9:00AM - 11:30AM
FREESIA Summit Virtual Workshop with Gregor Lersch

*FULL REGISTRATION Attendees ONLY

Enjoy 2.5 Hours of Demonstration and Workshop-Style Presentation from Master Florist, Gregor Lersch of Germany. Gregor will discuss and demonstrate techniques he uses and focuses on when thinking about sustainable floristry. LIVE Q&A with students throughout this engaging and interactive session.

11:45AM - 5:15PM
Day One Programming

*FULL REGISTRATION & STANDARD REGISTRATION Attendees

Enjoy 5.5 Hours of Programming with our lineup of Day One Speakers. Each session will finish with 10-15min of LIVE Q&A with our speakers to answer your questions! Finalized timeslots and individual presentation information will be updated as it’s available.

Day 1, 12:00PM - 1:00PM
Susan McLeary - ‘Embracing Ephemera’

LIVE Design Demonstration/Presentation with Susan McLeary (@passionflowersue). Followed by Live Audience Q&A.

‘When I found floral design, it appealed to me instantly because it offered a way to fuse many of my lifelong interests. Through this medium, I can express my reverence for nature, my love of fashion and accessory design, my love of entertaining, and my various artful leanings. 

Floristry allowed a way to take these somewhat disparate passion threads and weave them together.

Because of my jewelry making hobby and life-long love of fashion, I was drawn to the small-scale handiwork aspect of floristry first.  I saw corsages, boutonnieres, crowns and other wearables as little works of art that would allow me to express myself, but also capture the attention of the public and make them fall in love with flowers like I had. I also love that these pieces are fleeting- they are meant to celebrate a specific moment in time. They cause us to slow down, pause, and appreciate the beauty of the moment. This fascination led to lots of exploration and testing of longevity, resiliency, structure, and various mechanics. As I tested and tweaked, my approach to wearables began to influence my other work, namely the large-scale installations I make for weddings and editorials. I began to see these pieces as “corsages for a room.” Like wearables, they are only meant to last the length of an event. They celebrate a specific moment in time, then are deconstructed and composted. This realization opened up a freedom in my approach to installations and a new fascination was born. For the Freesia Summit, I will share my approach to sustainable large-scale compositions. I will focus on reusable and compostable materials and my "nine floral layers" approach to design. It’s my honor to share my point of view and participate in pushing sustainable floristry forward.’

Day 1, 2:00PM - 3:00PM
Hitomi Gilliam AIFD - Steps to Clean Designing: The Honest Truth about Sustainable Floristry

LIVE Sustainability Demonstration/Presentation with FREESIA Summit Host, Hitomi Gilliam AIFD. Followed by Live Audience Q&A. More info coming soon.

Day 1, 1:00PM - 2:00PM
Dr. James DelPrince PhD AIFD, Dr. Coleman Etheredge PhD CFD, & Elizabeth Englebretson

‘Celebrate/Elevate/Educate Floral Design Teaching: Sustainability’

MSU Sustainability Short Course Summary Presentation, led by Dr. James DelPrince PhD AIFD, Dr. Coleman Etheredge PhD CFD, & Elizabeth Englebretson. Followed by Live Audience Q&A.

‘Teachers and students in US Floral Design courses are becoming concerned about the effects of commercial floristry, including its products and practices, within the environment. As teachers and professional florists, we should address these concerns with research-based data and best practices information to keep our learning programs current and valid to engage future generations.

MSU Extension held a week-long online certificate short course for teachers of floral design to expand their knowledge and practices in sustainable floristry. This course added to theory based upon two previous short courses in floristry teacher education. Students gained knowledge in lecture and demonstrations on pre-plastics floristry, consumer perceptions of floral products, green floristry practices including composting, excessive consumer plastic use, sustainable design systems classification, plastic product alternatives, sustainable floristry practice theory, and green burials.

We look forward to sharing a summary of these topics and the extensive research that went into each, as well as findings and discussions that were made during our Sustainability Short Course.’

Day 1, 4:00PM - 5:00PM
Felicia Kang, Winner of the FREESIA 100% Organic Hand-Tied Bouquet Challenge

LIVE Design Demonstration/Presentation with Felicia Kang, winner of the FREESIA ‘100% Hand-Tied Bouquet’ Challenge. Followed by Live Audience Q&A.

Day 1, 3:00PM - 4:00PM
Lawrence Kwong, Winner of the FREESIA Living Plant Design Challenge

LIVE Design Demonstration/Presentation with Lawrence Kwong, winner of the FREESIA ‘Living Plant Design’ Challenge. Followed by Live Audience Q&A.