Here's How to Expand Your Event Floral Work Outside of Weddings
Ikebana for a Local Restaurant
Are you a floral professional looking to diversify your income sources? Maybe you're seeking to experience the freedom to create for events outside the box, or perhaps you're wondering how to segue from wedding clients to other clients with different event needs.
If you identify with any of the above, then this article is for you! Retail, corporate, and nonprofit clients offer a creative and repetitive niche.
Where To Find Retail, Nonprofit, and Corporate Floral Design Clients
How do you find these types of clients? Networking! The goal is to get your name and floral skills known within the industry and cultivate relationships and trust, leading to repeat paying clients and contracts.
Here are a few ways you can do so:
Take an arrangement with your business card (know their brand style—color palette, rustic, organic, modern, etc.—to design accordingly). Try to ask for a specific person, talk to someone you already know, or research their About page on their website for a marketing representative or the owner. Leaving the arrangement with the receptionist is an option, but it’s not always the best way to reach a decision-maker.
Visit a public relations firm with an arrangement and a slew of business cards.
Look into retail shops—from local boutiques to large chains—and bakeries.
Connect with possible corporate clients, such as realtors, lawyers, banks, hotels, and care homes.
Volunteer to work at a nonprofit event that you have an interest in, join their auxiliary, or consider donating your time to design for one of their smaller events, which can lead to a paid larger event. Remember, your offer should be authentic—not self-serving. Only offer if you are grateful for, interested in, or passionate about their mission. The by-product will be networking and learning more about your community and nonprofits.
Include hashtags on Instagram: #"yourcity"florist, #corporateflorist, #eventsflorist, #corporateevents #eventdesign, etc.
Research local upcoming nonprofit events posted on Facebook. Call and offer your services! Some community-based events do not have a budget for flowers, so you may consider foraging and/or investing a small amount for your creations. For example: After seeing a Facebook post from Stockton Leadership raising funds to renovate the Women's Shelter's children's room, I sent off an email offering to create arrangements at no cost to them. One member later hired me to design floral arrangements for the Children's Museum's 25the anniversary gala.
Be sure you update your website to include services for these industries.
Why These Clients Need Your Event Design Services
It is rare for these clients to have a Pinterest board (unless your client is an event planner or PR firm). They are focused on running their business and need a reliable, professional florist to handle this part of their event. Most think in terms of centerpieces only, and it may not occur to them to add additional floral decor throughout the venue to further represent the theme.
It's important to note that each corporate or retail service offers a unique set of opportunities.
Public Relations Firms
Public relations firms work with nonprofits and corporate clients (including retail shop complexes) to advertise, market, and coordinate their events and work closely with various venue managers. They value creative, reliable vendors and are a valuable source of repeat work and referrals.
Retail Shops
Large chains typically have local discretionary funds, i.e., seasonal storefront displays, repeat client gifts, and fashion shows. Some need florists for national brand launchings, and if they are not local, your Instagram hashtag # "YourCity" Florist will help them find you.
Private Boutiques & Bakeries
These businesses could use flowers for window displays, seasonal flowers for their in-store display counters, new product launches, special promo days, outdoor sandwich boards, and/or holiday collaboration gift boxes or packages.
Corporate Clients
Real Estate: You can offer arrangements for open houses, annual holiday parties, large designs for a central reception area, and more. Remember, all of these can lead to subscription services with individual realtors.
Lawyers: Research whether they host annual events and if a milestone corporate anniversary is coming up. That way, when you reach out, you can specifically mention being the floral designer for each of their events.
Banks and Hotels: These businesses often host annual events, provide client gifts, and utilize lobby arrangements. They also frequently sponsor large nonprofit events and can refer your services to them.
Care Homes: This is an excellent opportunity. Not only could you provide reception flowers, holiday décor, and workshops for residents, but you'd also likely be lifting the spirits of the residents there. (Not to mention the annual Bosses Day, Administrative Assistant or Secretary's Day, and employee birthdays.)
Nonprofits: There are countless ways you can serve nonprofits, and it can be multifaceted! You could provide flowers for fundraisers, luncheons, and annual/semi-annual events. A couple of things to note when you're serving nonprofits:
They typically want flower colors to match their brand colors (University of the Pacific orange and black logo colors in the photo to the right)
If you volunteer your services and the nonprofit is registered as a nonprofit with Trader Joes in your area, you should be able to get donated flowers you can use for their events.
