"It are the end consumers who keep the floral industry alive, all other stages in the chain exist thanks to them. If we manage to make them more curious about the world of flowers, that's a win for the entire industry." To this end, Stefan Adrian Gamalie decided to organize the Artestry World of Flowers Fesitval in Bucharest, Romania. The first edition was in 2023 and this year was its second edition. In this article, he tells why he thinks that this educational concept can help boost the floral sector in Romania and beyond.
Informing the industry
The Artestry World of Flowers has two goals, he says. Informing industry members and highlight the potential of floral influencers. Stefan Adrian: "I try to address all niches including producers, distributors and florists, showing them the diversity of the sector and the versatility of flowers. In this way, I try to explain that the world is always bigger than the world that we just live in." When doing so he pays special attention to the online world, that's what the 'e' in Artestry refers to, he adds. "Thanks to digitalization we have access to a wealth of information, we have to recognize trends and adapt to them to meet customer demand."
Taking the culinary industry as an example
The second goal of the festival is to draw attention to influencers' ability to popularize flowers among the general public. Being the son of a father who had a culinary career, Stefan Adrian is inspired by the way in which personalities like Jamie Oliver and Gordan Ramsay added fresh impetus to the culinary industry. "They educated customers about culinary art, and this developed restaurants from across the globe. I want to implement something similar for the floral industry," he explains.
Stefan Adrian points to the work of ByMusho, Stefan van Berlo, and Klaus Wagener, saying: "They are great floral designers who show the diversity and possibilities of flower and plants. Their inspirational activities are well-known in the floral industry but less so among flower shops and end-consumers. We invited them to the Artestry of World Flowers Festival to increase their visibility."
Romania and beyond
According to Stefan Adrian, the growth potential of the Romanian market should not be overlooked. "Romania is one of the richest countries in South-East Europe with 20 million habitants and a growing economy. The flower market is very active with a vibrant community because many Romanians still buy flowers in flower shops rather than in groceries or hypermarkets. Flowers are mainly bought for holidays and special occasions, and there is quite some demand for higher-quality flowers."
For now, Stefan Adrian focuses on expanding the Artestry World of Flowers Festival in Romania, but his ambitions stretch further. "I need to find enough partners so that this event grows and popularizes floral designers. However, at a later stage I hope to export his concept to the rest of Europe and other parts of the world," he concludes.
For more information:
Artestry World of Flowers Festival
Stefan Adrian Gamalie, founder
Tel: + 40 735 877 107
Email: [email protected]
www.artestry.ro