Tom Bowling AIFD, PFCI ~ Tom entered the floral industry as part time help in 1979. While teaching elementary school and running a retail flower shop for 8 years simultaneously, Tom found the floral industry to have the stronger calling. Tom owned a floral retail operation for 20 years before moving into the wholesale market as a design center manager for a large mid-west wholesale chain. He has been involved with the California Cut Flower Commission since its inception in 1997 and is an industry leader representing Teleflora as an Education Specialist throughout the country for the past 14 years. Tom has designed for the Presidential Inauguration as well as Rose Parade. Tom currently serves as a the Floral Director for Charisma Floats and this marks Tom’s 13th year at the Academy Awards serving as assistant floral director. He also presents educational seminars for Continental Floral Greens and Ocean View Flowers. Tom is still active in the floral industry marking his 30th year and is still discovering opportunities to bring the floral industry forward in a positive way. Tom is a member of the American Institute of Floral Design and currently serves on their National Board of Directors as Vice-President. He has presented two programs for AIFD’s National Symposium and has presented design programs for regional AIFD chapters as well. As a member of the Professional Floral Communicators International, Tom has commentated numerous local, allied, and state programs.
Looking for ways to get more productive in your daily operation? Consider cross-training your staff during slower afternoons or during lull times in the evening. The more each other knows about the daily operations of the store, the better the…
The '09 brides will once again be following current fashion according to The Wedding Report, A market and research forum for the wedding industry. Layering their dreams of traditional choices they have dreamed of for years with the "latest and…
Easter is one of those holidays in the floral industry that generates mixed emotions as to how good, bad or ugly it can be. While everyone is feeling the pinch of the slow economic times, one of the positive aspects…
Change is happening all around us. Technology is making our world closer and closer and faster and faster. What use to take weeks now takes days and what took days is now done in hours or minutes. Is this a…
Lots of associations are thought of when we hear the month of March. For some it is all about basketball and March Madness. For others it is the time of seasonal change when March comes in like a lion and…
No one likes to pay more for the same products or service and flowers are no exception. There are many venues for obtaining floral expressions. From the quick marts, mass market stores, and gas stations, flower shops have a plethora…
Like the rest of the world businesses, the challenge for the retail floral industry is doing more business. But how you ask do I do more business in this trying economy? One way is to separate what you sell from…
With everyone feeling the economic crunch, people are not spending the dollars they once did on high-end luxury items. That does not mean, however, they are not willing to surround themselves with comfort and beauty at the home level. Since…
Following the holiday season, many department stores typically offer a 'Winter White Sale' to spur additional January spending. Floral retailers can ride that same wave of advertising by offering a similar sales promotion for the month of January. Consider running…
