"Twenty years ago, an event was a room full of round tables with floral centerpieces in the middle. No longer. To create a total event experience, today's event planners must assume a multitude of roles. Lighting, design plans, props, furniture...and of course flowers - we have a hand in every aspect of an event. Show me a successful event planner and I'll show you a control freak! But to create the best events, we must also have the best materials to work with, which is why I love to go Dutch!"
High-end
"Quality always costs more, money always matters, and we must always validate the bottom line in our proposals. This can be extra challenging when clients have never experienced real flower quality. So how to approach this? For Winston Flowers, a 'Show & Tell' is out of the question, because we simply do not deal with B-grade flowers. Instead, I make effective comparisons. Our clients are high-end and pay for other quality products every day, so I just remind them that there's a good reason why, for example, they happily pay more for farm-fresh, free-range poultry. And it's the same with Dutch flowers. The best is the best for good reason, and is why we order flowers directly from our wholesaler in Holland four time per week."
Performance
"Events are special moments, held on specific dates. So, while we of course value Dutch flowers for their wonderful colors and varieties, we value them just as much for their reliability: we can depend on Dutch flowers to perform beautifully on the day of the event! We order specific cultivars and actually covet the flowers to fruition. With Dutch flowers, we always know what an event planner must know: how fresh are the flowers, what is the vase life, how long until the petals open."
"During a recent trip to Holland I visited the amazing HortiFair, where you not only see all the stunning varieties now available on the market, but also all the concept flowers currently in the pipeline. Knowing what new Dutch varieties are 'coming soon' is so important, because today's event business is all about trends. Events incorporate the latest trends in architecture, design, furniture, fashion. Dutch flower cultivators understand the importance of color trends. When, for instance, eco-friendly browns and greens became trendy, sure enough new Dutch flower varieties promptly arrived on the market in colors to match."
