Great Lakes Floral Association

06/11/2026

A group of your Great Lakes Floral Association Board members met today to update our Strategic Plan. Thank you to:
President Doug Vos, Don's Flowers & Gifts- Zeeland, MI
Vice President Allison Ludema, Ludema's Floral and Garden- Grand Rapids, MI
Treasurer Tim Galea, Norton's Flowers- Ypsilanti, MI
Jen Linehan, Beautiful Blooms by Jen- Sylvania, OH
Bob Patterson, Patterson's Flowers Inc.- Big Rapids, MI
Jerome Raska, Holly, Mi
Teresa Cytlak, Ridgeway Floral- Three Rivers, MI
Rod Crittenden, Great Lakes Floral Association

06/10/2026

Over five days of hands-on education, students will explore vase arrangements, bridal bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, sympathy design, care and handling, product identification, customer relations, sales, marketing, and more.

You’ll also work with contemporary techniques like grouping, layering, basing, and framing — all while learning in a small class setting with personalized instruction.

📅 September 21–25, 2026
🕘 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
📍 GLFA Professional Education Center — Haslett, MI
🎓 Instructor: Cindy Ching, AIFD, CF
💐 All flowers and supplies included
✂️ Bring your tools

Class size is limited to 6 students.

06/07/2026

In The Profitable Sympathy Portfolio, Kelsey Thompson AIFD, CFD, PFCI kept it real: if you’re only charging based on supplies, you’re probably undercharging.

A few dollars of wire and mechanics might not look like much on paper — but your time, skill, and design brain? That’s the value.

Charge for the materials. Charge for the labor.
And charge for your expertise.

🎤 Presented by
🤝 Sponsored by
📺 Watch the full session on our YouTube

06/05/2026

⛳ How does the Golf Outing work?

First off it's about fun and connecting more than your scorecard.

It's a 4-person scramble, so hopefully one of the four of you hit a good ball. Then you pick which one you play from.

Get to know new faces and reconnect with ones you already know - sign up on the GLFA website 🌐

P.S - It's a lot more fun than being in the office all day 👀

06/03/2026

Always wanted to learn floral design? This is your sign ✨

Join Cindy Ching AIFD, CF for 5 days of hands-on floral education, design fundamentals, and real-world skills you can use immediately.

📍 Haslett, MI
📅 August 3–7, 2026

Seats are limited, so don't wait until "someday" becomes next year.

05/29/2026

♻️ Reuse to reduce.

Hitomi Gilliam AIFD, CFD, PFCI shares a powerful idea: what if the structure is part of the design?

By creating semi-permanent armatures and reusable mechanics, florists can reduce waste, use fewer flowers, and create profitable designs that can be refreshed and reused again and again for corporate accounts and recurring customers.

🎤 Presented by Hitomi Gilliam AIFD, CFD, PFCI
🤝 Sponsored by Teleflora

05/28/2026

⏰Just a month left to apply for a GLFA Scholarship. We would love to help progress you in your career

The application takes 5-10 minutes, which is great ROI on your time!

Simply, visit the GLFA website and apply today ❤️

05/28/2026

https://conta.cc/3Ptq3mb
We need your help! See link for details.

Email from Great Lakes Floral Association We Need Your Help   Florists Urged to Guard Against Deceptive Practices The Society of American Florists (SAF), Great Lakes Floral Association (GLFA) and Wisc

05/28/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Cwtaqjp2i/

05/27/2026

📺 Watch Kelsey Thompson AIFD, CFD, PFCI present "The Profitable Sympathy Portfolio"

A practical session focused on creating meaningful sympathy work while building a sustainable, profitable design portfolio ♻️

From pricing and product selection to customer experience and design strategy, this session is packed with insights florists can put into action today 💐

🎤 Presented by
🤝 Sponsored by

Subscribe and watch more educational content from GLFA / GLFEE on YouTube!