SAF Next Gen Live! What is it? Join Ellie LaFever, Nicole Palazzo and Derek Woodruff to find out more!
Lori and Ellie ("mini Vonda" for the day) sit down with two of the floral industry's brightest young leaders: Nicole Palazzo of City Line Florist — fourth generation at the 104-year-old Trumbull, Connecticut shop, fifth generation in the industry — and Derek Woodruff AAF, AIFD, PFCI of Floral Underground in Traverse City, who is also brand and education ambassador for Syndicate Sales. The topic: SAF Next Gen, the Society of American Florists group for floral pros 45 and under — and the first-ever Next Gen Live conference in Miami.
How Next Gen was born
Nicole founded Next Gen, and her origin story will sound familiar to anyone who grew up in a flower shop. At her first SAF convention in Maui, she sat in classes knowing the answers to every question — and stayed silent, too intimidated to raise her hand in a room full of industry veterans. Back in the hotel room she told her mom, "I knew all this stuff." Looking around, she could count the attendees her age on one hand.
So at SAF's Profit Blast in Nashville, she sat at a table with Kate Penn and Laura Weaver and told them exactly what the industry needed. They listened, and Next Gen was the result. As Nicole puts it, she felt seen and heard — and then it turned into action.
Bridging the gap
Derek frames the why: there's a real gap between the industry's legacies and its young professionals — and it's not only generational. New designers are entering the industry self-taught, from flower farming, or from entirely different careers, with no leadership, no guidance, and no community beyond themselves. Many don't know whether state or national associations are even for them. Next Gen exists to bridge that gap: connecting elders, young professionals, and brand-new "infants in the industry" into one community. And it's not an exclusive millennials-only club — Lori is openly excited about the reverse mentorship, learning from the "young'uns" who are fresh, real, and energized.
What's happening at Next Gen Live in Miami
The inaugural conference runs July 31 to August 2 in Miami — the flower mecca of the East Coast — and the agenda goes far beyond ballroom sessions:
- A life-of-a-flower tour — literally onto the airport tarmac to watch flowers arrive from South America, then on to Armellini, Jet Fresh, and a bouquet maker to see how product moves before it ever hits a design bench. Even Derek, 20-plus years in, has never seen how flowers enter the country.
- Two learning tracks — a leadership track (expanding your brand, discovering your leadership style, leading when you're the young boss and half your staff is twice your age) and a productivity track (time management, designing with less labor, social media hacks).
- A Chopped-style opening-night tournament hosted at Continental Flowers and sponsored by Syndicate Sales — for non-designers coached by designers, with Derek as MC.
- Networking on purpose — the schedule is built around hanging out, and the task force of growers, wholesalers, breeders, and designers has had real control, down to approving the tote bags.
Lori and Ellie will be presenting too, with an interactive session on discovering your leadership style.
Send your people — even if you're over 45
The guests are emphatic: this event is for everyone in the industry — retail, growers, wholesalers, breeders, mass market. And if you're an owner over 45, it's an investment in your company's future. Registration runs around a third to a quarter of a typical SAF convention, the hotel is affordable, Miami is a cheap flight, and it's only two days — so you can send your rising 23-year-old designer or your social media person without losing a week. As Ellie says, this is the moment for owners complaining about turnover to build into their people instead. Attending solo? Don't worry — Nicole promises they will "rip you from the corner" and pull you into the group.
Can't make Miami? Join the SAF NextGen Facebook group, where younger industry members are already swapping ideas and techniques daily. And if you're in, register now — early bird pricing runs through July 18.
Key takeaways
- Next Gen exists to bridge the gap between industry veterans and new talent — including self-taught newcomers with no community at all.
- Next Gen Live (Miami, July 31–August 2) packs tarmac tours, two education tracks, and heavy networking into two affordable days.
- Owners over 45: send your young employees — it's an investment in retention and the future of your shop.
- Speak up about what the industry needs; Nicole's idea became a national program because she voiced it to the right people.
- Start today by joining the SAF NextGen Facebook group.