Pat Cannon, owner of Beach Plum Flower Shop in Newburyport, Massachusetts, handed out Petal It Forward bouquets in the town’s Market Square. This year’s event is slated for Oct. 19.
Fourth of July fireworks may be fresh in your memory, but autumn really is right around the corner — and that means it’s time to start preparing for Petal It Forward. The Society of American Florists’ annual goodwill giveaway, in which floral businesses hand out two bouquets — one for the recipient to keep and one for them to give away — returns Wednesday, Oct. 19. Here are three steps you can take now to lay the foundation for a successful event in your community.
Determine How to Celebrate
Where do you want to hand out flowers? Many participants choose a busy pedestrian area and pass out bouquets to people at random. Others pick a particular venue to surprise a specific demographic, such as a nursing or retirement home, daycare center, healthcare facility, or school campus. Now’s the time to determine if you need any special permitting.
What do you plan to distribute? Bouquets? Single stems? Or small arrangements? If the latter, do you want to prepare them yourself, or hold a special design class?
Contact Your Suppliers
Don’t be shy asking for donations or discounts from your suppliers. Many are eager to help. Some have prepared grab and go bouquets, complete with branded Petal It Forward sleeves, for years.
“We have had great partners with both farms and wholesalers who have offered us product for free or at a substantial discount,” says Justin Sheffield, president of Ashland Addison Florist in Chicago, Illinois.
If it’s your first time talking to a company about Petal It Forward, ask your salesperson for the company contact for promotions or marketing. “Usually that person has the best voice to get a request like this approved,” Sheffield explains.
Reaching out in advance makes planning much easier for all parties involved. Once you know if discounts or donations are available, you can determine your budget and how much to order. You’ll also know roughly how many volunteers you’ll need to pass out flowers in October.
Build Your PIF Team
Seeking help outside of your staff? Ask friends, family, and other community members to save the date and serve as “happiness ambassadors.” Are other SAF members in your area participating? Would it behoove you to join forces? Is there another group that might make a great partner — a youth group (Boy or Girl Scouts, 4-H, FFA), a service club (Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, Sertoma), a local institution (YMCA, schools), or even another small business?
In past years, Eastern Floral in Grand Rapids, Michigan partnered with the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan, whose “Be Nice” campaign aligned beautifully with Petal It Forward’s mission. (Be Nice promotes positive cultural change through simple daily actions.)
Several shops, including City Line Florist in Trumbull, Connecticut, partner with radio stations and other media groups. “They do phone interviews the week leading up to and the day of Petal It Forward and they help us hand out flowers,” says marketing director Nicole Palazzo, AAF. “Honestly, there are so many negative stories out there, when people hear about something that is just pure happiness, they want to be part of it. It’s a wonderful feel-good story but it’s also a great marketing tool for our shop.”
SAF provides resources to help members Petal It Forward, including planning timelines, t-shirt and flower card templates and more at safnow.org/petalitforward. Be sure to notify SAF of your event by completing the Petal It Forward Participation Form.
Katie Vincent is a contributing editor for the Society of American Florists.