Your interest in the mission of a nonprofit can lead to paid services.
You may be wondering why you would volunteer your floral design services for a community event, and I'd like to share a few thoughts from my personal experience to encourage you to do so.
My passion as a florist has been to share with nonprofits that provide housing, food, clothing, medical-dental assistance, and programs focused on people becoming self-sustaining while helping them on the path to healing both body and spirit. As florists, we know the healing power of flowers—the joy and delight that blesses both our recipients and us. Imagine for a moment, the powerful impact flowers have on these individuals, most of whom have never had anyone give them flowers. They are focused daily on the mountains and giants in their life, and then you bring into their challenging world a Mother's Day tea with flowers, flowers on their birthday, a wedding with real bouquets and centerpieces, or mini flower arrangements in tin cans lining the center's dining hall tables. The joy and gratitude, excitement, and wonder frequently come with tears—mine mingled with theirs. I find inspiration in this unlikely community and receive so much more than I give, and I know you will too.
Client: Goodwill
Theme: Star Wars
How to Create for These Clients
There are several things to keep in mind when designing for any retail, nonprofit, or corporate clients.
The Theme
As soon as my client tells me about the event, I immediately begin conjuring up ideas on how to use flowers and décor to tell their story. Countless aspects of a theme shape the design, whether elegant or casual, modern or classic; things like the date or time of day, the venue, the dress code, and more! Florists are incredibly creative problem-solvers, so this is a fantastic opportunity to bring your unique vision to an event that guests will remember!
Celebrating an Honoree
Whether you’re celebrating a male or female honoree may set the tone of the centerpiece style. Discover their passions and the colors and/or flowers they do or do not like, etc. Be sure to include or exclude these items in the event centerpieces. If you can find out what the honoree will be wearing at the event, you can coordinate their corsage or bouquet. Does the planner want a special arrangement at the table where the honoree is sitting? Make sure to ask about these details.
Guest Flow
Ask your client where the guests will first enter (the lobby is a perfect area to set the tone for the theme). Is there a registration table, a cocktail hour, or a stage? These are all opportunities to add flowers or other décor which the client may not have thought about. Approach these areas as a guest would, and add something that will make the first impression. Don't forget the restrooms—both for men and women!
Stage Setup
Ninety-five percent of these types of client events will have a podium for special speakers, etc. Check if they need their logo plaque attached to the podium's front and offer to do so, including greenery and flowers. If it is available during your site visit, check the design for size, ledges, etc.
Cocktail Hour
The time at the beginning of an event is a great way to introduce the theme, and the cocktail tables are so much fun to create and engage the guests! During your site visit, measure and take pictures of the bar area, and if possible, talk to the venue bar manager. Some venues do not want anything on their bars but may be open to the shelving behind the bar. You could also suggest the option of candles and greenery on any low tables by lounge chairs in this area.
Vases, Containers, and Other Hardgoods
Tell your client if the cost of the vases and/or décor is factored into your budget proposal. What can be taken home at the end of the event can often be confusing to guests. During the design phase, have a conversation with your client to develop simple ways of handling centerpieces, vases, and themed décor items that guests can or cannot take, and whether they're free or must be purchased.
As a suggestion, you can use simple small notes with envelopes placed in front of each item stating something such as the following:
Décor item (or centerpiece) is available for purchase at $XX – Please place your donation inside the envelope.
Décor Item Not for Sale
Take Me Home for $____.
Discuss with your client when the emcee should announce information about the centerpieces and décor, etc. If possible, after dinner and before the speakers begin. If left to the end of the event, the emcee might forget or guests could be busy chatting and leaving. Some clients will also ask the emcee to mention your name as the designer of the flowers and décor at this time.
Innovative Creativity: More than Flowers
When beginning your creative process, check with your client for approval to add other décor and/or two to three different styles of centerpieces, which brings interest and allows you to reinforce the theme.
