Funeral directors in Texas will hear directly from florists about sympathy flowers, design trends and why "in lieu of flowers" is so problematic for the floral industry next month at the Texas Funeral Directors Association's annual convention in Corpus Christi.

"It's not the first time we've participated in the event, but [our participation in the past] hasn't been consistent," says Dianna Doss, AAF, executive director of the Texas State Florists Association.  "The major goal is to open a dialogue with the funeral directors to discuss alternate phrases [for 'in lieu of'] and to share with them the importance of having flowers at a funeral. We want to show them how the floral industry can tailor designs to the family's needs."

At the event, June 11-15, 2007 TSFA will have a trade fair booth, complete with trend information and research from the Society of American Florists on the positive, emotional benefits of flowers, and the group will host a 90-minute educational seminar. Throughout the weekend, TSFA leaders also will conduct "mini interviews" with funeral directors to better understand the funeral industry's biggest issues and concerns -- information that will appear later in association publications, Doss says.

 "The TSFA Board is committed to continuing the dialogue," she says. "This is a beginning."