American Floral Endowment introduces new tech and language support

Visitors to both endowment.org and sustainabloom.org can now view the websites in either English or Spanish, the American Floral Endowment announced.

Through newly integrated translation technology from TranslatePress, users can switch languages while navigating the sites.

This new expansion is made possible by a grant from the Demaree Family Floriculture Advancement Fund, which focuses on initiatives that create meaningful impacts through resources, education or advancements that benefit the industry as a whole.

"For AFE, that means Spanish-speaking industry members can more easily explore its research, scholarships, internships, educational programs, funding opportunities and more," AFE said in a news release. "On Sustainabloom’s site, the update provides greater access to sustainability education, planning templates, research and other practical tools."

The capabilities of Professor Petal have also greatly expanded, with the AI-powered chatbot now able to communicate in 32 languages. With a new voice feature, users can also speak directly and receive audible responses, while still offering the traditional text chat option.

 The chatbot was developed in partnership with NEXTVERT, a technology company specializing in intelligent automation.

The endowment's relationship with NEXTVERT began through its support of Sustainabloom via QR Zipper, a NEXTVERT company, which donates a portion of every QR message sold to support Sustainabloom.

The Endowment's Thrips & Botrytis Research Library provides webinars and supporting resources in both English and Spanish. AFE is also now sharing Growing Further, its quarterly newsletter developed specifically for growers, with a Spanish translation.