo Alto, CA |
| Ocean View Flowers Lompoc, CA | Penang Nursery Inc. Apopka, FL |
| Premium Flowers Miami, FL | Pride Bogota', Colombia |
| Priority One Flowers Scotts Valley, CA | Regency Int. New York, NY |
| Rosa Flora Ontario, Canada | Simpson Greens Miami, FL |
| Smithers Oasis USA Kent, OH | Sole' Farms Miami, FL |
| Stewart's Greenhouse, Inc Mount Dora, FL | Syndicate Sales, Inc Kokomo, IN |
| Top Star Floral Oxnard, CA | Tran Trex Foliage Plymouth, FL |
| W.H. Turner & Son Pierson, FL | Uniflor Medellin, Colombia |
| Valleflor Quito, Ecuador | White Sands |
Customer Testimonials:
"Thank You for offering this outstanding program with such an excellent designer and "inspirer" - Hitomi!"
Carolyn Butera, Butera The Florist, York PA
"This show always gets me inspired to push the limits"
Michelle Brown, Janes Flower Shoppe, New Holland PA
