Story from Florist's Review - by David Coake
In the first of what is sure to become one of the most prestigious design contests and coveted awards in our industry, floral designers from across the United States competed in one of two preliminary competitions that yielded the contestants for the premiere The Sun Valley Cup. The new flower arrangement contest was held July 20 in Arcata, Calif., during the 22nd Annual Open House of The Sun Valley Group-North America's largest cut flower grower. The contest was one of the most popular events during the Open House, which is a festive community-wide event for residents of Arcata and surrounding areas as well as Sun Valley employees and their families.
The two preliminary design contests from which the contestants in The Sun Valley Cup were selected are:
" a mail-in photo competition, in which U.S. and Canadian designers can enter two images of their finest creations anytime from January through mid-May
" The Sun Valley Annual Open House Design Competition, where designers enter floral compositions on site at Sun Valley's main facilities in Arcata.
Three finalists were selected in the mail-in contest, each of whom received an expenses-paid trip to compete in The Sun Valley Cup with the "Best of Show" winner of the Open House Design Competition.
The 2008 Finalists
The three top scorers in the mail-in photo contest, each of whom were required to design a bridal bouquet and a wedding reception centerpiece featuring Sun Valley flowers, were Kelly Acock, The Monarch Flower Company, Lee's Summit, Mo.; Curtis Graham, Radford City Florist, Radford, Va.; and Coby Neal, AIFD, The Flower Studio, Austin, Texas.
Joining this trio in The Sun Valley Cup was Kris Chorbi, Eureka Florist & Gifts, Eureka, Calif., whose bridesmaid's bouquet earned the top honor in the Open House Design Contest.
And the Winner is ...
In this year's Sun Valley Cup, the four finalists each had 30 minutes to design a bridal bouquet from an overwhelming assortment of beautiful Sun Valley flowers. The design-off took place in front of a live audience of fellow florists and the public. Taking the top prize, and winning the 2008 Sun Valley Cup, was Coby Neal, AIFD.
Judging this year's contests were Sandra Bertram, AIFD, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, Calif.; Darlene Montgomery, Shasta College, Redding, Calif.; and David Coake, Florists' Review Enterprises, Topeka, Kan. The contest was orchestrated by Sun Valley team members Cindy Cabeceira and Kevin Hooper, who also emceed the event.
The four finalists competing in The 2008 Sun Valley Cup on July 20 were, from left to right, Kelly Acock, The Monarch Flower Company, Lee's Summit, Mo.; Curtis Graham, Radford City Florist, Radford, Va.; and Coby Neal, AIFD, The Flower Studio, Austin, Texas; and Kris Chorbi, Eureka Florist & Gifts, Eureka, Calif.
Kris Chorbi, Eureka Florist & Gifts, Eureka, Calif., receives the "Best of Show" honor in The Sun Valley Annual Open House Design Competition-one of two preliminary contests leading up to The Sun Valley Cup-from Lane DeVries, president and CEO of The Sun Valley Group, the largest cut flower growing operation in North America.
Watch for details on The 2009 Sun Valley Cup, beginning in January 2009, in the pages of Florists' Review and on either companies' Web sites, www.tsvg.com and www.floristsreview.com.
PHOTOS:
Coby Neal, AIFD, co-owner of The Flower Studio in Austin, Texas, was the winner of The 2008 Sun Valley Cup, shown on the right with his winning bridal bouquet and with Lane DeVries and the Sun Valley Cup trophy.
The four finalists' bridal bouquets are shown in the slideshow on tsvg.com.
Kelly Acock, The Monarch Flower Company, Lee's Summit, Mo.; Curtis Graham, Radford City Florist, Radford, Va.; and Kris Chorbi, Eureka Florist & Gifts, Eureka, Calif.
