Arkansas Florists Association

06/02/2026

Join Us for the Arkansas Florists Association Convention

“LEAP, FLY, SOAR”

August 14–16

Get ready for a weekend filled with creativity, education, competition, and inspiration as the floral industry comes together for the annual convention hosted by the Arkansas Florists Association.

Friday, August 14

The excitement begins at 8:00 a.m. with three floral design competitions:

* Scholarship Design Competition – Our entry-level competition designed to encourage and develop emerging talent.
* Arkansas Cup Competition – Open to Scholarship Competition winners and runners-up, as well as any AIFD member ready to test their skills.
* Mid-America Cup Competition – Our premier competition featuring state and floral association champions competing at the highest level.

Once judging is complete, all competition designs will be displayed throughout the weekend for attendees to enjoy and study.

(Contact Kay - [email protected] or 479-459-8034 for more information on competitions)

Friday evening, join us for dinner and a spectacular Runway Show featuring current and past Arkansas Master Florist graduates. Expect stunning bouquets, wearable flowers, botanical fashion, and creative floral artistry that showcase the talent of Arkansas Master Florist.

Saturday & Sunday

Enhance your skills with optional hands-on workshops:

* Flowers to Wear
* Leaf Manipulation

Both classes are offered for an additional fee and provide valuable techniques you can take back to your business.

Throughout the weekend, enjoy an outstanding lineup of stage presentations from industry leaders, including:

* Patience Pickner AIFD PFCI presenting an amazing sympathy design program
* Tom Bowling AIFD PFCI presenting “Elevated Everyday”
* Chris Norwood AIFD PFCI
* Jay Morris - 2 time Mid America
Cup winner
* Bethany Phillips AMF presenting on social media and your business

Sunday Finale: Iron Designer Competition

To close out the convention, don’t miss the exciting Nick Schembra Iron Designer Competition.

Open to everyone, contestants simply put their name in the hat for a chance to compete. Twelve names will be drawn:

* Round 1: 12 designers compete
* Round 2: The field narrows to 6
*Round 3: the field narrows to 3
* Final Round: The top 3 battle it out for the championship

Fast-paced, creative, and unpredictable, it’s one of the most entertaining events of the weekend!

More Than Education

Convention is more than classes and competitions—it’s an opportunity to connect with fellow floral professionals, share ideas, make new friends, and return home inspired and energized.

We would love to have you join us!

For registration and complete event details, visit:

The Arkansas Florists Association is committed to supporting the next generation of floral professionals through scholarship opportunities, education, and community encouragement.

05/29/2026

We can’t express our gratitude enough for the incredible electronic scoring system that FloristWare provides for our competitions.

A special thank you to Mark Anderson, FloristWare, and your amazing team for simplifying the judging and scoring process. What once took hours of double- and triple-checking can now be completed efficiently and accurately.

We are beyond thrilled to have you on board supporting all three of our competitions this year. Your commitment to our industry and your continued support of the Arkansas Florists Association are truly appreciated.

Thank you again for helping make our competitions a success!

05/29/2026

05/29/2026

A huge thank you to FlowerShop Network for their generous support of the Arkansas Florists Association convention!

They are sponsoring both the 2026 Scholarship Design Competition and the 2026 Arkansas Cup winners with a $500 award check! We also want to give another special shoutout for sponsoring Patience Pickner AIFD PFCI, who will be presenting an incredible sympathy program during convention.

Convention is August 13–16 — you don’t want to miss it!
Register online
www.arkansasfloristsassociation.org

05/29/2026

🏆 Mid-America Cup Competition🏆

The Mother of All Competitions!

Do you have what it takes to compete against the best of the best? The Mid-America Cup brings together winners from state floral association competitions across the region for an exciting showdown of creativity, skill, and floral artistry.

If you’re ready to test your talents and compete with fellow champions, we want to hear from you!

Contact Kay for details:
📧 [email protected]
📞 479-459-8034

For convention and registration information, visit:
www.arkansasfloristsassociation.org

Step into the spotlight, represent your state, and see if you have what it takes to bring home the Mid-America Cup!

05/29/2026

Convention is right around the corner!

Scholarship Design Competition contestants, it’s time to get registered!

We’re excited to announce a change to this year’s Scholarship Design Competition. The competition will now be held on Friday, August 14, during the Arkansas Florists Association Annual Convention.

This is a great opportunity to showcase your creativity and talent in front of fellow floral professionals, industry leaders, and convention attendees. We can’t wait to see the incredible designs you create and to give convention guests the chance to admire your work as well.

Get registered, start planning, and get ready to shine! We look forward to celebrating the next generation of floral designers at convention.

www.arkansasfloristsassocitaion.org

05/29/2026

It time to get registered for 2026 Arkansas Cup Competition!
www.arkansasfloristsassociation.org

05/29/2026

We can’t wait for this program!

THE MAIN STAGE: Two world-class designers. One unforgettable presentation.
Join Tim Farrell and Donald Yim on the Main Stage at AIFD® Symposium 2026. Get ready to see artistry redefined.
Let’s Elevate in Orlando July 2-5

Register here: https://s2.goeshow.com/aifd/symposium/2026/registration_form.cfm