Traci Adams, vice president and general manager for Safeway corporate floral in Pleasanton, CA, was named 2012 Floral Marketer of the Year during the Oct. 27 Floral Networking Reception at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit in Anaheim, CA.

MIAMI — A delegation from the Produce Marketing Association’s Floral Council met here Nov. 8 with about 50 floral industry executives seeking members to join this new arm of the PMA exclusively dedicated to floral.

The 2013 Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition is expected to draw more than 6,000 industry professionals to sunny Fort Lauderdale, FL, Jan. 23-25 for the show’s 40th anniversary. The 200,000-square-foot exhibit hall will showcase lush tropical plants and foliage and palm trees soaring 28 feet to the ceiling.

MIAMI — The Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association’s annual Floral Distribution Conference, held here Oct. 24-26, drew close to 800 attendees, breaking a record going back nearly a quarter-century. It also had a sold-out exhibit area with 96 table-top displays, two fully booked airport tours, and a full house in its host hotel, the Doral Trump Resort.

Floral is coming back. Almost five years after the Great Recession officially began, a quarter of floral retailers say sales have bounced back, and nearly half of those retailers said their sales now exceed pre-recession numbers. The results are from a survey recently conducted by the Society of American Florists based on responses from more than 300 retail florists.

Early registration opened Dec. 3 for United Fresh 2013 in San Diego, The United Fresh Produce Association’s annual convention and expo serving all segments of the produce industry. This year’s theme, “Discover Fresh Horizons,” underscores the many opportunities for education, innovation and sales growth in fresh produce at the United Fresh show May 14-16.