Short Course News And More

The floriculture industry came together in Columbus, Ohio, earlier this month for the 2006 OFA Short Course, sponsored by OFA – an Association of Floriculture Professionals. Short Course took place July 8-11 at the Columbus Convention Center. Attendees came from nearly 30 countries to visit more than 1,330 trade show booths and attend more than 120 educational sessions.

Some of the highlights from this year’s meeting include a Consumer Buzz Live panel discussion where consumers discussed their impressions of the floriculture industry and a Grower Town Hall meeting where experts addressed pricing challenges facing the industry. Two grower tours and a garden center tour also took place.

Jody Brown-Spivey, OCF, Expressions Floral Design Studio, Columbus, Ohio, was the winner of this year’s OFA Florist Design Contest. The first runner-up was Linda Zoerb of La Crosse Floral, La Crosse, Wis.

This year also marked the debut of Unplugged at Short Course – a networking event attended by nearly 250 young industry professionals. The event included a band, food, drinks and prize giveaways.

A CD-ROM featuring most of the OFA Short Course sessions is now available. Call (800) 679-3646 to purchase the CD.

Board Appointments

During Short Course, OFA also announced that five new directors were elected to the OFA board and two others were reappointed to the board. Doug Cole, D.S. Cole Growers, Loudon, N.H. was re-elected OFA president and Bobby Barnitz, Bob’s Market & Greenhouses, Mason, W.V. was re-elected vice president.

Elected to the OFA board of directors was Lisa Graf, Graf Growers, Akron, Ohio; Cathy Kowalczyk, Willoway Nurseries, Avon, Ohio; Peter Konjoian, Konjoian Greenhouses Andover, Mass.; Beth Mills, Carlisle Flower Cart, Carlisle, Ohio; and Kerstin Ouellet, Pen & Petal, Fallbrook, Calif.

The board also re-appointed Jim Broderick, Plantland Garden Centers, Columbus, Ohio, as OFA treasurer and John R. Holmes, CAE, was re-appointed OFA executive director.

OFA Web Site Update

A little more than one month after the www.ofa.org domain name was hijacked by a foreign entity, OFA announced last week it had gotten the domain back. You can now access OFA and Short Course information at www.ofa.org.

However, if you continue to visit the www.ofanet.org, you will be redirected to www.ofa.org. Watch for a future OFA Bulletin article about OFA’s experience and steps you can take to protect your own company’s domain name.

The OFA staff also has their original E-mail addresses back (i.e., jholmes@ofa.org). E-mails sent to the www.ofanet.org accounts will be delivered to staff as well.