Designer Of The Year To Be Crowned At OFA Short Course

Columbus, Ohio — Snips and stems will fly in competition once again in the OFA Florist Design Contest, to be held Sunday, July 15, during the 2012 OFA Short Course at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. The contest winner will be crowned the 2012 OFA Designer of the Year.

Have What It Takes?
If you are actively engaged in the floral industry and think your designs stack up to (and above!) your peers, then this Florist Design Contest is for you. Do it for the cash and prizes—but do it for the glory and the thrill of competition, too.

This year’s theme is “Home Improvement,” and includes the following three categories:

-Home as a Haven—an organic design utilizing a sheltering technique.
-Home for the Holiday—a centerpiece celebrating the entrant’s favorite holiday.
-Home DIY—a unique design including a re-purposed item from the home.

Contestants must check in their entries on Sunday, July 15, 7:45-8:45 a.m. The five competitors with the top cumulative points from all three categories will be announced at 12:45 p.m. then compete in the Florist Design-Off, 1-1:45 p.m.

The winner of each “Home Improvement” category and the Design-Off will be announced at 4:45 p.m. The category winners will each receive $100 and a “Tools of the Trade” package from FTD. In addition to these prizes, the OFA Designer of Year will receive from BloomNet a design course and travel/hotel accommodations to the National Alliance of Floral Associations’ competition as the competing representative from OFA.

How to Enter
Entrants must pre-register for the design contest by June 22, and must be a paid registrant for the Florist Short Course package. For further rules, information and the entry form, visit www.ofa.org/shortcourse.

More In Store
Other opportunities at the 2012 OFA Short Course await the floral professional:
-Two days of floral business educational opportunities
-Florist Expo, where vendors offer solutions for your business
-Corsage Bar, with volunteers cranking out lovely floral creations
-Keynote Presentation, “Can You Hear Me Now? Voices from Beyond the Greenhouse,” given by national gardening spokesperson and television personality Joe Lamp’l.
-Keynote Presentation, “Gardening’s Positive Impact on Our Communities & Our Lives,” given by Sam Kass, White House Assistant Chef and Senior Policy Advisor the Healthy Food Initiative.

Register Now
Plan your experience and register for the 2012 OFA Short Course at ofa.org/shortcourse.

About the organization: OFA – The Association of Horticulture Professionals is the leading horticulture educational association in the United States. It is a not-for-profit, all-industry organization and its core purpose and mission is “to support and advance professional horticulture.” Industry segments served include: garden centers, greenhouses, nurseries, retail and wholesale florists, and interior plantscapers. OFA is especially known for its outstanding publications and its annual OFA Short Course, U.S. horticulture’s premier convention and marketplace. The next Short Course will take place on July 14-17, 2012 in Columbus, Ohio USA.

Source: OFA – The Association of Horticulture Professionals