"The four days of the 'Holland Trip' were packed with such an assortment of wonderful experiences. Each day was totally immersive. The Flower Council of Holland commands a unique respect in the world of flowers. I've designed in 15 countries and have seen a lot behind the scenes, but I've never seen anything even close to the floral industry in Holland. I certainly returned to the States with a newfound respect for the quality of Dutch flowers and the Dutch flower industry as a whole."   

Horti Fair
"This was my first visit to Amsterdam's Horti Fair. The scope of the technology exhibited there creates the most stunning blossoms on the market. There were species that were so dazzling and unexpected. The diversity, size and color spectrum of orchids, lilies and anthurium, was amazing. There were orchids we only see in botanical gardens in America, available for export! The roses too…the head size and petal count, in such extraordinary colors, like lavender roses, were truly remarkable!"        

Aalsmeer Flower Auction
"I knew Aalsmeer was the world's largest flower auction, but had no idea of the quality assurance of every Dutch flower bought and shipped from there. Having seen the quality control during handling firsthand, I'm now more interested than ever in requesting Dutch flowers for my special events. Beyond the aesthetic, what distinguishes Dutch flowers is the unstated assurance of quality control. It's a beautiful flower when cut, and the unique pre-shipment processing guarantees that it's beautiful upon receipt!"   

Aalsmeer Grading System
"Our visit to Aalsmeer was critically important. I really have a newfound respect for the ways the auction is continuously researching new ways of creating better products on arrival, and the unbiased flower grading system is truly remarkable! The auction grades the flowers independent of the growers, which ensures the flowers are graded appropriately. The industry itself creates an industry-wide quality assurance."   

Marcel Woterinck
"Visiting and having dinner at Marcel's extraordinarily designed home was a source of many new design ideas. Each element of the design environment was integral to a unified design concept. In neutral blacks and browns, the design environment combined a modern aesthetic with hints of naturalism. Cubist influence and use of repetition created drama in the table-scape - a series of tall slender vases, topped with exhibition-sized orchids. Most of us on this trip were strangers when we started, but Marcel's design environment, amidst the flowers, created a cocoon for life-long relationships to develop!"   

Els Teunissen
"It was a great honor for Els Teunissen to be our liaison on this trip. In both the special event and flower industry, Els is regarded as one of the most talented designers, marketers and artists. Her work starts with deep roots and passion about the industry. Flowers give her a vehicle to create dynamic ideas, and through her teaching she shows the audience an approach to design that inspires them to go beyond any given technique! Her presentations are gifts on so many levels."    

Before & After
"This month I will plan and design a dinner party for CEOs at a chic New York City restaurant. Due to my experiences in Holland, I'll certainly be using Dutch flowers. Above the long oval dinner table, I'll create a naturalistic arbor of branches, interwoven with the finest Dutch flowers. Below, a garden of flowers and fire is created in hues of Chartreuse and chocolate brown. Candles will be clustered in the midst of a naturalistic landscape of beautiful Dutch hydrangea, mahogany-colored cypridium, green roses, nepenthes…. For this very detailed event, I must have the best, and that means buying Dutch flowers!"    

Holland Trip
"This trip was an opportunity of a lifetime. I'm so grateful for the chance to learn, share and see the qualitative differences of Dutch flowers. As a result of this trip, I'm more inclined than ever before to go with Dutch flowers as the starting point, and then fill in with miscellaneous blooms. Of course cost is significant, but consistent quality sets a standard for expectations of the best the market has to offer." 
 
Educational experience
"As a designer and event planner, and also as a teacher, this trip truly impressed. The amount of information passed on to us was significant. Through this program, the Flower Council was communicating with our entire industry back home. They've reached so many more people than just the 13 of us on the trip. We'll share this information with other professionals in the US. In this way, the Flower Council's educational program will continue long after we returned home!"