The Flower Council of Holland's 'The World of Flower Art' tour included visits to the International HortiFair, Auction Aalsmeer, a breeder, grower, floral design studios and much more. Mauro Gomes, co-owner of Magnolia Flowers & Events in New York City, shares his impression of this "amazing trip".

"Trips like this are fun but also important, because at every stop along the way I met the European floral professionals who I trust to help me successfully serve my clients in the States. Trust is the key. My clients trust me to deliver the best flowers and designs for their special events, and I trust my European flower suppliers to deliver me the very best flowers I need to do my job. About 99% of the flowers I use for my events are European flowers. The reason for this is simple: my clients are very high-end – corporate, society weddings, fashion houses, celebrities and the like – and they simply expect the best."

Passion
'The World of Flower Art'. A perfect name for this trip. I've always appreciated the artistry of European flowers. The cut flower's beauty, but also, as our visit to a Dutch Cymbidium grower and Anthurium breeder showed, the artistry involved in actually breeding and growing these wonderful flowers. It was amazing to see where these flowers, that end up in New York City, actually come from, to see the remarkable quality control of the growing process and experience the grower's passion for his profession firsthand. This is what my clients are paying for when we order A1 European flowers!"  

Futuristic
"One of the trip's highlights was visiting a floral design studio, where we did a workshop. Here we also received Flower Council’s brand new event book ‘Party Flowers2’. European designers have unique and original ways of designing and displaying flowers. The arrangements have lots of impact and are very futuristic and daring! I love the European design style… how time is spent creating something truly special." 

Unity
"We can learn a lot about the flower business from the Europeans, and I wish they had even more presence here in the States, to give more input and help better oversee the European flower market here. The Flower Council of Holland does a great job promoting European flowers, so why not have an office right in the heart of New York City? There's a need for more unity in the European flower trade in America, where there are lots of people selling European flowers, but not all of them always doing it quite right."