Outstanding Varieties
When and where is the competition?
SAF Amelia Island 2019
135th Annual Convention
September 18-21, 2019
Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island
Amelia Island, Florida
No admittance in the competition room will be allowed after 10:00 am on Wednesday. Scoring and ribbon placement will occur Wednesday evening. General admittance to the competition room will begin on Thursday, September 13, following the Kick-Off Breakfast. At that time, all ribbons will be on display as well as the handout of ribbon winners.
Entry Form
Updated information to come!
What do I have to do?
Prior to August 17, 2018…
Send to Krissy Doyle with payment
[email protected]
703-838-5204
Please note that entries paid by check are not considered final until payment has been received.
Complete the entry form or email the information below:
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Category Selection:
- Cut Rose
- Cut Garden Rose
- Cut Spray Rose
- Cut Dianthus
- Cut Chrysanthemum
- Cut Bulb Flower
- Cut Alstroemeria
- Cut Gerbera
- Other Cut Flower
- Decorative (Cut) Foliage
- Potted Flowering Plant
- Potted Foliage Plant
- Bedding Plant
- Description (150 words or less)
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Information TO BE SEEN BY JUDGES – DO NOT list company or variety name in description.
- Unique Property (20 words or less)
- Estimated Consumer Vase Life
- Special Care and Handling Needs
What are the judging guidelines?
Each variety entered in the competition is judged on its own merits on five distinct areas. Each of the five areas being judged is worth up to 10 points each. Therefore, a maximum of 50 points can be earned for each entry.
The five areas being judged for each entry are:
- Color and commercial appeal (10 points)
- Stem & foliage (10 points)
- Bloom form (10 points)
- Bloom size (10 points)
- Overall quality/presentation (10 points)
Judging will be conducted by three different sets of judges. Each set of judges will consist of a grower, retailer and wholesaler and will judge only a specific category.
The three categories for judging purposes are:
- Roses/Spray roses/Garden roses
- All Other Fresh Cut Flowers
- Bedding Plants, Flowering Plants and Foliage
The score for each entry will be determined by averaging the total scores of the three judges in each judged group. There is no predetermined number of red or blue ribbons that may be awarded.
Blue ribbons are awarded to entries scoring 42-50 points.
Red ribbons are awarded to entries scoring 34-41 points.
Entries receiving a score of 33 or below will not be awarded ribbons.
Best in Class will be awarded to the highest scoring entry in each of the 13 entry categories. (See Rules and Regulations). In case of a tie, the judges will determine the “Best in Class” from among the tied entries. SAF reserves the right to not issue Best in Class Ribbons when there are less than 3 entries in a class.
Best in Show will be judged from the 13 Best in Class award winners. All nine judges will be involved in selecting the Best in Show entry. In case of a tie, the judges will determine the “Best in Show” from among the tied Best in Class entries.
What are the Official Rules & Regulations?
To be eligible for the competition, the entered variety must currently be available on the commercial market. No test varieties are permitted in this competition.
Chrysal Americas is the official sponsor of the 2018 Outstanding Varieties Competition. Chrysal Americas hydrating and preservative products are available for use by exhibitors during the duration of the competition. The Chrysal Americas products supplied are the only products of this kind that can be used during the competition.
It is recommended that exhibitors prepare and set up their own entries. Company representatives responsible for setting up entries are required to check-in with the Outstanding Varieties coordinators upon arrival at the hotel to receive instructions.
Upon arrival, each exhibitor will be required to sign a document agreeing to abide by all of the rules and regulations of the competition.
Printed materials of any kind supplied by exhibitors are prohibited during the competition. This includes but is not limited to promotional materials, props or special signage. Only SAF approved and designated materials may be displayed.
Decorative materials or other non-perishable supplies of any kind used in floral design are prohibited during the competition. This includes but is not limited to paints, sprays, foam, wire, ribbon, dyes, tints or other similar supplies.
Entries that have been dyed or tinted in any way will not be permitted to enter the competition.
Knives and cutting tools generally found in any floral industry business may be used during set-up of the competition. Mechanical devices or tools of any kind are prohibited during the competition.
Fresh flower and decorative foliage entries will consist of no more than 24 stems of the variety. SAF reserves the right to admit and display the entry if less than the maximum number of stems (24) are available.
Flowering, foliage and bedding plants must be displayed in non-decorative packs or pots. Three samples of the variety must be provided, and samples may be of mixed form at the discretion of the exhibitor. SAF reserves the right to admit entries if less that the required number of sample (3) are available.
SAF will provide adequate workspace, knives, access to water, floral preservatives and standard containers for preparing and displaying fresh flowers and foliage.
SAF will maintain the product during the duration of the competition according to currently accepted procedures for proper care and handling of floral products.
SAF reserves the right to withdraw from the competition any product deemed unacceptable for display. No refunds will be made for product that is determined to be unacceptable.
SAF reserves the right to not issue Best in Class Ribbons when there are less than 3 entries in a class.
SAF and the Outstanding Varieties Coordinators have the final authority to resolve disputes in a way they feel supports and honors the integrity of SAF, The Outstanding Varieties Competition and individual exhibitors.