Inside the cut-throat world of flower arranging: If your idea of floral arranging is sticking a few roses in a vase, the Interflora World Cup is out of your league
- Manchester Central Convention Complex opens for the contest on 7 September
- READ MORE: War of the roses: Hairdresser slams florist for refusing to fix her flowers... despite buying them at Tesco
If someone told you the winners of the German National Championship and the Helsinki Open were going to be battling it out at the World Cup (which is coming to the UK for the first time), you might assume that some kind of sporting event was in the offing.
You'd be wrong. When the Manchester Central Convention Complex opens on 7 September for this competition the halls will thrill to the sound of peonies being put through their paces by 20 of the world's leading floral designers.
The Interflora World Cup is the fixture of the flower-arranging calendar. Staged every four years, it's often dubbed the 'Olympics of floristry' although Karen Barnes (who has been judging international floristry competitions for more than 20 years) likens it to 'a mix between the BBC Good Food Show and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.'
And what the event lacks in sweat and sinew, it makes up for in stems and stamens. In preparation for the three-day nail-biter, 200,000 flowers and 2,000 plants will be delivered – enough to see the 20 contestants from 20 countries through six heats.
How is flower arranging judged at this lofty level? Well, dizzying heights is what it's all about in the first heat, where the nimble-fingered challengers must create a suspended design inspired by a forest canopy. The brief suggests the most useful tool will be 'the sense of imagination' although some sturdy floristry wire might also be in order if the six judges are to make it out from under the prescribed 'magical woodland realm' unscathed. Because it's a great mistake to think that competitive floristry is a risk-free pursuit. There are instances of abject meltdowns on stage, when a ranunculus or a rose has failed to behave as expected under the blazing lights.
The winning design from 2019’S Interflora World Cup. When the Manchester Central Convention Complex opens on 7 September for this competition the halls will thrill to the sound of peonies being put through their paces by 20 of the world's leading floral designers
Then there's the skulduggery – quite daring attempts to bend the rules, by all accounts. Winning the World Cup for Sweden in 2002, Per Benjamin (now 53) went so shockingly off piste that Interflora had to change the rules after his victory. Instead of using Oasis (the foam that supports flower arrangements and soaks water to prolong their life) he anchored the arrangements in oranges, grapefruits and strawberries.
It's like Ronaldo deciding to dig a tunnel from the centre spot to the goal to avoid the offside rule. Flower arrangers always use Oasis. Benjamin, however, was unrepentant and managed to keep his cup.
It doesn't end there. Previous years have seen competitors sneaking materials back to their hotel rooms to continue their preparations, when the rules clearly state that they're only allowed to do that in allocated time slots before the event. There have also been cases of translators changing clothes to spy on the opposition. But Interflora's own spies are always a step ahead. To ensure fair play, there's a team of eight monitoring the goings-on behind the scenes. 'They're the police of the competition,' explains Barnes. 'They will check all the storage rooms, competition booths and preparation areas and make sure no extra materials are sneaked in or sabotaged by other competitors.'
So what might the crowds be delighted by this year? It could be the aforementioned woodland, or maybe a bridal arrangement ('clouds' are this year's theme) or possibly a design inspired by 'ocean waves'.
At this level a gerbera in a jar simply isn't going to cut it. Nor, says Barnes, is any kind of traditional-looking posy or 'a hand-tied bouquet that you'd see [at] your local florist'. In other words, nipping down to M&S if it all goes wrong on the day is not an option.
A win at Manchester changes everything: the champion gets £15,000 and will go on to command an international roster of clients.
Since his triumph in 2002, Benjamin reveals that the 'world of floristry has opened up' for him. He has worked in more than 80 countries, doing flower shows, workshops and lectures. 'Fruit-gate' clearly did him no lasting harm. And while the event may not yet draw FIFA World Cup-sized crowds, the flower industry is currently estimated to be worth £28.4 billion and is expected to reach £35.6 billion worldwide by 2027.
So, if you're out and about in Manchester in September and you fancy regaling the local pub with a rendition of 'Floristry's Coming Home!' you might find there's a fellow fan at the bar.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING: CHARLOTTE VOSSEN.
