Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Featuring Bill Murphy, AIFD

Dillon University 2006 Spring Semester opened on Wednesday, March 29 with "Celebration!" a business seminar and design show focusing on Weddings, Proms and Parties.

Studentswere inspired by Bill Murphy, AIFD of Cutting Edge Design in York, PA. He shared his successful style of creating perfect events tailored perfectly to the client. The afternoon began with the re-creation of an initial wedding consultation. Alexandria played the bride as Bill walked through the types of questions to ask and notes to take. He stressed the importance of building trust with the client from the beginning. That trust allows Bill to sell “a look” for the event, rather than a menu of specific flowers. Next, he showed a mock-up meeting and further refined the plans for the event with the bride.



After a quick shopping break, we resumed class with a discussion on pricing, planning and profit margin. By calculating the total dollar amount of flowers that can be purchased, Bill showed how to ensure a positive profit margin. The trust factor again came in to play between florist and wholesaler. Bill related his positive experiences ordering fresh flowers and supplies from qualified wholesalers such as Dillon Floral. He recommended both developing a relationship with your account manager, and placing your order two to three weeks in advance.

Throughout the event, students were encouraged to ask questions and participate actively. We were not disappointed as many florists shared their experiences and asked questions about how Bill’s topic related to their own world. There was an energized feeling as florists absorbed Bill’s message and learned from each other.

The design show picked up where the wedding consultation case study left off. Bill showcased a white wedding with bouquets, table decorations, and linens as he illustrated the beautiful results of the day’s work. He also took time to discuss the new John Henry book Prom & Homecoming Flowers. This book features updated flowers to wear with heavy use of the new wires from Smithers Oasis along with beads, crystals and gluing techniques. The finale was the introduction of exhilarating color at the reception. Vibrant pink, juicy orange, sunny yellow and of course lime green were combined to create a show stopping table that screamed “fun, Fun, FUN!”.

Thanks to Instructors, Students and Dillon Team Members who all contributed and helped to make "Celebration!" a huge success! Door prizes from the John Henry Co. were awarded from a drawing at the conclusion of the day. Bob's in Northampton won a John Henry Prom & Homecoming Flowers book and Mattern's in Kingston won the John Henry "Flower Deck", a color/design tool for flower shops. 75 students attended and received a coveted Dillon University certificate of participation. Invaluable design help was provided by Bill’s design partner of more than 20 years, Leigh Ann Swartz. They were also assisted both on-stage and off, by Bill’s daughter Alexandria Murphy.

Dillon University has a very loyal following of students who want to learn and become more successful...we are grateful for their support and invite you to join their ranks for upcoming D.U. events. Be sure to talk with your account manager and check back at our website for details.

Student Testimonials:

"Thanks! Top notch. I believe you appreciate and value your customers!"
-Bobbie Schwab
Neffsville Flower Shoppe
Lancaster, PA

"Thank you so much for offering these opportunities!"
-Rebecca Shiffler
Skytop Lodge
Skytop, PA

'One thing I learned today' answer....
"How to do a consult that focuses on providing a look, a theme, not per piece prices with specific number of specific flowers"
-Sara Culotta
Business is Blooming
Ithaca, NY