Last week I had the opportunity to attend The Special Event 2015, an annual conference for those of us who work in special events. Attendees from all over the country met up this year at the Anaheim Marriott to listen to educational programs covering various aspects of the special event world: design, event management, event technology, catering, trends, and business development. In addition to programs, there were design galleries, networking events, and over 2,000 exhibitors showcasing new ideas and products in the adjacent Anaheim Convention Center.
One of the program highlights this year was a floral design program featuring Tomas de Bruyne and Hitomi Gilliam. Their program “Floral Mastery in Event Design” featured 11 new, creative, large-scale floral pieces that would enhance any event. Their goal was to present new an innovative designs that steered away from conventional florals that we see/produce for typical corporate or social events. And that is exactly what they did! With the help of a team of European Master Certificate (EMC) designers, each floral design reflected creative compositions and unique detailing.
Tomas and Hitomi’s program was sponsored by G-Fresh and Accent Decor. G-Fresh is a Dutch company that works with Dutch growers to provide high quality flowers to wholesalers and retailers around the world. The flowers they provided for the program were exceptionally beautiful and perfect for the innovative designs. Accent Decor is a leader in the supply of floral-ware, containers, glassware, ceramics, and accessories to the floral industry. Additional hard-goods and floral supplies were provided by Smithers-Oasis.
Below is a gallery of designs from Tomas and Hitomi’s program. I am happy to say their program and the TSE conference was inspiring, and I look forward to the upcoming AIFD Symposium in Denver this summer. Stay tuned for more floral news!
floralove 