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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 29 are one of our best marketing tools. When customers come to our shop and meet us in person via a workshop, they are more likely to buy flowers from us and/or celebrate their weddings and life events using flowers from Stems. To me, boots-on-the-ground marketing is the most effective way to engage authentically with our customers and our community." Currently, Stems is hosting workshops twice a month, but going into 2022, Cameron plans to host weekly workshops, with the focus on its "Stems Signature" workshop—a favorite with the customer base. "We aren't going to offer 'specialty' workshops anymore," she explains, "because we found they didn't truly serve our community in the best manner." ere are exceptions to the rule, however. Cameron shares that she did find much success with holiday wreath and dried flower centerpiece design workshops held in autumn, and she will continue to offer both. She points to the local community's diverse background as a reason for Stems to approach its offerings with great care around approaching holidays. "We want to help them design a product that anybody can enjoy during the holidays they personally celebrate." Perhaps a reflection of its big-city environment and ensuing costs, Cameron says its workshops have all been in the $95 to $115 range. Each Stems workshop includes all the botanical materials, supplies and vessels required to create the advertised design, as well as use of Stems' in-house tools like shears, tape and flower buckets. "Pre-COVID, we would allow folks to pull from a flower bar—no limits—which now seems nuts," Cameron concedes. "First, this wasn't great for the last people coming up to the bar because they ended up with the dregs. Also, it didn't allow for us to educate on why we use each floral item. We now 'recipe' a design and perform a step-by-step tutorial for each attendee so that everyone can create a design that they can be proud of. It also allows us to control costs and overall vision of the arrangement." Before the pandemic, Stems would travel to clients to stage workshops, but today, outside of a few key clients, the company keeps its workshops in house. "We found that operational costs associated with moving outside of our space exacerbates the cost beyond what most of what our customers are willing to pay," Cameron explains, adding, "We had to charge for the additional labor, truck rentals, flower ordering and all the other extra stuff, which really upped the cost." Within its space, Stems workshops have limited participation because of social distancing. "e workshops continue to be quite popular," Cameron says. "We typically host bachelorette parties, baby showers and birthday parties for groups of 10 to 15 people." For florists thinking about offering workshops, Cameron offers, "While staying in house makes the most sense for my business, do what makes sense for you financially and for your own business model." FarmGal Flowers

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