World Cup Floral Art 2025
Passion and talent bring the World Cup to life!
With more than 2,000 visitors, 23 participants and 6 tasks spread across 3 days, we look back on the World Cup Floral Art 2025 with pride and enthusiasm. It was a spectacular event full of community spirit, craftsmanship and passion for flowers.
Tomasz ‘Max’ Kuczyński wins gold
Tomasz ‘Max’ Kuczyński from Poland was crowned world champion of floral design in The Hague. A magnificent recognition of an impressive career as a floral designer and teacher. Before competing in the World Cup, Tomasz had already won the national title in Poland twice. In addition, he runs two floral design schools. His work is renowned for precision, sculptural forms and spatial designs.
Hungary's Gábor Nagy took silver, while Frédéric Dupré from France brought home the bronze. Dutch competitor Franka Roenhorst finished in 5th place. A wonderful achievement!
The competition
The 23 participants belong to the absolute world top and each presented stunning creations. We saw refined structures, rare varieties and innovative techniques. We admired the speed, adaptability and focus required to perform at this level.
Before the competition started, Jury chair Max van de Sluis said:
"The participants worked for months to prepare themselves. Beautiful flowers, beautiful designs. I hope to see many new solutions for the future. I can’t wait!"
Thanks to World Cup host Morgan-Douglas Nuth, every part of the programme became an experience, with lots of interaction with the audience and thrilling countdown moments. Fans created a fantastic atmosphere, with the Polish supporters standing out in particular for their chants and flags: “Yes, yes, yes, Poland is the best!” Despite the competition, there was above all a spirit of solidarity and a shared love for flowers.
The magic of GROWTH!
During the theatre evening, Hanneke Frankema captivated the audience with her spectacular show GROWTH! With a personal story, craftsmanship, passion and a touch of humour, Hanneke took the audience on a journey through impressive creations: from gigantic chandeliers to a mobile flower garden and a fairytale dress covered with flowers and botanical materials. Time and again, the audience was surprised by a new showpiece.
The central theme of the performance was ‘growth’: a love for flowers and plants, passion for the craft, sustainability, education and the pursuit of dreams. The show was truly unparalleled, leaving the audience completely in awe. The show ended spectacularly with a huge Craspedia heart, which held the envelopes containing the competition result.
Hanneke shared the stage with seven Young Floral Talents: Gerrit van Aalst, Marieke Bijpost, Iris Jansen, Rik Masson, Bente van Meurs, Carine Stel and Esther Weijenberg. Their designs prove that the future of floral art is in good hands. Such talent and passion for the craft!
Workshops and demonstrations
Alongside the competition, visitors could enjoy inspiring workshops and demonstrations by the Floral Fundamentals Ambassadors. It was fantastic to see these top designers in their element on stage. Jolanda van der Lugt, Alison Bradley en Morgan-Douglas Nuth were the charismatic hosts during the demos.
The demonstrations were given by: Ahti Lyra, Max Hurtaud, Lizzie Newcombe, Geertje Stienstra, Petra Konrad, Harijanto Setiawan, Tiffany van Lenten, Nicolaus Peters and Marek Jacobi. The creations were later displayed in the competition hall, so visitors could admire them up close.
The sponsor forest
Marginpar was a proud main sponsor of the World Cup Floral Art, alongside Decorum Plants & Flowers, Jodeco Glass and Smithers-Oasis. Our flowers shone in the tasks, on stage and in the decoration of the event.
The World Forum was adorned with magnificent floral sculptures and vases by Johan Martens and his team, while Tiffany van Lenten and her team transformed the sponsor booth into a colourful flower forest that visitors could literally walk through. Visitors could enjoy a Laurus or Eryngium ice cream, take a photo in the photobooth, talk to the sponsors or simply relax on a bench among the flowers.
Bram Rijkers of the VBW was also very enthusiastic about the sponsor booth: "For me, next to the arrangements the floral designers are creating, this is one of the highlights of the event, it’s a beautiful booth, a lot of beautiful flowers and the ambience is great!"
Thank you
Our thanks go out to everyone who made the World Cup Floral Art possible:
- All competitors and their teams, who worked hard for months in preparation
- De organisers Florint and VBW
- Our fellow main sponsors: Smithers-Oasis, Decorum Plants & Flowers and Jodeco Glass
- Floral Fundamentals and World Cup host Morgan-Douglas Nuth
- Hanneke Frankema and her team for the unforgettable show GROWTH!
- Tiffany van Lenten and Johan Martens for the magnificent decoration of the World Forum in The Hague
- And of course all the volunteers and staff, both in front of and behind the scenes
Sadly, British competitor Joseph Massie was unable to take part due to illness. We wish him a speedy recovery!
