Insight into EMC news

EMC Certification

A brief look back at the foundations that were laid. 

With many of the EMC Family reaching out to me asking for more information on the New EMC Certificate, I had a chance to sit down with Tomas de Bruyne to answer some of your questions regarding this topic and how the program keeps growing. If an Alumni would like to have a Certificate with the new seals and recognition, they can order one through the EMC Business Office ([email protected]) up to one month prior to the start of the EMC Advanced Brugge. 

Q: Why is this new Certificate Important for EMC?

Tomas: The recognition by the Royal Belgium Floral Association and the Belgium Chamber of Commerce sets the EMC program apart from a workshop.  To receive this recognition, EMC must meet certain criteria including teaching theory, creating bouquets and students  required to take exams.  This means that the students have MASTERED the elements and principles of design.  The graduates have thus gained knowledge and have mastery of their skills and craftsmanship.

Q: Was EMC required to change any aspects of the program to gain this recognition?

Tomas:  We decided to strengthen the program by adding a day on European Sympathy Design and Plant Expressions. This happened to coincide with the certification process.  We always have spoken about botanical materials with this program. It seemed a perfect fit.  We are always looking to improve the EMC curriculum. 

Q: There is now a cost for Alumni to receive this new certificate.  What does the fee include?

Tomas:  There is so much added value with this new certificate.  As a graduate, you are officially recognized as what you can do as a designer.  When you are looking for work in Europe, for example, it is now seen as an official certificate. This makes a difference because it is seen in the European Community as being recognized by the Royal Belgium Floral Association. EMC is charged a fee now by the Belgium Chamber of Commerce to pay for the seal.  For all EMC Alumni who graduated before September 2019, they have the option of purchasing the new certificate for 100 Euro.  This fee is levied by the Belgium Chamber of Commerce.  For all graduates from September 2019 moving forward, this fee will be included in the price of their Advanced Brugge Registration.  The Certificates will only be made available once a year for Alumni to purchase.

Members Corner

EMC Featured Designer

Martine Soulier EMC, Graduate from the Class of 2016 and EMC Mentor, is an undeniable ambassador of flowers, a designer, educator and consultant in the field of Floral Art.  After having run a family-owned flower shop for 16 years in Perpignan, France, and then a shop in the Parisian region, she now specializes in the art of floral training and design at the Paris School of Florists where she teaches young apprentices, passionate amateur florist and vocational retraining for adults .  She also is well recognized for her floral publications specializing in the art of floral bouquet wrapping and packaging.   Her floral expertise is becoming more and more recognized throughout the International Floral Community as she is well sought after in China, Russia and Belgium where she teaches workshops on floral arrangements, floral jewelry, wedding bouquets. 

Dominique Houle EMC Invited to Conduct Workshop in Quebec, Canada

On November 21, 2019, Dominique Houle EMC, Class of 2016, was invited to lead  a workshop to demonstrate new floral designs to the Fédération interdisciplinaire de l’horticulture ornementale du Québec (FIHOQ).  This group organizes Expo-FIHOQ is a trade show dedicated to Quebec’s ornamental & environmental horticulture as well as urban agriculture industries. This trade show annually welcomes 300 exhibitors featuring 600 stands—along with 6,500 attendees—all professionals in ornamental, environmental and municipal horticulture.   Her demonstration entitled "MOVEMENT, TRANSPARENCY AND EMOTION" was attended by more than 70 people, including three Quebec florist schools, several independent florists and merchants.  "Because I was demonstrating in front of a dozen or so people, it required a strong interest to create something new in order to demonstrate that floral art is alive and well," comments Dominique.   "Three designs were created to demonstrate a predominant element in each structure, with accessories, botanicals and a Christmas Feel.There is nothing better than a design to be recognized and appreciated as an art and not only as a selling element."  If you would like to learn how Dominique created this designs, please contact her for she is more than willing to share her techniques with you!