EMC Candidate Program

Welcome to the EMC Candidate Program.  This is your first step towards EMC certification and a whole new direction for your floral career.  This certification changes who you are as a floral designer and how you are perceived in the industry.  This is the difference between a job in flowers versus a floral design career.

AN EMC certified floral designer has:

• The ability to charge significantly higher fees for freelance work
• An international reputation as a Master Florist
• The EMC initials next to your name, a signal to the world that you are a top designer
• Access to the best work and exciting job opportunities

Who is this class for?

The EMC pathway is for floral designers who want more out of their career.  You want to move beyond daily production tasks and into deeper creative work.  You want to strengthen your design language and your global perspective.  You want the exclusive training and the proprietary designs of European Masters delivered right to your laptop.  

How does this program get me closer to the main EMC Program in Belgium?

These classes are a preparation for EMC, taught by certified EMC mentors, officially supported by EMC.  Your candidacy for the main program in Belgium will be evaluated during these classes and your performance in class will be a factor in your acceptance.  Additionally, this program will give you tools and tips to be successful once you start the main program, and provide a head start on the curriculum of keywords, color and nomenclature.  The class is taught by graduates of EMC who have been in your shoes and can train you on how to best prepare.

Can I take these classes if I am not committed to joining the main EMC program?

Yes.  There are lessons in these classes that will give you great perspective on design and a strengthening of your fundamentals.  This is a European design class that will introduce you to concepts and techniques that are not readily-accessible in your typical floral design class.  If you took this series as a standalone program, you will walk away with hours of advanced education and three live, personal coaching sessions with qualified EMC mentors.

What is the first class like?  It says it is an introduction?

The first offering is an online class that walks you through all the elements of the EMC floral education.  You will learn about the commitment, the pricing, the travel, the preparation and the difficulty.  It is a detailed account of what it takes to be accepted into the program and what you need to succeed.  You will also get personal accounts of life after EMC, which includes:

Real examples of jobs that are offered and opportunities that open up after completion

Real data on salary and the change from $25/hour to $100/hour as a freelancer

Stories on travel opportunities available to EMC florists who work worldwide

Information on life as an EMC designer, and the prestige that comes with the certification

The potential to be a floral educator in international classes and workshops

I have taken a lot of floral design classes, do I really need an additional one?

It is a mistake to think of this program as just a "class".  This is a transformation of your floral career and a rare chance to discover a new side of your creative identity.  Yes, there are lots of American online design classes that can teach you basic technique.  This program is for good florists who want to be great.  The techniques that are taught here have always been locked in exclusive European classrooms with rigorous acceptance standards.  This series gives you access to the best of those teachings.

Are there scholarship opportunities available?

Yes.  Teachers in the prep classes will be evaluating students throughout the process and recommending certain high-achievers for financial scholarships.  This is reserved for students who complete all four classes in the prep series and show a special aptitude for the lessons and have the potential to be outstanding performers in the main EMC program.

These classes and the main EMC program are expensive.  Is it worth it?

There is a clear difference in careers between a flower shop employee and a florist with advanced European certifications.  While some American designations are becoming more and more commonplace, the exclusive schools like EMC are producing standout designers with special talents.  The industry notices these superstars.  The people who hire for the most prestigious work seek them out.

The cost of the complete program is comparable to one year at a big American university.  Yet, the higher freelance fees and the bigger opportunities can add an extra $2 million to $3 million*  to your career earnings over the course of the next thirty years.  That kind of pay raise and that kind of meaningful career is worth the investment for most ambitious floral designers.

 * estimate based on 30 years at $25/hour for 1500 hours a year, versus 30 years at $100/hour for 1000 hours per year.  $100/hour pays $2.2 million additional, working 500 less hours per year