AIFD News > AIFD Announces 2007 AES Results

(Baltimore, MD) — Forty-three of 111 candidates who participated in the American Institute of Floral Designers' (AIFD) Accreditation Evaluation Session (AES) in Palm Springs, CA, were successful in their quest, it was announced by AIFD today.
Held July 5 immediately prior to AIFD's acclaimed National Symposium, the AES provides the Institute a forum in which candidates seeking to become Accredited Members of AIFD can be evaluated based on ten points of professional floral design including mechanics, balance, color, theme, line and creativity.

The candidates who were successful in their AES evaluations will be inducted as members of AIFD during the 2008 Symposium which will be held in Chicago, IL, July 3-8.

"To receive the AIFD accreditation is a very prestigious honor awarded only to those who are able to achieve a successful AES evaluation and who have indicated their desire to help promote the art of professional floral design," noted Tom Simmons AIFD
of Palm Springs, Calif., the president of the Institute. "AIFD has high standards, and even though we are very anxious to grow membership, we will never lower the standards we have set for Accredited Membership. AIFD strives to hold the bar high and motivate designers to achieve that mark."

During an AIFD AES, candidates are provided all their flowers and materials and are given four hours to create five designs (funeral, base arrangement, flowers-to-wear, bridal, and designer's choice). The specific type of design for each of these categories, i.e., standing easel in the funeral category, is not made known to the candidates until right before they begin their designing. The candidates are also unaware of what flowers and materials they will be provided.

AIFD's influence in the floral industry is felt worldwide as is indicative of the 43 candidates who were successful in their AES evaluations: 29 were from the U.S., 8 from Korea, 2 from Mexico, 2 from Canada, and 1 from Indonesia and Puerto Rico.

The US state adding the largest group to AIFD were California with fifteen. Arizona followed with three.

For further information on AIFD's Accreditation process please click here.

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Juan Roberto Rivera Almaguer
Rivguer's Diseno y Arte Floral
Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico

Elizabeth Cristina Nunez Yepez
Fiorissima Internacional
Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico

Juan Roberto Rivera Almaguer
Rivguer's Diseno y Arte Floral
Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico

Elizabeth Cristina Nunez Yepez
Fiorissima Internacional
Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico