Montana Florist Association

10/08/2023

THIS PAGE IS NO LONGER ACTIVE. PLEASE FOLLOW page linked below…..

Established for the promotion of a spirit of co-operation and good will among the various florists.

08/02/2023

Heads up…

We will be shutting this page down soon as we are having trouble with admin access.

We will be creating a NEW public page for general information about the Montana Florist Association. Once we get the new one created we will invite you to like that!

04/16/2023

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Making Mother's Day Magic. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

02/05/2023

The countdown is on!

Are you ready to GROW? Save the Date for the AIFD National Symposium "GROW" in Chicago, July 1-6, 2023. Stay tuned for information on how to register - Registration will open in February! http://ow.ly/Rb6f50MH7Vh

02/01/2023

Right next door to us! What a great opportunity.

There's still time to sign up for a weekend filled with education right here in Bismarck. Join Sandy Schroeck as she goes through the principles and elements of design.

Registration is open. Click here https://www.ndfloral.com/ and follow the link. Have more 2 or more registering? Give Billy a call at 605-852-2880 about a discount.

01/30/2023

01/04/2023

Looking for an immersive full HANDS ON floral weekend? Click the link and find out more!!

Join us for a weekend of immersive floral education at Walker's Bluff Winery in the beautiful rolling hills of Southern Illinois.

05/24/2022

Have you registered for yet? What are you waiting for? If you can't make it to Vegas this year, we're also offering live stream! Don't wait, Hands-On sessions are almost full!

Learn more: http://ow.ly/TBYV50IX9Kl

04/02/2022

Hello MFA!!! We hope you’re all gearing up for prom, Easter, Mother’s Day and all those daily deliveries in between.

The current board is starting a weekly (or close to it, hoping for everyone’s participation ) feature of a florist/industry professional/vendor/MFA member spotlight each Friday. Fun, not so serious get to know you questions!!!

Sometimes, during the rush of convention, we don’t get too many opportunities to really meet those in attendance. So….

Let’s get to know each other!

Starting off with current MFA President, Lindsey Peterson, AIFD….

🌺Name? Lindsey Peterson, current President of MFA

🍂Where do you work and what do you? Head trouble maker at Robyn’s Nest Home Décor in Glasgow, freelance florist and sometimes pain in the butt designer for Jennifer Darr at Langhor’s Flowerland in Bozeman.

🪴Years you’ve been apart of the floral business? Started at Gainan’s in 2002 on the front sales floor and moved to the design room later that year. So, 20 years. How can that be…I’m only 27. 😂😁😉

☘️Favorite flower/foliage why? Tough one, I love them all for a different reason. But I’d have to say lilacs, with boronia heather coming in a close second.

🪴 Name a food you refuse to eat? Chicken Wings or liver 🤢

💐First car? 1995 Grand Am

🌸First memorable concert? Aerosmith

🍁Chore that you hate doing? Lawn work, like raking leaves. I usually find some high school kid needing to make some money and pay them.

🌻Favorite holiday? Does March Madness count? LOL ….I’d have to say Thanksgiving – has be the winner …. All of my favorite things….family, food and football!

🦀Do you collect anything? Crabs and vintage pyrex and cookbooks

🙋🏻‍♀️If you could learn any skill, what would it be? I’d love to learn to play the piano

🤷🏻‍♀️Name three traits that describe you? Procrastinator, sarcastic, overthinker

🌚Moring person or night owl? Night owl for sure!

🌷Name something most people don’t know about you? I was born with a whole extra set of front teeth. Ugh, it was too many years of oral surgeries and braces and headgear for a girl in middle school.

🌎 Pick a super power! I’d have to say flying.

✨Dream vacation? Greece or attend the Master’s golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia.

💥If you had a 5-minute shopping spree and unlimited money, what store would you choose? If I could find a bookshop and wine store combined that would be it!

Looking forward to another weekend of education and floral friends this fall. See you in Great Falls, September 30-October 2nd!!

03/11/2022

Congratulations from all of us at MFA!

