The World Flower Council was established 36 years ago in Gifu, Japan, to unite florists in an effort to promote world peace through the beauty of flowers.

After a 14-year break, the World Flower Council’s (WFC) annual summit was held in Indonesia for the second time.

Maya Solichin, head of the Indonesian chapter of the WFC, said that when she took up the task of arranging the WFC summit in Bali in September, she knew it was not going to be easy.

“I approached many florists in Jakarta, as I knew more people in the city, to ask them to support the summit, but many of them refused to join in,” she said.

She then tried her luck in Bali. It was her network that helped her put everything in place.

“I approached Dina Touwani, a well-reputed wedding decorator, and she was very eager to make the summit happen. Then the owner of the biggest flower wholesaler Merry Anwar followed suit.”

Djafar was hired as a choreographer for the shows and Innayat Khubchandani of event organizer Innaz Communique volunteered his services to organize and manage the four-day event.  Thirty models were also hired.

It took her 14 months to organize the WFC’s 36th annual summit.

Flower campaign: A model walks the runway during the World Flower Council’s 36th annual summit in Bali. The organization has members in more than 40 countries and consists of floral professionals in all fields of the industry.

The first day kicked off with a dinner on the beach for guests who flew thousands miles for the summit. Delegates hailed from Australia, China, India, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Pakistan, Peru, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.  The dinner was creatively arranged with a variety of Indonesian dishes and music.

The next day, the delegates took a trip to Sekar Bumi Farm, where they were greeted and welcomed by dancers before being given a chance to view 200 types of flowers on the 15-hectare property.

Guests were also treated with an array of flower arrangements created by several delegates at the summit, followed by a floral fashion show.

Later in the evening, the delegates “flower dressed” their own models — under the theme “Indonesia to the World” to showcase the country’s flowers.

“It is sad many Indonesians prefer imported flowers, especially for wedding decorations, when our country has an abundance of different species. Many of our flowers are export quality,” Maya said.

A number of delegates showcased their talents, using flowers and leaves from Indonesia and giving their designs a touch of their own local flavor. A delegate from the Philippines, for instance, used fans and flowers to make a skirt for her model.

Bridal flower arrangement created by Phubast Chesdmethee

A workshop was conducted on the final day by Phubast Chesdmethee, the WFC’s vice chairman for the Asia Pacific region. He showed off his flower arrangement and bouquet masterpieces.

The night was closed with a gala dinner where the venue was decorated with a plethora of greenery, from the doorway to backstage, with a big tumpeng (cone-shaped serving of yellow rice accompanied by assorted side dishes) cut on stage while smaller tumpeng were served to the guests.

The delegates were also treated to a fashion show featuring pieces from renowned Indonesian accessory designer Rinaldy A. Yunardi combined with flower arrangements.

The international chairman of the WFC, R. Lynn Hoffman, said the organization was established 36 years ago in Gifu, Japan, to unite florists in an effort to promote world peace through the beauty of flowers.

The organization has members in more than 40 countries and consists of floral professionals in all fields of the industry, from growers to retail florists, wholesale florists, educators, floral designers and authors as well as nonprofessional flower lovers. 

“We do this through our strong bond of friendship, uniting cultures of different people around the world. Here we share our joy and passion, knowledge and skill through floral designs,” he said.

“Floral arranging is an art form and has nothing to do with gender, all you need is a passion.” (ste)

Flower power: A model showcases accessories designed by Rinaldy A. Yunardi and a flower arrangement created by Inneke Turangan during the World Flower Council’s 36th annual summit in Bali.

— Photos by Aruna Harjani