SAF CEO Kate Penn sat down with Charlie Hall, Ph.D., to talk more about what he will cover during his keynote presentation, “Searching for the End of Uncertainty.”
The only thing constant in life is change — a message the global pandemic drove home hard. Floriculture professionals adapted, reimagining longstanding business practices almost overnight. That flexibility ensured survival, but many people feel uneasy about their next move, given the new economic climate.
During the Kick-Off Breakfast at SAF Orlando 2021, the Society of American Florists’ 136th annual convention, esteemed economist Charlie Hall, Ph.D., will share his research-backed predictions on how the industry will continue to evolve in a post-pandemic world. (Get a taste of Hall’s spot-on analysis of floral buying patterns in Capitalizing on Today’s Floral Consumer, held in mid-June.)
In his keynote presentation, Searching for the End of Uncertainty, Hall, the Ellison Chair of Floriculture at Texas A&M University, will touch on a host of interrelated factors such as globalization, trade policies, supply chain disruptions, and technology — all of which affect consumers, including how they shop and how much they’ll pay. He’ll discuss the changing role of the traditional florist, the increased importance of vertical integration between segments, and the consumer behavior trends guiding these insights.
“The number one difference between the pre- and post-pandemic economy is the inflationary pressure,” Hall says, adding that floral marketers should update their prices rather than grin and bear it. “If we don’t think about garnering a little more from our end consumer, somewhere margins are going to really get squeezed out.”
In a Q&A with SAF CEO Kate Penn, Hall offered reassurances as florists face more unknowns. “We have stable enough institutional elements in our supply chain that the standard deviation of changes will get tighter and tighter,” he says. What’s more, the industry has proved it can acclimate quickly. Whatever happens in the future, “we’ll use our nimbleness to adjust, and we will have contingency plans in place to handle change,” he says.
A breakout session will follow Hall’s keynote presentation for attendees to discuss what they learned with their peers.
To learn more about SAF Orlando 2021 or to register, go to safnow.org.
Katie Vincent is the senior contributing editor for the Society of American Florists.
