Society of American Florists

What Society of American Florists does

The Society of American Florists (SAF), founded in 1885 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, is the only national trade association representing all segments of the U.S. floral industry. It serves 2,500+ members across retailers, growers, wholesalers, importers, manufacturers, suppliers, educators, and students, providing advocacy before federal policymakers, industry education, networking, and consumer marketing programs. Core products and services include the Floral Education Hub, the Certified Floral Designer (CFD) credential, Floral Management magazine, SAF Classifieds, the Aboutflowers.com consumer site, a mobile app, and the Ask Aster AI consultant trained on SAF's proprietary content library. Convention and event programming (the 141st Annual Convention in 2026, Next Gen LIVE!, the new 1-Day Profit Blast format, and the Petal It Forward nationwide consumer initiative) anchors member engagement. Business model revenue is generated through membership dues across individual and business tiers, paid certification, event registration and sponsorships, advertising in publications and on Aboutflowers.com, classified listings, and partnerships with adjacent vendors such as SimpleTexting, Sustainabloom, and Seed Your Future. As a 501(c) nonprofit, SAF reinvests operating income into advocacy, content production, and workforce development rather than distributing profit.

Name

Society of American Florists

Legal name

Society of American Florists

Website

https://safnow.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1885

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Founded in 1885, the Society of American Florists is the sole national U.S. trade association for the floral industry, serving 2,500+ members across retailers, growers, wholesalers, suppliers, educators, and students through advocacy, certification, education, events, and publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Floral Industry Trade Association Services

NAICS

Florists (45931), Florists (4593)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Flowers, Gifts & Specialty Occasion Marketplaces (CRAFABAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Floral Design & Arrangements (HSACAOAA), Floral & Event Installations (HSACAAAC), Wedding & Bridal Floral (Bouquets, Boutonnieres, Corsages) (HSACAOAJ), Gardening, Lawn & Outdoor Living Distribution (CRAOAFAH), Plants, Seeds & Nursery Retail (Garden Centers) (CRAIAIAB)

Keywords

• Floral industry trade association
• Florist industry advocacy
• Floral industry education
• Floral industry membership
• Floral business resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SAF generates revenue through annual membership fees from retail florists, growers, wholesalers, importers, suppliers, manufacturers, educators, students, and allied organizations across the floral industry. Membership provides access to benefits including the Floral Education Hub, Floral Management magazine, business discounts, legal advice, and networking opportunities.
2. Event Registration and Sponsorships: Revenue from Annual Convention, 1-Day Profit Blast, Congressional Action Days, Next Gen LIVE!, and virtual events including registration fees and corporate sponsorships from industry suppliers and manufacturers.
3. Publications and Advertising: Floral Management magazine generates advertising revenue from floral industry suppliers, manufacturers, and service providers. The publication covers progressive business trends, shop management tactics, marketing strategies, product quality, and design trends.
4. Classifieds and Marketplace: SAF Classifieds provides a marketplace for floral industry listings including business services, employment, shop for sale, equipment, and other industry-related categories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Society of American Florists is a nonprofit national trade association that delivers membership-based services to the U.S. floral industry, including federal advocacy, industry education through the Floral Education Hub, the Floral Management magazine, the Ask Aster AI consultant, professional certifications, and nationwide networking events. It also operates consumer-facing programs such as the Aboutflowers.com website, the National Florist Directory, and the Petal It Forward initiative to drive floral demand.

Product overview

The Society of American Florists operates a multi-faceted member services platform connecting retailers, wholesalers, growers, and suppliers across the U.S. floral industry. The core product ecosystem includes Ask Aster (AI-powered business consultant), the Floral Education Hub (online learning), Floral Management Magazine (industry publication), SAF Classifieds (marketplace), the SAF Mobile Application, and Aboutflowers.com (consumer channel). Programs include Petal It Forward nationwide initiative, annual events (Annual Convention, 1-Day Profit Blast, Congressional Action Days, Next Gen LIVE!), awards/certifications (AAF, PFCI, Marketer of the Year), competitions (Sylvia Cup Design, Outstanding Varieties), the SAF News Now podcast, and member resources including health benefits research and tariff guidance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aboutflowers.com: Consumer-facing website hosted by SAF providing flower information, florist directory search, health benefits research, and holiday guides.
• SAF News Now
• SAF Health Benefits Research

