The fifth edition of the International Floriculture & Horticulture Trade Fair will be held Nov. 5-7 at Expo Haarlemmermeer in Vijfhuizen, Holland, and exhibit space is fully booked plus there is a waitlist, according to an HPP Exhibitions news release, the expo’s organizers. The IFTF is an industrywide event serving all segments of the floriculture and horticulture trades.

October is Fair Trade Month, a national, annual campaign to bring awareness about why every purchase matters. The Fair Trade Certified label represents products that are both socially and environmentally sustainable.

Jenna Larson, public relations manager at Fair Trade USA in Oakland, CA, told The Produce News that consumers are looking to make a difference with their purchases and over 55 percent of the U.S. population today is aware of the Fair Trade Certified label.

Dia de los Muertos — Day of the Dead — is a religious and cultural event observed in Mexico, and regions with large Hispanic populations, which can be traced back to pre-Columbian, Aztec festivals for the goddess of the underworld. The annual holiday custom has now spread throughout the world, begins Oct. 31, ends Nov. 2, and starts with the gathering of goods to be offered to the dead. Graves are decorated, altars are created, and food is prepared for loved ones who have died.

A group of concerned floral industry veterans announced in a news release that they are forming a new trade association, the Flower Handling Association of North America.

According to a statement from Flower Handling Association of North America Organizing Committee Chairman and spokesman Terry Johnson, “Our mission will be to develop, implement and monitor flower handling standards designed to improve consumer satisfaction with their flower purchases.”

The American Floral Endowment announced in a news release the appointments of new leaders at the Aug. 14 annual fundraising dinner:

• Chairman. Gabriel Becerra, president of Golden Flowers in Miami, FL, begins his role as chairman after eight years as a trustee. In his new role, Becerra will spearhead AFE’s efforts to advance the floral industry through research, scholarships and educational grants.

Thomas Butler, chairman of Teleflora, died Aug. 14 after battling cancer, according to a news release.

Butler joined American Floral Services, based in Oklahoma City, OK, in 1985 as executive vice president and then became the company’s president. In 2000, he led the merger of AFS and Teleflora, and then became its chairman.