Flower Market Circular – 24 January 2019

Edition 96: Plans for Valentine’s Day promotions

In this edition of the Flower Market Circular:

– Plans for Valentine’s Day promotions
– Join the advisory committee
– Inspirational boutonnieres for the groom

Valentine’s Day Promotions

The Melbourne Market is teaming up with Flowers Victoria to deliver an exciting radio campaign to drive people to show their love this Valentine’s Day by sending flowers from their local florist.
Over the years posters and collateral distributed at the Flower Market have been popular with some florists and not others.
This year campaign funds are being entirely focused on radio advertising, to ensure buying flowers for Valentine’s Day stays top of the consumers mind.

Calls for nominations to join the new advisory committees

The Melbourne Market has advisory committees who work with the MMA to advise on matters relating to Market operations and industry.
The three year term of the current Flower advisory committee has reached an end, and therefore nominations are now being called for interested individuals to hold office for a period of three years commencing 1 March 2019.
Past and current advisory committee members are eligible to reapply.
Nominations should be submitted in writing no later than 3.00pm on 1st February 2019 to the Chief Executive Officer, Box 1, 55 Produce Drive, Epping VIC 3076.
Nomination Forms and Terms of Reference are available from the MMA Administration Office and the MMA website.
For any questions please call David Whitchelo on 9258 6100.

The MMA Board and Management would like to thank outgoing advisory committee members for their commitment and contribution.

Australia Day Public Holiday

The Market will be closed on Monday 28 January for the Australia Day public holiday but please note the Flower Market will remain open on Saturday 26 January when Australia Day is observed.

Inspirational boutonnieres for the groom

Whenever we think of weddings, our minds immediately tend to wander to the bride, bouquets, centerpieces and décor. But what about the groom and his groomsmen? Floral boutonnieres are more than a complimentary visual to the bride’s outfit because they allow the groom to show a hint of his personality. Click here to view 20 inspirational boutonnieres for the groom.

Chinese New Year Celebrations

February 5th, 2019 will mark the start of ‘the year of the pig’. In the Chinese zodiac the pig represents luck, overall good fortune, wealth, honesty, and general prosperity.
To celebrate Chinese New Year the Chinese Dragon and dancers will be coming through the Market on Thursday 7 February.
For those businesses wanting a blessing during the dance please email submissions@melbournemarket.com.au and be sure to have your offering for the dragon ready on the day!

Fresh Five

This week we talk to Surjit Pal.
1. Your role at the Melbourne Market:
I work for Mr Fresh, we sell roses, lilies, all the locally grown and seasonal flowers. I’ve been working here for 8 years.
2. If you could only take three fruits or vegetables with you to a desert island, which would you take:
Mango, apples and blueberries, just because they’re my favourites.
3. When was the last time you bought flowers for someone (or had them bought for you):
I gave a lot of seasonal lilies to friends and family for Christmas.
4. Tell us something that is on your ‘bucket list’:
I’ve done a bit of travel, but I’d like to do a bit more, particularly go to Japan.
5. What do you most enjoy about working at the Melbourne Market:
Seeing all the different customers, it’s an enjoyable place to work.

Trial fruit and vegetable Market hours to stay

Since October 1^st this year, modified trading hours have been trialled in the Fruit and Vegetable Market; opening consistently at 3:30 AM, five days per week (this is an hour earlier on Tuesdays and Wednesdays).
Informal feedback during the trial has been mostly positive, and so we are pleased to announce that we will be adopting the trial hours in the Fruit and Vegetable Market of a consistent 3:30 AM opening, 5 days per week, on an ongoing basis. There are no changes to Flower Market hours.

Market Charity Golf Day

This year we are looking forward to a great line-up of Melbourne Market events, one of the most popular events of the year is undoubtedly the Charity Golf Day! The event will be held on 15 March and funds raised will go to DEBRA Australia, who support people living with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a rare disease where the skin blisters and peels at the slightest touch.

Two different ticket options are available for purchase. For those who want to participate in the full day’s program you can buy tickets for an individual or a golf team of 4 (which comes with 4 tickets to the major raffle), beginning with an 18-hole golf competition and lunch, followed by an evening of dinner and entertainment that will also include the drawing of the major raffle prizes. If you would like to be part of the day but would prefer to attend the evening’s events only, there is also a dinner and entertainment ticket option, so that everyone can have a great night and support this important cause.

Finally, for golf teams looking to get a competitive edge or some extra entertainment on the day, there are some high-profile celebrities and golf professionals up for grabs through a Celebrity Player Silent Auction. This silent auction can be found on the Fresh State website along with all the names of our celebrity guests, and the winning bid will win the right to have their celebrity player on their team for the golf competition. This auction is open for bids now, so if you are looking to bid before the prices start rising, get in quick!

To download a registration form, or for more information visit the Fresh State websiteor contact kate@freshstate.com.au.

Satisfaction survey

Thank you to all those who completed the Market satisfaction survey and letting us know your thoughts and ideas. The survey has now closed. The first 65 people who completed the survey have been contacted via SMS or email and can pick up their $15 market cafe voucher from the Customer Service Centre.