See 5,000 Beautiful Flowers in One Room

Experience the magnificent sight and fragrance of more than 5,000 beautiful flowers during one of the floral industry's biggest flower competitions. Dozens of flower growers from across the country and around the world are exhibiting more than 200 types of their best fresh roses, gerberas, freesia, dahlias, amaryllis, proteas, anthuriums, delphiniums, asters, hydrangeas, petunias, lilies, Bells of Ireland, sunflowers, hypericums, lisianthus, statice, bulb flowers, alstroemeria, carnations, chrysanthemums, potted flowering plants, bedding plants and decorative foliage.

Floral Designer from Tampa Wins Grand Prize

Grand Prize Winner Kyle Roberson also won First Place in Sympathy Tribute and Third Place in Centerpiece and Bouquet.

Honorable Mention Winner Wayne Esterle, AIFD, KMF, also won First Place in Centerpiece and Third Place in Sympathy Tribute.

Honorable Mention Winner Roslyn Dodds also won Second Place in Sympathy Tribute and Bridesmaid Bouquet.

Laurie Lemek, AIFD, PFCI, won First Place in Bridesmaid Bouquet.

Oralia Espinoza, AIFD, CFD, TMF, won Second Place in Centerpiece.

Click here to see more pictures from the Sylvia Cup.

A Tampa, Fla. floral designer won the grand prize in the 43rd Annual Sylvia Cup Design Competition on Sept. 23, 2010, during the Society of American Florists 126th Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla.

As grand prize winner, Kyle Roberson, the event designer/buyer for Botanica International Design Studio, received $2,500 and an engraved silver champagne trophy.

“He clearly understands and implements the principles and elements of design on a consistent level and has the ability to enhance, which sets him apart in the contest,” said Jerome Raska, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, CAFA, CF, of Blumz By....JRDesigns in metro Detroit, and chairman of SAF’s Professional Floral Communicators – International, the organization coordinating the competition.

The Sylvia Cup Design Competition is the longest running, live national annual floral design competition. The 2010 Sylvia Cup tested the skills of 17 designers. Among them were winners of state and regional floral industry design contests, serial design competitors, designers of the year and members of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD).

Roberson’s three designs collectively scored the highest. The next two highest scores received honorable mention awards:

• Wayne Esterle, AIFD, KMF, owner of In Bloom Again in Louisville, Ky., and sponsored by the Arkansas Florists Association.
• Roslyn Dodds with Jasmine Creek Florist in El Cajon, Calif., and sponsored by the California State Floral Association

• Centerpiece for a round table of eight for a city’s garden club’s 50th anniversary celebration event
• Sympathy Tribute for a city’s largest arts patron
• Bridesmaid Bouquet

• Roberson won First Place in Sympathy Tribute and Third Place in Centerpiece and Bouquet.
• Esterle won First Place in Centerpiece and Third Place in Sympathy Tribute
• Dodds won Second Place in Sympathy Tribute and Bouquet.
• Laurie Lemek, AIFD, PFCI, of Delaware Valley Floral Group in Cromwell Conn., won First Place in Bouquet.
  
• Second Place in Centerpiece went to Oralia Espinoza, AIFD, CFD, TMF, of Spring Garden Flower Shop in San Antonio, Texas.

• Marie Ackerman, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, vice president of education at Teleflora, Inc., in Oklahoma City, Okla.
• Roger Dennis, AIFD, AAF, PFCI, KMF, director of the Florist and Floral Training Center at the Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky.
• Mandy Majerik, AIFD, PFCI, owner of HotHouse Design Studio in Birmingham, Ala.

The Sylvia Cup Design Competition began in 1967 and is named for Sylvia Valencia, a prominent designer and long-time SAF supporter.

For more information, contact SAF's Jenny Scala at (800) 336-4743 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .