SAF in Action BY AMANDA JEDLINSKY TURN PRESSURE INTO STRATEGY AT AMELIA ISLAND


> Rising costs, changing consumer ex- pectations, labor shortages and rapidly evolving technology are forcing growers, wholesalers and retailers to rethink ev- erything from pricing and staffing to ful- fillment and customer communication. Those pressures shaped much of


the conversation during SAF’s virtual 2026 All Industry Trends and Challenges Discussion in April — and they’re also driving the education lineup at SAF Amelia Island 2026, Aug. 18-20 at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island in Florida.


Costs Continue to Climb For many, rising costs remain one of the biggest concerns. Rodrigo Leiva of Esmeralda Farms and Sunshine Bouquet pointed to rising jet fuel prices, persistent inflation, labor pressures in Colombia and weather-related uncertainty. “I have a lot of confidence in our


assessment of our P&L and our calcu- lation of costs, but you also have to be loyal to your company’s principles,” Leiva said during the virtual event. That balancing act — protecting


margins without compromising quality or customer experience — will be a major focus at SAF Amelia Island 2026:


“Economic Reality Check: Leading Through Uncertainty” SAF Chief Economist Charlie Hall, Ph.D., will examine the economic signals affecting floral businesses and how operators can make pricing, staffing and investment decisions in uncertain conditions.


“Cash Flow Confidence” Learn how to manage the uneven revenue cycles that characterize much of floral retail.


Customers Want Convenience — and Value While demand for flowers remains steady, panelists said customers are behaving differently than they did even a few years ago. Monty Pereira, AAF, of Watanabe


Floral in Hawaii said floral holiday pur- chasing patterns revealed a noticeable shift toward lower-priced purchases.


“It was pretty eye-opening to us, so


we had to make sure that we were aware of that and were able to pivot,” Pereira said. That operational mindset appears throughout this year’s convention programming:


“When Customers Want It Now: Systems that Make it Work” Explore how businesses are adjusting fulfillment, ordering and service models to meet rising expectations around convenience and speed.


“Faster, Better, Smarter: A Modern Approach to Training” Build scalable training systems, improving workflow efficiency and using technology to support day-to-day operations.


AI Is Expanding — But Relationships Still Matter Technology and AI were also recurring themes during the April discussion, par- ticularly as businesses search for ways to improve efficiency without losing the personal relationships that drive cus- tomer loyalty. Lisa Nason of Kennicott Brothers


said technology has become increas- ingly important in helping the company monitor costs and improve operations. “We love technology to help us


create efficiencies we didn’t dream about a couple of years ago — like any of the manual processes, the invoicing, and the forecasting,” Nason said. But she also warned against allow-


ing technology to replace customer relationships. “We really need to make sure we’re still picking up that phone, calling our


6 FLORAL MANAGEMENT | July/August 2026 | WWW.SAFNOW.ORG


customers and checking in on them because there’s no algorithm for a good relationship,” Nason said. That tension — using AI and automa-


tion without losing the human side of the business — is reflected throughout SAF Amelia Island 2026’s education lineup:


“Build Your Shop’s AI Brain” Create AI-powered knowledge systems for floral businesses.


“Data Without Drowning: Turning Numbers into Better Decisions” Examine how operators can use reporting systems and AI tools more strategically.


Other sessions will tackle opera-


tional efficiency, leadership development and changing workplace expectations.


Amanda Jedlinsky is the senior director of content and communications for the Society of American Florists and editor in chief for Floral Management.


Scan to see the full schedule and register.


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