VBW expands management team with operational director
VBW has expanded its management team as of January 1, 2025. Bram Rijkers will join as operational director alongside general director Marco Maasse.
The Power of Print and Online
The leaves have fallen from the trees and the cold has steadily crept into our bones: winter has arrived and with it the run-up to Christmas has now really begun. A busy time for florists – with hopefully lots of sales. Although consumers seem to be keeping a tight hold on their wallets, they still want an inviting, warm and cozy home.
In terms of inspiration, our team of floral designers for this edition has, on the one hand, given shape to the beauty that winter can offer us. On the other hand, the Christmas special has the theme Luxury in harmony with nature. For this, the arrangers have often opted for traditional techniques and natural materials, resulting in festive arrangements that are also understated.
In addition, we have been very busy at the DPK Floral Magazine offices, and our new website dpkfloralmagazine.com will be online from January. Here, readers can read the magazine digitally and in multiple languages. An important step towards further internationalization and strengthening the magazine as a source of inspiration and professional knowledge. From now on, the latest news, fresh from the press and in an extensive form, can be found on the website.
Above all, we believe in the power of print. Our printed edition remains a unique medium for inspiring arrangements, opinions, and reports. However, the advantage is that with the speed and possibilities of the website, we can offer you, as subscribers, even more inspiration and information.
Another joyous occasion: DPK Floral Magazine is a media partner of the World Cup Floral Art, which will take place in The Hague from August 28-31. This means that in the run-up to the World Cup, we will regularly pay attention to the event, and that we, in collaboration with the VBW, will publish the official World Cup Magazine. This extra English-language edition of DPK Floral Magazine is free for all visitors to the World Cup Floral Art. And of course, it can also be read on our new website dpkfloralmagazine.com.
On behalf of the entire DPK Floral Magazine team, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a successful New Year – with plenty of new opportunities.
Anita Meuleman,
Editor-in-chief
‘Every flower and color has its own message’
Master florists Sofia Tavares and Marc Noël met while working in a flower shop. Together, they decided to start a flower shop and launched Moments Subtils in Bastogne, Belgium, in 2015. In June 2023, they opened their second flower shop, with the same name, in the center of Brussels. Sofia and Marc also find challenge in decorating events and participating in competitions. In September, they will both participate in the Belgian Floristry Championship.
The two have a passion for the beauty of nature and for flowers. 'For us, floral art is a language of flowers to convey all beauty. We find inspiration in a walk in the woods, in a city and its architecture, or simply in a flower or a moment of wonder.'
What is the meaning of funeral arrangements for Sofia and Marc? ‘Words can bring comfort, but flowers have the extra power to express emotions more strongly than words. For us, all flowers and all colors can be used in funeral arrangements, because every flower and color has its own message.’
Moments Subtils is the name of two flower shops in Bastogne, Belgium, and in the heart of Brussels.
Translation of memories
Funeral flower arrangements come in many forms. But what is and remains important is a personal touch. Who the deceased was, and what he meant to his loved ones can be expressed very beautifully with flowers and symbolism.
Lush Natural Elegance
Lush, succulent green leaves that shine or have special markings make plants irresistible. There is a preference for a base of tranquility in the interior, with large plants with distinct leaf textures being an important addition. Plant arrangements give many possibilities and exude luxury.
Autumn Tide
The approach of autumn is already announcing itself in mid-August. The wind sounds different, there is more moisture in the air, and the spiders diligently create more and more silver air bridges between plants and flowers. Foggy gray days alternate with sunny warm late summer days. And the outdoor scent, too, is more prominent, more earthy.