By Jason Vaughan, WF&FSA Communications Manager

Blue skies and warm breezes welcomed members of the Wholesale Florist and Florist Supplier Association for their 2022 Floral Distribution Conference (FDC). On March 7-9, nearly 600 people met at Miami’s Doral resort for three days of networking and forging new business relationships. The 2022 event marked the second in-person gathering for the association, with the packed exhibit hall and arrival of international members reflecting a return to business as usual.

The Bloom Show & Flowers & Cents has covered the WFFSA event in detail in three episodes. The Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association’s 2022 Floral Distribution Conference (FDC) was held in Miami, FL, from March 7th to 9th. The theme was “Breaking Boundaries, Bridging Divides” and brought floral industry leaders together for three days of networking and education.

The Kroger Co. and NVIDIA announced a strategic collaboration to reimagine the shopping experience using AI-enabled applications and services.

The two companies will build a state-of-art AI lab and demonstration center to expand Kroger’s freshness initiatives, improve shipping logistics and create a better shopping experience in stores through digital twin simulations — virtual models designed to accurately reflect store layouts and other operations.

Prima Wawona, a fully integrated stone fruit company, has completed a major rebranding: an updated logo, new website launch and new packaging.

Buoyed by a hot market, California avocado growers started picking their 2022 crop earlier than expected. By the end of March, they will have already shipped about 20 percent of their expected volume for the season.

PEAKfreshUSA reaffirmed its continuing commitment to environmental stewardship with a new product available by request that enhances landfill biodegradation. “Consumer demand increases every year for sustainability,” said Greg Ganzerla, president and CEO of Lake Forest, CA-based PEAKfreshUSA. The new product will add another innovative offering to PEAKfresh’s catalog of packaging.