Products and services

• Ask Aster AI Business Consultant SAF's AI-powered business consultant designed exclusively for floral professionals. Aster delivers practical guidance on real-world challenges and is trained exclusively on SAF's trusted publications, articles, resources, and courses — ensuring advice is accurate, relevant, and grounded in the realities of the floral business.
• Floral Education Hub Online learning platform providing floral industry education including profitability and finance, sustainability, consumer and design trends, staff recruitment and retention, sales and marketing, and operations courses.
• Floral Management Magazine Monthly industry publication covering progressive business trends, shop management tactics, online marketing strategies, product quality, and design trends. Available in print and digital editions with advertising opportunities for industry suppliers.
• SAF Classifieds Premier classifieds platform for the floral industry featuring categories including business services, floral shop for sale, employment, software and POS systems, equipment, and wedding/event services.
• SAF Annual Convention SAF's flagship annual convention bringing together 400+ floral professionals for networking, education, Outstanding Varieties Competition, and Sylvia Cup Design Competition. The 141st event is scheduled for August 18-20, 2026 in Amelia Island.
• 1-Day Profit Blast Focused one-day event delivering practical business strategies for floral professionals.
• Congressional Action Days Annual advocacy event bringing floral professionals to Washington D.C. to engage with legislators on industry issues.
• Next Gen LIVE! Event and resources targeting next-generation floral industry professionals.
• American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) Certification Professional certification recognizing excellence in the floral industry, awarded to distinguished floral industry professionals.
• Professional Floral Communicators – International (PFCI) Certification Professional certification for floral industry communicators who demonstrate excellence in sharing industry knowledge and expertise.
• Sylvia Cup Design Competition Annual floral design competition held during the Annual Convention, recognizing outstanding floral design talent in the industry.
• Outstanding Varieties Competition Annual competition recognizing outstanding flower varieties and cultivars in the floral industry.
• Petal It Forward Program Nationwide initiative started in 2015 that encourages floral businesses to participate in random acts of kindness by giving away flowers to surprise strangers. The goal is to have floral businesses participate in all 50 states, with annual events typically held in October.
• Aboutflowers.com Consumer Website Consumer-facing website promoting flowers, featuring flower information, health benefits research, holiday guides, wedding planning, home decorating tips, and a florist directory search.
• National Florist Directory Directory service allowing consumers to find SAF member florists nationwide for flower delivery and services.
• SAF News Now Podcast Podcast channel on Spotify featuring floral industry insights, newsletter articles, expert perspectives, and timely updates for floral professionals.
• Marketer of the Year Award Annual award recognizing outstanding marketing achievements in the floral industry.
• Floral Greens Farmers Partnership Image Library Partnership providing SAF members with free access to high-resolution floral images paired with recipes for use in marketing, websites, and social media. Members can update their promotional materials with polished, ready-to-use floral photography.
• Tariff Resource Package Resources helping members understand and navigate tariff-related issues affecting the floral industry.
• Health Benefits Research Collection of research studies on the emotional and behavioral benefits of flowers and plants, including workplace productivity, stress reduction, senior citizens, and emotional impact studies.
• SAF Mobile Application Mobile application providing members access to SAF resources, with capabilities including device identifier collection, push notification delivery, crash and diagnostic logging, and optional location, camera, photo library, and contacts access for member authentication and service delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ floral professionals expected to attend 141st Annual Convention 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Seed Your FuturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAF is a founding partner of Seed Your Future, a national workforce development initiative focused on promoting horticulture and floral industry careers to young people. The initiative addresses industry workforce challenges by building awareness of career opportunities in the floral and horticulture sectors.
• Floral Greens Farmers of FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing SAF members with free access to high-resolution floral images paired with recipes for use in marketing, websites, and social media. Members can update their promotional materials with polished, ready-to-use floral photography.
• SustainabloomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAF supports the Sustainabloom certification program, a sustainability initiative for the floral industry. SAF publishes annual Sustainability Spotlights showcasing member companies committed to environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
• Floral Industry Supply GuideminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSAF provides members access to the Ultimate Floral Industry Supply Guide, a comprehensive supplier database helping members find vendors for equipment, supplies, packaging, and other business needs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Florint: International federation of florist trade associations (primarily European). Comparable industry-association mission and member categories to SAF but operates in a different geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of REALTORS (NAR): Large U.S. member-based trade association with a comparable dues + advocacy + education + publication + event revenue model. Useful structural parallel even though industry differs.
• American Farm Bureau Federation: Largest U.S. agricultural trade association. Highly analogous governance, dues, federal-advocacy, and convention-driven business model, applied across agriculture rather than floral specifically.
• National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP): U.S. trade association for the landscape and lawn-care industry with adjacent horticulture focus. Comparable membership-association model and partially overlapping supplier base.
• International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA): Large, established trade association for the broader fresh-produce industry, which includes cut flowers among its commodities. A larger incumbent operating in an adjacent space with overlapping supply-chain membership.

Others

• 1-800-Flowers.com: Major consumer-facing floral and gifting retailer that competes directly with SAF's retail florist members. Industry participant and member of the floral ecosystem, not a peer association but a critical competitive reference point.
• Teleflora: Floral-industry wire-service network connecting retail florists. Operates within the same ecosystem SAF represents — comparable end-customers and supplier relationships — but as a commercial intermediary rather than a membership body.

Direct peers

• AmericanHort: National trade association for the U.S. horticulture industry, including greenhouse, nursery, and garden-retail segments. Closest sector-overlap peer to SAF, representing adjacent but overlapping industry verticals.
• Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association (WF&FSA): Trade association specifically for wholesale florists and floral-industry suppliers. Most direct industry-segment peer to SAF's wholesale/importer membership.
• Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG): U.S. association for cut-flower growers, education, and research. Directly comparable membership model and industry-segment focus to SAF's grower constituency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/safdelivers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/safvision
• Facebookfacebook.com/SocietyofAmericanFlorists
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-of-american-florists
• Instagraminstagram.com/societyofamericanflorists

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Society of American Florists