Al Meyers, Senior Vice President, Retail Forward, Inc.

For 30 years, nationally-known retail and brand strategist Al Meyers has been helping businesses develop improve market position, customer focus, competitive appeals and merchandising economics. His experience with consumer products companies includes marketing, brand strategies, retail distribution and channel strategies, shopper insights, category management, introducing new products and advising clients on the success requirements for effective implementation of retail programs.

Al serves on the executive committee of Retail Forward, a strategic consulting firm which focuses exclusively on retailers, their customers and suppliers. He is also a member of the the Board of Directors of the Retail Executives Association in Dallas and is on the faculty of the In-Store Marketing Institute.

A frequent speaker on retail trends, he is also a regular contributor on retailing issues for for publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Dallas Morning News, The Fort Worth Star Telegram, The Dallas Business Journal, and Advertising Age. Al holds an MBA in finance from Michigan State University and a BA in economics from Ohio Wesleyan University.

Kate Penn, Vice President of Publishing and Communications, Floral Management Editor-in-Chief, Society of American Florists

Finding and providing the vital information florists need to be successful has been Kate Penn's mission for more than 20 years. As the editor and publisher of Floral Management magazine, she's researched and reported on every aspect of floral shop management and shared the best ideas of leading-edge thinkers on topics ranging from marketing, promotions and customer relations to design, staffing and ROI.

She has shared the winning ideas of the businesses featured in Floral Management with audiences around the country including the AIFD Symposium, Dallas Market Center, SAF's annual convention and regional industry gatherings.

She has a BA in Journalism from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. She also studied Spanish at the University of Madrid.

Jennifer Sparks, Vice President Marketing, Society of American Florists

Corporate communications and public relations expert Jenni Sparks has directed the planning and development of SAF's national consumer marketing programs since 1991. She manages SAF's Nationwide Fund for Public Relations, oversees the association's consumer and industry research programs — including the recent Generations of Flowers Study, serves as liaison to SAF's Consumer Marketing Committee and represents the industry to the consumer media.

Jenni also conducts SAF's lauded Media Boot Camp workshops for floral business owners and oversees the industry's response to negative publicity.

She holds a BS from Radford University in Radford, Va., and a MS in PR/Corporate Communications from Boston University.

Renato Sogueco, Chief Information Officer, Society of American Florists

Helping florists take advantage of communication advancements to reach customers in exciting new ways has been one of Renato Sogueco’s passions since joining SAF in 1994. An expert in communications technologies with a talent for translating "geek speak" into plain English, Renato is a popular trainer at SAF conventions and other conferences.

He also authors Floral Management’s acclaimed Plugged-In technology column every month and guides florists with practical advice about how to create and sustain an effective online presence.

Day-to-day, Renato manages SAF’s computer network and was instrumental in the development of its Web sites, explores new technologies relevant to the floral industry and serves as liaison to the SAF Technology Committee. He is a graduate of Concordia University in Montreal, Canada and holds a BS in Psychology and Broadcast Journalism. You can keep up to date with Renato's activities through his blog.