Most guests only see grocery store flowers, so take the extra step of adding at least one unique flower type to each arrangement (reflexed fringed tulips get guests every time!). Guests notice details—a unique design and extra décor on the tables. I guarantee you they will touch the flowers with curiosity and appreciation!
For example, a dual clientele I served, the Child Abuse Prevention Council and Women Walking in Purpose, gave further depth to a fashion show theme: SHOES! Donated fancy high heeled shoes from Dillards' returns and purchases at Goodwill provided over-the-top fun high heels to decorate.
In the weeks before the event I hot-glued silk flowers and moss to dozens of shoes, built a 12-foot tall white lattice column to hide the outdoor venue's center pole, and then attached clear acrylic shelves to hold shoes and purses for a floating effect. I also created a chippy fence board and iron gate entrance piece filled with fresh flowers, ferns, and shoes. Each restroom counter had several decorated shoes on oak rounds and tropical leaves. Each table held a lavender watercolor inspirational quote from admired women in fashion, an ivy topiary, and spring bouquets on purple chiffon runners. Don't be afraid to think outside of the box!
Planning Events With Retail, Nonprofit, and Corporate Clients
"Creativity without discipline and planning is like a river without a riverbank."
—Richard Fineman
Where would a Harvest Moon event lead your imagination? Or the Magic of Music, a Star War's theme, Wine Master's End of Harvest Dinner, or Midsummer's Night Dream?
Do you see the difference in working with this clientele? Exciting, isn't it?! Non-wedding event work is an opportunity to explore the dual role of creative planner and florist! But with so much creative freedom, it's important to nail down a few ideas early in the process. Creative design tells a story, generates feelings in your guests, and moves and inspires them. Part of the creative fun is investing some thoughtful planning into your themes.
Keep these things in mind as you're planning with your client:
Don't get too attached to the first appealing idea you have—it may not work either because of practicality or budget—but as your ideas flow, they will merge into one or two great concepts that you can share with your client through either sketches, a mood board, or a rough mockup. Most of my clients don't ask for anything other than a verbal description, yet some have wanted a full mockup for the board of directors, so it's best to be prepared.
Explain why you think your designs would represent their theme well and fit within their budget.
Put on your florist hat; you may need to educate them on the cost and seasonality of flowers. Don't be afraid to give your opinion, but it's essential to strike a balance between creating "your design" and delivering a design your client is happy with and represents their theme. Your client may even combine their favorite elements from each concept, which will give you valuable insight into their vision for the event. After they approve of the basic idea, you can fully explore the details and surprise them at the event!
Planning early gives you time to order your flowers early, research and order elements in your design, and create what you can ahead of time, which works perfectly in the days between other events.
Research your client's company, history, role in the community. Is sustainability important to them? Share how you offer ways to support this.
Consider each specific design's sketches, labeling each design by number then transferring that number onto a master plan. Note on each sketch what themed hard goods, votives, and/or arrangements will go on each table; if additional greenery, etc, is to be added on-site, even showing each item's specific placement on each table. This will be a great help on the day-of set up, especially if you have help. You may even want to have a clipboard for each helper with the sketches and the master plan to ensure the setup is executed as planned.
Corporate events typically hire a photographer who is solely focused on the guests, honorees, etc., and rarely, when asked, take photos of table décor. I recommend either bartering with or paying for a photographer's hour to take pictures before guests arriving. Always discuss this with your client, so they know your reasons for having a photographer there and don't think they are paying for them.
Enjoy the Freedom to Create!
Each client and each event is so unique, and that's the beauty of this niche! You can create something new every single time!
Even though the look of 2020 and 2021 events have been and continue to be unknown, people are made for relationships. We will always want to gather and celebrate the accomplishments of someone we honor or a milestone in our history. Events will always need florists to tell their story with unique designs and details, creative touches throughout, and fresh, lush flowers guests will love to take home to remember for days to come.
Cherish Your New Connections
Communication, follow-through, and reliability strengthen building relationships within your new niche. But one of the most important is expressing gratitude and appreciation.
Consider writing thank-you notes after each event to your client, taking an arrangement to their office when you have an extra or perhaps drop off a small thank-you gift. Expressing your appreciation throughout the year is not only the right thing to do, but it also tells our clients that what they do makes a difference, which is something we all need to hear.
