Legacy floral brand FTD has announced that it will once again be hosting the America’s Cup, a design competition aimed at finding the next U.S. florist to compete in the Interflora World Cup. This year, the FTD America's Cup will take place from July 4-8 at the AIFD 2022 National Symposium in Las Vegas. Scheduled to be held at the Caesars Forum, the event will gather ten talented FTD member florists from across the nation to participate in several design challenges. The winner, who will be selected on July 8, will go on to represent the brand and nation at the 2023 Interflora World Cup.
Often dubbed as the Olympics of flower arranging, the Interflora World Cup is considered one of the most prestigious floral design competitions in the globe. The event, which first began in 1972, occurs in a different location every four to six years; it provides a global stage for the best of the best in international floristry to showcase their skills and impress a panel of discerning judges with epic botanical creations. At stakes is a coveted trophy, cash prize and a lifetime of bragging rights as a World Cup champion.
The next World Cup will be hosted by Interflora's British Unit and will take place in Manchester, England from September 7-9, 2023. This is the first time in the competition's history that the event will be held in the United Kingdom.
As we anxiously await the coming of the FTD America's Cup in July (and next year's Interflora World Cup), we can't help but look back on the winner of the last World Cup, Bart Hassam. The Australian native was crowned champion of the 2019 FTD World Cup during the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show, along with first runner-up Natalia Zhizhko from Russia and second runner-up Tamás Mezöffy from Hungary.
Based in Brisbane, Australia, Bart Hassam is a celebrated floral designer, demonstrator and lecturer who regularly travels around the world teaching and sharing his passion for his particular style of floral engineering. With a comprehensive background in commercial floristry, floral art, Sogetsu Ikebana and European design, he seeks to "create beauty through plant material, with elegance and appropriateness—but above all, with a respect for the flower."
Aside from his various roles in floral education, Bart also has extensive experience in the realm of competitive floristry. He has won the Australian Interflora Florist of the Year Competition five times, as well as the 2011 Intercontinental Asia Cup—among several other international competitions. In 2018, he co-created Maison Fleur Floral Design, a trio of luxury floral boutiques in Brisbane that emphasize on elegance, style and seasonal blooms. That same year, Bart was selected to represent Australia at the 2019 FTD World Cup, for which he would eventually be named as the event's winner.
For more information on this developing story, please visit www.FTD.com.
Also, for those attending the 2022 AIFD Symposium in Las Vegas, make sure to sign up for an exclusive design experience with Bart Hassam on July 9. The lecture and hands-on demonstration will illustrate a variety of styles and techniques in a world-class setting. Register by February 1 to save!
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To stay connected with Bart and view more of his work, click on the links below.
Bart Hassam Website | Bart Hassam Instagram | Bart Hassam Facebook | Maison Fleur Website
