Judi Borah Land of Lincoln Competition
2025 Judi Borah Land of Lincoln Cup
The contest will be held Friday, March 14, 2025
2025 JUDI BORAH LAND OF LINCOLN CUP- March 14, 2025 from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. The entry fee is $100.00 and includes one dinner ticket for the Banquet/Awards Dinner on Saturday March 15, 2024. Registration must be received by March 1, 2025. NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE PERMITTED.
Contest Description:
Each contestant will assemble their own unique design on-site in the 2 hours provided based on the theme: "Petals of the Past: A Floral Journey Through Time"
Prizes:
• First place – receives a certificate and the new beautiful Judi Borah Land of Lincoln Cup trophy to keep.
• First runner-up – receives a certificate and second place ribbon.
• Second runner-up – receives a certificate and third place ribbon
Rules:
1. ENTRY: Contest is open to all active florists within the state of Illinois.
2. Contestants must preregister for the 2025 Judi Borah Land of Lincoln Cup by March 1, 2025.
3. Contestants must provide all materials, supplies, and tools needed to complete their design, including flowers, greens, and props. Props and accessories are permitted but should not be larger than 1/3 of the overall design.
4. Advanced construction of structures is permitted; however, no floral insertions can be made prior to the competition. Items shall not be added to containers before the contest begins, including floral foam and water tubes. A member of the Land of Lincoln Committee will inspect each work area prior to the official start of the competition. Entries that do not comply with the rules will be disqualified.
5. The Land of Lincoln Committee will select the required number of spaces for the competition and will number each space. The size of the design must not exceed 96” in height, 48” in width, and 48” in depth. It must be made within the given space provided. Any design, including props, table or stand, not within the given dimensions will be disqualified. The committee will place the number for each space in a sealed envelope. Each contestant will draw a sealed envelope containing a numbered space. A master sheet containing each contestant’s name and selected number will be retained by the Land of Lincoln Committee. No other person outside the committee will have access to this document. Employees and family members of the Land of Lincoln Committee are ineligible to compete.
6. Contestants must report to the Land of Lincoln Committee Chairman 30 minutes before the time of the contest for briefing.
7. JUDGING: Prior to judging, the judges will be given an envelope containing the rules and score sheet. Judging will be immediately following the competition. The judges will consist of qualified professional floral designers. The judges will only have access to their own tally sheets and will judge each design for its individual merit. Upon completion of judging, each judge will place all his/her tally sheets in an envelope and give it to the Land of Lincoln Committee Chair.
A points system will be used, with a possible 100 total points given to each entry by each judge. Designs will be judged in nine categories:
20 points maximum for the following category: Interpretation of Theme Point Scale: 0-4 Poor, 5-10 Fair, 11-15 Good, and 16-20 Excellent;
10 points maximum for each of the following categories: Creativity, Scale (Proportional), Unity (Harmony and Texture), Balance (Physical and Visual), Focal Emphasis, Line (Movement and Rhythm), Color Balance (Harmony and Rhythm), and Mechanics. Point scale: 0-2 Poor, 3-5 Fair, 6-8 Good, and 9-10 Excellent. The Land of Lincoln Cup will be awarded to the contestant with the highest total number of points across all categories. The contestant with the second highest number of points will be first runner-up, and the contestant with the third highest number of points will be the second runner-up.
The Land of Lincoln committee will tabulate the results of the judges’ scores and will retain the information until the awards presentation.
8. DISPLAY: The designs will remain in place to be viewed throughout the weekend. Contestants must remove their piece no earlier than Sunday morning unless otherwise approved by the Competition Chairperson.
9. No electricity can be used, but battery-operated props are allowed.
10. DESIGNS WILL BE DISPLAYED IN A PUBLIC VIEWING AREA. ISFA OR THE HOST VENUE WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE, OR THEFT.
11. This competition must have at least 3 contestants to run. In the event that there are less than 3 contestants, the competition will be cancelled and competition fees may be refunded or applied to a class at the retreat.
For more information, please contact Courtney Turner AIFD, EMC, CEJ, ICPF at
[email protected] or 224-805-2056