Orchid Lovers in for a Treat at Gardenex and Green Living Fair 2009
One of the most exquisite and adored flower varieties, the orchid, is synonymous with beauty, elegance and romance. Globally, the love-struck greet excited partners before a date with an orchid, ready to be pinned to stunning evening gowns or worn on shapely, perfumed wrists.
Well, at Gardenex and Green Living Fair 2009, Gauteng’s top garden and flower show, gardeners, and especially avid Orchid enthusiasts are in for a treat. One tonne of dazzling Orchids will be on show at the Fair, to be held at the Coca Cola Dome from 27 to 29 March 2009, featuring South Africa’s largest Festival of Orchids to date.
Gardenex & Green Living Fair Project Manager, Wendy Graham is delighted at being able to incorporate a Festival of Orchids into 2009’s event, “With the World Orchid Conference Trust selecting the Orchid Society of the Northern Transvaal to host the 21st World Orchid Conference (WOC) in 2014, the largest and most prestigious event on the global Orchid calendar, it is a wonderful opportunity for all gardeners to be able to see these magnificent varieties at Gardenex & Green Living Fair in 2009.”
The World Orchid Conference Trust, based in Bermuda, was established in 1988 by the American Orchid Society and the Royal Horticultural Society. Conferences have been held every three years, without interruption, since 1954 and it is Singapore who will host the 20th WOC in 2011. It is appropriate that it be held in this wonderful Asian country since Singapore’s National Park’s Board, in partnership with the Orchid Society of Southeast Asia scooped the top award for International Display at the 19th WOC in Miami, Florida, USA this year.
“The spotlight, for now, will fall on the Orchid Society of the Northern Transvaal, Chaired by Jennifer Thompson and South Africa as we prepare for a packed calendar of international events over the next few years.” continues Graham. “The FIFA Confederations Cup in 2009, the Football World Cup in 2010 and the World Orchid Conference in 2014 to name only a few are set to bring the world to our beautiful shores.”
The Festival of Orchids at Gardenex & Green Living Fair in 2009 will serve as a trial run for the 2014 event. A panel of expert judges will visit the Coca Cola dome to inspect and assess South Africa’s ability to host the event. The event has been provisionally granted to the Orchid Society of the Northern Transvaal and it is expected to be confirmed in Singapore during the 2011 event.
Thebe Conferences and Events Group, together with Thebe Conferences, has been appointed to oversee the event management and conference responsibilities on behalf of the Orchid Society of the Northern Transvaal.
Graham continues, “Gardenex & Green Living Fair is owned by the Thebe Exhibitions and Events Group and is a well established annual event in Gauteng. Keen gardeners flock to the Coca Cola dome year after year to see first hand what is happening in the world of gardening. With the inclusion of the Festival of Orchids, the event in 2009 has just received a significant boost and a major visitor attraction that will excite not only gardeners, but exhibitors too.”
Gardenex & Green Living Fair 2009 simply cannot be missed if you wish to see the largest collection of orchids ever seen in South Africa. Jennifer Thompson and The Orchid Society of the Northern Transvaal will kick off their campaign to promote the WOC at Gardenex & Green Living Fair 2009 and the Festival of Orchids promises to be the highlight of the event.
“With the incorporation of the Festival of Orchids as an extension to Gardenex & Green Living Fair, we have once again proven that South Africa has so much to offer the world of gardening.” concludes Graham. “Visitors are in for a treat and will sure be awestruck by the sheer magnitude of so many variations of the stunning orchid.”
For more information about Gardenex & Green Living Fair 2009, visit www.gardenex.co.za.
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