Posted by I.S. Sundries on 7th Oct 2026

PULSE Newsletter Issue 15

This week we’re looking back at a brilliant weekend at FleurEx 2026, where we showcased the I.S. Sundries range and caught up with florists from across the industry. We also bring you floral success at Fleurs de Villes DIANA, an exciting opportunity at Chichester Cathedral, and a new European campaign highlighting the feel-good benefits of houseplants.

The floristry industry descended on Nottingham last weekend as FleurEx 2026 returned to the East Midlands Conference Centre for two packed days of flowers, creativity, competitions, new products and plenty of catching up.

Organised by the British Florist Association, the annual event on the 3rd and 4th of October brought together florists, designers, students, growers and suppliers from across the industry. Alongside the busy trade exhibition, visitors could watch live demonstrations, take part in workshops and explore interactive areas including The Flower Lab and The Plant Lab.

And, of course, we were there too!

We took over Stand 17 with a selection designed to show just how broad the I.S. Sundries range has become. With 1,000s of product lines available online, squeezing everything onto one exhibition stand was never going to happen, so we brought along a cross-section of products covering the everyday essentials florists rely on as well as some of the more decorative and seasonal lines.

From tools, ribbons, wrapping and florist essentials to containers, glassware, decorative accessories and much more, it was great to see visitors discovering products they perhaps didn't realise we stocked.

One of the real strengths of FleurEx is the variety of businesses it brings together. The wider exhibition brought fresh flowers, sundries and business services together under one roof, giving florists the chance to discover products and suppliers from right across the trade.

Away from the exhibition stands, there was plenty happening throughout the weekend. Saturday saw the UK Florist of the Year live final, before the industry came together for the BFA Industry Awards in the evening. Sunday continued with demonstrations, workshops and creative competitions open to florists of different experience levels.

For us, though, one of the best parts of the weekend was simply getting the opportunity to talk to florists.

Online ordering makes buying sundries quicker and easier, but nothing quite replaces meeting customers face-to-face. We had some brilliant conversations over the two days, caught up with existing customers and met plenty of florists who were discovering I.S. Sundries for the first time.

It was also a useful opportunity for us to hear directly about what florists are looking for, the products they're using regularly and the challenges facing their businesses. Those conversations are incredibly valuable and help us continue developing the range and the service we offer.

After two very busy days, we came away reminded just how much creativity, knowledge and enthusiasm there is within the UK floristry industry.

A huge thank you to everyone who visited us. Whether you came for a proper look around, asked us about a product, won a prize on our spinning wheel or simply stopped for a chat, it was lovely to meet you. And if you didn't manage to see everything on our stand, that's probably because we couldn't fit it all on there!

We were proud to be named a finalist for Sundries Supplier of the Year, alongside Smithers-Oasis UK and Westflor. We didn't take the trophy home this time but send our congratulations to winner Westflor. Thank you to every florist who nominated us and voted for us.

A team from the British Florist Association has won Best in Show at Fleurs de Villes DIANA, the world-premiere floral exhibition at Somerset House in London. BFA Board Director Donna Cornish HDF, Nicola Armstrong of The Bloom Room and Kerrie Raines of The Flower House made Fashion for a Cause, a floral mannequin based on an Emanuel evening gown Diana wore in 1986. Diana later chose that dress for her 1997 Christie's charity auction, which raised millions for cancer and AIDS charities.

The show features 15 fresh floral mannequins by British designers, each inspired by a moment from Diana's public life, and its themes include her work on HIV/AIDS, cancer care and landmines. Other BFA members won awards too. BLÜM Floral won Most Creative and C Taylors Floristry won Most Realistic. Tom Brown Wholesale sponsored the event and supplied the fresh and dried flowers.

Chichester Cathedral has started looking for a creative designer to lead its 2028 Festival of Flowers. The five-day festival runs every two years in June. The 30th-anniversary festival in 2026 drew more than 11,000 visitors, used over 50,000 blooms in more than 60 displays and raised over £175,000 for the cathedral's restoration and upkeep.

Caroline Daines of Nordic Twigs led the 2026 festival with the theme "Nature's Embrace". Earlier festival designers include Hannah Howell of Whimsy Flowers and John Brookes MBE. Alison George, the cathedral's Director of Fundraising, said they want someone to "bring their own creative vision to 2028… while continuing to explore sustainability, British-grown flowers and opportunities to inspire the next generation of floral talent".

Expressions of interest close on 12 October 2026. Details are on the Chichester Cathedral website. Why it matters: a role like this can define a career. It also shows that large heritage flower festivals still back the craft.

The Plants & Flowers Foundation Holland has launched "Feel the Plant Effect", a campaign running for several years in the UK, Netherlands, Germany and France. It promotes houseplants as a way to feel calmer and better day to day. The campaign will run on billboards, smart TV, video ads, magazines and influencer partnerships. In the UK, the foundation is putting plants into a football club's changing room.

"We want plants to have a natural place in the daily lives of millions of Europeans. Not as decoration, but as something that genuinely contributes to calm," said Monique Kemperman, Lead PR & Events at PFFH. Businesses in the sector can download a free toolkit here with campaign videos, a poster and ready-made social posts.

Mon 12 October 2026 - Deadline for expressions of interest: Chichester Cathedral 2028 Festival Designer (https://www.chichestercathedral.org.uk/festival-flowers-2028-festival-designer-expression-interest)

13–14 October 2026 - Flower farming and cut flower design workshops, Common Farm Flowers

Sat 31 October 2026 - Halloween. Gourds, pumpkins and dark-toned designs

Late October 2026 - Fresh Christmas wreath production starts at UK growers

Now → mid-November - Lock in Christmas sundries: ribbon, wreath frames, dried and preserved stems, containers

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