Today’s the day!! Hope to see you there 🌸🌸🌸

02/22/2022

“Roots” Registration is OPEN!! Join the AIFD family from near and far at

This amazing opportunity is so close! So many quick flights to Las Vegas from Montana. It’s a time to learn industry insights and innovative trends. It's an opportunity to connect, network and learn. To register: https://aifd.org/2022-symposium-roots/.

The full brochure of eduction opportunities and days are listed. You can plan your visit around them.

A non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the art of floral design as a professional career

02/08/2022

One week from now, we hope to be relaxing at home with our feet up knowing we did our best to make everyone’s Valentine’s Day special.

Have a great week!!!

01/09/2022

Mark your calendar for the 2022 AIFD floral symposium. An amazing Oporto continue your education and increase your networking opportunities.

10/01/2021

Things are moving and shaking and getting creative here at convention 2021! Vendors are getting set up, Julio is here prepping for his hands on class, Erik and his crew are BUSY BEES ...going to be an amazing weekend!!

09/28/2021

Convention week is here! Erik Witcraft Aifd and his flower crew are hitting the road from Portland Thursday and are ready to wow us with a Sunday design show. Julio Freitas from the Flower Hat has a short trek from Bozeman up to Great Falls and he's offering up two hands on classes! We can't wait to see what he's going to showcase for us. In between all the floral education and vendor shopping Jolene Schalper form the Great Falls Development Authority will give us a talk entitled "Grow Your Business".

--->We still have a few slots left for anyone willing to jump in on the LIVE design contest. Don't be shy, you're designing in a secluded area and evaluated anonymously. HUGE thank you goes out to Teleflora for stepping up and sponsoring this event for us!

---> If you're arriving Friday night PLEASE join us for a meet and great down in the convention space area. MFA will have a bin of drinks and a huge selections of appetizers. Mix and mingle and join the Escape Room challenge...if you dare!!

09/23/2021

Flower friends near and far, we are so, SO close to convention time! We are crossing our T's and dotting our I's to make sure this convention is awesome!!! Don't forget...

- tools if you're in the hands on class or design contest

- your "bee" inspired outfit for Saturday night's President's Dinner

- a gift for the Wheel of Fortune giveaways (if
you've never attended, attendees bring a small gift, we sell tickets for a dollar a piece and during the dinner we give them all away! Then we draw for all the money collected)

- to be READY TO LEARN! We're excited to see everyone, Safe travels!

09/19/2021

Floral friends, get ready to make 2022 the best year in your shop! The Montana Floral Association annual floral convention is happening October 1-3rd in centrally located Great Falls, Montana.

Hands-on classes, business speaker, design contest, shopping with industry vendors and of course the Sunday design show that will fill that creativity tank!

It’s not TOO LATE to join the fun. Click the link for registration and full agenda information. (just add $25 per person now that it’s after September 17)

http://mtfloristassc.com/2021-mfa-shop-registration.pdf

http://mtfloristassc.com/convention-2012.html

09/19/2021

SCAM ALERT!
Another email has been sent asking for gift cards. DO NOT RESPOND. This did not come from MFA.

09/17/2021

Happy Friday! Today is the last day for regular priced registrations. Kari has sent an email as well with more details. Join the fun in just TWO WEEKS!!! Eeeek!!

http://mtfloristassc.com/convention-2012.html

09/14/2021

We’re coming up to convention time! Get those registrations in. We’ve got great line up of speakers and designers and of course your flower friends!!! http://mtfloristassc.com/ for all details

09/08/2021

Happy Wednesday, friendly reminder to get those paper registrations sent to us. Or emailed/scanned etc. Thank you!!!

09/02/2021

Are you ready to “bee” around your floral friends again? We sure are! Saturday night of convention along with Wheel of Fortune and Minute to Win it games, we’re encouraging you to “bee” in the spirit of MFA and create your own antenna or bee themed outfit to wear at dinner!

08/31/2021

❗️❗️{{ HANDS ON CLASSES }} ❗️❗️

Attendees..... the first hands class at 9 am for the tabletop bouquet is ALMOST FULL!! There is still room for more designers in the second class featuring body flowers at 10:45 am. Don’t miss out on the great opportunity!

Please call for status before you send in your registration so we don’t have to refund any money. Call Kari at My-Viola 406-771-6828 to confirm a place.

08/30/2021

Happy Monday....we are just about a month away from our 2021 Convention so the count down is on! Long Post AHEAD...but please read!

* Today is the last day to get the MFA rate hotel room of 119.00 (plus taxes) . You can make reservations after, that rate is not guaranteed.

Hilton Garden Inn
2520 14th St. SW
Great Falls, MT 59405
406.452.1000

* DEADLINE for the regular MFA convention rate is September 17th. After that it increases by $25 per attendee.

* Hands On classes - there are TWO classes and you can sign up for BOTH!!! We're just asking that each shop only reserve two spots per class so that everyone gets a chance have that hands on experience.

* Design Contest - please sign up for this. This is a great way to challenge yourself and use a different set of your brain. Look for another post with more details about that. There are two categories based on experience so do let that deter you!

* President's Dinner - Saturday night is when we all gather and enjoy dinner and games. If you're new to MFA or the Convention each attendee is asked to bring a small gift, from your shop awesome but it doesn't have to be . A candle, room diffuser, bottle of wine, or something unique to your shop. To give you a few examples....It doesn't need to be expensive! Throughout the weekend we sell tickets. Then during dinner we draw tickets and if your number is drawn you're a winner and receive a gift from the "gift table" Super easy and fun and also, the money from ticket sales is drawn for as well.

* Minute to Win It - we've got a few fun and easy games planned for the President's Dinner as well. We will ask for volunteers that night so no need to get signed up early.

* FFA - don't forget the Sunday show will be FREE to all current FFA students and advisors. We will have an online registration form ready or one to hand out to local chapters. Let's get some young floral enthusiasts to this show!!

Please reach out with any questions email us at [email protected] We will be posting more so stay tuned!

Have a great week!

08/25/2021

Here is the current agenda. *** we’ve worked into this a few more escape room slots to accommodate the demand *** so be on the look out for more options

08/13/2021

Hey there MFA Friends, President Lindsey Peterson reminding you to get those registration forms in!

All convention details are in the link below!

http://mtfloristassc.com/convention-2012.html

08/12/2021

Introducing our featured main designer for the 2021 MFA Convention, Erik Witcraft, AIFD.....

A – Z – TAKING YOUR EVERDAY AVERAGE TO OVER THE TOP ZESTY!

Join Erik Witcraft AIFD for an exhilarating program filled with creative ideas on how to arm your everyday design staff with the artillery to stand out among the crowd of other florists around you. Sometime, literally with the flick of a wrist and a efficiency trick or two, designs can be zesty rather than average. Erik will show you tricks and techniques to do that!

Everyday design is one thing, upselling for the holidays is another! This year is the year to upsell and create magic! Erik will inspire you with fabulous Melrose products that will inspire your sales to climb!

Sponsored by: Melrose Intl
Flowers/Supplies provided by: Skyline Flowers

For full agenda and registration head to ...

http://mtfloristassc.com/convention-2012.html

08/11/2021

Julio Freitas from the Flower Hat in Bozeman, MT will be the designer teaching TWO hands on workshops for this year's Montana Florist Association Convention!

Yes. You read that right, 2️⃣ chances to get some hands on learning. ** reminder ** there is LIMITED SPACE for each class. 25 people per session.

Class #1 - 9-10:15 centerpiece hands on class
Class #2 - 10:45-11:45 - corsage hands on class

These are first come first reserved basis so get those registrations in!

To learn more about Julio go to: www.mtfloristassc.com or his website www.theflowerhat.com
Julio is sponsored by: Washington Floral Service
All flowers/supplies will be provided by: Washington Floral Service

08/10/2021

Let’s introduce this years convention presenters.... first up is Jolene Schalper from the Great Falls Development Authority. She will be our guest Business Speaker at this year's Convention.

“How to Grow your Business” Saturday Oct. 2nd, from 1:15-1:45pm. This is open to all attendees.

To learn more about Jolene go to: www.mtfloristassc.com