Karen Barnes
A talented designer, demonstrator, international floristry judge and a consultant for the floral industry, Karen has worked extensively around the world.
After nineteen years of running her own successful floristry business in the UK, Karen joined Interflora FTD British Unit as Head of Product Development.
In 2017, she founded her consultancy business – Karen Barnes Consultancy Ltd - offering her wealth of experience to companies and individuals within the floral industry and design skills for events globally.
Karen’s resume includes:
- Creating wedding flowers for celebrity and society weddings in New York, London, India and Europe.
- Trend Analysis and Trend Direction for the floral industry
- Packaging, Container, Vase and Floral Sundries Design
- Hardware product selection in the Far East
- Training
- Product Development for on-line floral gifting companies
- Photography Styling for product ranges
In the UK, Karen has been awarded two prestigious RHS Chelsea gold medals and has been highlighted in The Independent on Sunday newspaper as one of the top leading florists in the UK.
Karen has extensive experience in judging floristry competitions and has been an international judge since 2000, being instrumental in the founding of the UK Floristry Judges Guild. Currently chair of the UKFJG Schedule Committee.
Judging highlights have been judging at the Interflora World Cup in Shanghai, at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London and recently at the FTD Interflora World Cup in Philadelphia.
Karen holds the National Society of Floristry Diploma in the UK and was inducted into the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) in 1999 in San Francisco. She has been a feature designer for two AIFD symposiums and a designer at the Philadelphia Flower Show four times.
She has also served on the AIFD board of directors for the North East Chapter.
Karen is also a member of CAFA – Canadian Academy of Floral Art and has been a feature designer in Toronto at a CAFA symposium.
