Maximizing Your Conference Experience: From Attending to Presenting
Lori is back — back in her own bed, her own office, and her own time zone after a coast-to-coast run from SAF Next Gen Live! in San Diego to the Great Lakes Floral Expo in Michigan, where she presented alongside Ellie LaFever PFCI. This week she and Vonda unpack the trip, then turn it into something every shop owner can use: how to get the most out of an industry conference, whether you're sitting in the audience or standing on the stage.
Postcards from the road: Next Gen, flower farms, and a very big drone
Next Gen had its own energy this year, and Lori — cheerfully accepting her role as the "cool aunt" of the group — loved seeing how many shop owners sent employees rather than attending themselves. One young attendee, less than two years into the industry and traveling alone for the first time, told Lori she hadn't been sure floristry was for her. By the end of the event she'd decided to stay. That's the quiet power of these conferences: employees discover there are other young people in the industry, and that this can be a career, not just a job.
A highlight of the trip was touring two San Diego-area flower farms, Kendall Farms and Milano and Company. Lori was struck by how intentional every planting decision is — right down to removing avocado trees because of how much water they consume — and by the family feel among the staff. And yes, there was a massive crop-fertilizing drone, piloted from the back of a truck with what looked like a gamer's controller.
From there it was on to the Great Lakes Floral Expo, where Lori and Ellie taught two sessions on repeat — one on leadership skills and one called Camera, Canva, and Cash ("95% Ellie, 5% me being her hype girl," Lori laughs).
Three tips for attending an education session
Between the two hosts, the advice for attendees boils down to this:
Divide and conquer. If you bring your team, don't all sit in the same breakout. Split up by interest, then report back to each other — you'll cover twice the ground.
Expand your horizons. It's tempting to pick sessions on topics you already love. Choose at least one you know nothing about. Lori admits she gravitates to leadership classes — but sitting through Camera, Canva, and Cash turned out to be fascinating. Read the session description too, not just the catchy title, so you know the actual takeaways match what you need.
Ask your questions out loud. After every presentation there's a line of people waiting to ask one-on-one questions — and half the line never gets a turn. If a question pops into your head mid-session, write it down and ask it during Q&A. Odds are four or five other people are wondering the same thing, and it makes the presenter feel heard. And whatever you do, don't sit with your arms crossed: you chose to be in that room, so be open to what the instructor is teaching.
Three tips for presenting one
Connect before anything else. Nothing goes right until the audience leans in. Work the room before you go on — introduce yourself, learn a few names, then reference those conversations from the stage. Watch for the signals: eye contact, nodding, laughter, people photographing your slides. For design presenters, connection means keeping eye contact with the audience instead of staring down at your own work.
Stay on script. Stick to your slides and your topic. If you're presenting sympathy design, don't wander into wedding bouquets — keep the session cohesive so the audience walks away with one clear subject.
Send them home with three bullet points. The goal, borrowed from a wise pastor: if someone asks your attendees "what did you learn?", they should be able to rattle off three things. Designers can even close by asking the room for their number-one takeaway — it's a comprehension check, teacher-style.
One bonus rule for aspiring speakers, including anyone chasing their PFCI: don't spend your first ten minutes reciting your own bio. You've already been introduced, and your credentials are in the program. Start with a story, start with a connection point — start with what's in it for them.
Key takeaways
- Send your employees to industry events — it builds leaders and shows them floristry is a career worth staying in.
- As an attendee: split your team across sessions, try a topic outside your comfort zone, and ask your questions during Q&A.
- As a presenter: connect with the room first, stay on topic, and build the session around three memorable takeaways.
- Never open a presentation by talking about yourself — open with what the audience will gain.