BRITISH FLORIST ASSOCIATION (BFA)

The British Florist Association is the only trade association in the florist industry that is recognised by Government both here and in Brussels. As the exclusive UK member of FEUPF, the European Federation of Florist Associations, the BFA is recognised as the ‘voice of the industry’ representing nearly 6,500 florists.

Although recognised by the Government, the BFA is not government funded, and rely on membership subscriptions for funding.

While commercial matters are top of the list in terms of activity, training is an essential ingredient of the BFA service mix and it is currently working on bringing the only officially recognised European Masters Degree into the UK ... a move that will see the introduction of the highest level of floristry qualification available.

HelpLine
The most important part of the BFA service is the manned help line which operates from their West Midlands based secretariat. Whatever the question the team of advisors and members will aim to give an instant answer … be it a question of salary structures or legal issues. And if they don’t know the answer (unlikely but not impossible!) they'll find a man or woman who does and get back to you.

Hub Meetings
Free to BFA members these regional hub meetings are an opportunity for florists to chat and network with others in their area.  Evenings are held once a month in different parts of the country and include both a business and design element.

Conference
The annual conference is a chance for florists to mix, mingle and share ideas that can help both their businesses and their customers.  Set for 25th & 26th October, Conference 2008 will once again combine business with design in an exciting programme guaranteed to send delegates back to their shop with practical ideas for the busy season ahead.

Competitions
As the only UK trade association for florists recognised in Europe, the BFA is responsible for finding contestants for all the major European design competitions.   Conference 07 saw the final of the BFA Young Florist of the Year to find the UK representative for Eurofleurs 2008, and the winner attended Eurofleurs in Belgium.

Past contestants have included David Denyer … who went on to win the World Championships in Australia in September 04 and Mike Saunders … one of the UK’s top wedding designers.

FloriGuard and BFA

Bridge Insurance Brokers Ltd, the providers of FloriGuard are the only insurance provider endorsed by the BFA and offer exclusive discounts to BFA members. BFA FloriGuard Insurance is the official insurance brand for insurance for BFA members. Click here to read our joint FloriGuard/BFA press release.

If you would like a quotation for the BFA FloriGuard Insurance Scheme, click here