Wednesday, April 8th - Judges Forum

7:00 - 8:00 PM - "A Discussion About Judging Species Color Forms"

Stephen Van Kampen-Lewis will host a thought-provoking discussion of judging color forms in various species. Questions like “should a tipo (typical/type species) form be judged only against other tipo forms?” Or is it fair to judge alba or coerulea forms against a typically colored form? This promises to be a thought-provoking discussion you won’t want to miss. Come and contribute your own opinions.

8:00 - 9:00 PM - "Everything you Need to Know about Navigating OrchidPro" A practical approach to getting the most out of our premium judging tool.

Use OrchidPro like a Pro!

Laura Newton will demonstrate the finer points of using OrchidPro. All attendees are encouraged to bring their laptops or mobile devices to follow along. We will start with the basics of using the program; from selecting your preferred application settings, to using the different search features and sorting results, all the way through to the new parts of the application that were just recently added.

Friday, April 10th - Speakers & Workshop Day 1

Catts, Bulbos & Phrags

9:00 AM - Alan Koch - "Important building blocks of modern Cattleya hybrids"

This brand-new talk deals with the most important species in modern day Cattleya breeding along with their culture and how best to succeed with these plants.

Alan Koch owns and operates Gold Country Orchids where he specializes in miniature and compact Cattleya’s along with miniature species. Alan started growing orchids in 1969 with three Cymbidiums given to him by an aunt. While in college he became interested in other orchids and discovered many would grow outdoors in Southern California. He has moved five times as his orchid obsession has led to the need for more growing space. With the last move, he purchased 10 acres of land in Lincoln, California for his 250,000 orchids. He is recognized as an expert in the Brazilian Cattleya alliance and a trend setter in miniature compact and Cattleya breeding. Alan has been published in the Orchid Digest, the American Orchid Society magazine, Orchids, as well as many International Publications. He has also been published in several proceedings of the World Orchid Conference. He is an internationally known speaker. He is a past member of the AOS Judging Committee, and the Research Committee, as well as an Emeritus Judge and is Training Coordinator for the California-Sierra Nevada Judging Center. Alan also served two terms on the Orchid Digest Executive Committee and three terms on the Board of Directors, as well as two terms as a Trustee for the AOS. Alan is also well-known for the many AOS auctions he has auctioneered.

10:00 AM - Frank Cervera - "Phragmipedium section Himantopetalum; A group of orchids unlike any other in the orchid world." Sponsored by the Slipper Orchid Alliance

Phragmipedium section Himantopetalum is unique not only within the genus Phragmipedium but also in the Orchid Family, as each species in this subsection is attached to rocks in rivers below the high-water line. Based on current knowledge, this group of closely related species is the only one in the Orchid Family that thrives in ecosystems characterized by strong and rapidly moving floodwaters, which can submerge plants up to three meters for weeks at a time. Some species are common in cultivation, while others are extremely rare and difficult to cultivate. The species in section Himantopetalum include Phrag. hirtzii, Phrag. pearcei, Phrag. cabrejosii, Phrag. × richteri, and Phrag. klotzschianum.

Frank Cervera is an accomplished author and lecturer on the genus Phragmipedium. He is a biologist who has been studying the ecology, biology, and taxonomy of the genus Phragmipedium throughout natural populations for the past twenty-five years. His journey with Phragmipedium started in the 1980s when one of his ecology professors introduced him to orchids which led him to buy a plant of Phrag. longifolium. After many years of trying to get a sense of which Phragmipedium species were which, and why he was killing so many plants, Frank decided to take the matter into his own hands. Frank’s thirty year sojourn to the jungles of Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Guyana, Bolivia and Brazil studying the genus Phragmipedium, the taxonomy, ecology, and culture has given him unique access to the source material. Frank has had the unique opportunity of going straight to the source and examining natural populations of plants and flowers through extensive field research. Frank owns and operates Monster Island Orchids in the Hudson Valley, NY

11:00 PM - Julien Baruch - "Introduction to Bulbophyllum Species"

Discover the fascinating world of Bulbophyllum in this engaging introduction to one of the largest and most diverse genera in the orchid family. With over 2,000 species found across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, Bulbophyllums captivate growers with their wildly unusual forms, intriguing fragrances (sometimes delightfully sweet, sometimes not!), and remarkable pollination strategies. Whether you’re new to the genus or looking to expand your collection, this talk will explore key species, cultural tips, and what makes these orchids so irresistible to collectors.

Julien Baruch has grown orchids his whole life but really took the plunge in 2014 and started out by joining the Sarasota Orchid Society. Julien went on to intern at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens for The Million Orchid Project before moving to Apopka to work at Krull-Smith where he manages their sales, website, and social media. Julien is an accredited judge for the American Orchid Society in the Florida-North Central Judging Center and has been learning from Frank Smith and working on the nursery's hybridizing for the past six years.

Saturday, April 11th - Speakers and Workshop Day 2

Cymbidiums, Disas, Orchid Pest & Disease Management

1:30 PM - George Hatfield - "Next Generation Cymbidium Hybrids"

This talk explores the exciting advances transforming this classic genus into something truly spectacular. From bold new color palettes and refined forms to improved heat tolerance and extended bloom seasons, today’s hybrids are redefining what growers can expect from their plants.

George Hatfield is the current president of World Orchid Conference Trust (WOCT). He graduated with honors from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with a Bachelor of Science in Plant and Soil Science. George is the founder of Hatfield Orchids, established in 1999. George served as President of the American Orchid Society 2016 – 2018, and he received the Hudlow Trophy from the Cymbidium Society of America recognizing his achievements in Cymbidium hybridizing.

2:30 PM - Ron McHatton, PhD - "Orchid Pests and Diseases Management. You CAN Do It"

Learn how to spot, prevent, and manage pest and disease challenges in orchids.

Ron McHatton, PhD is the AOS' Chief Education and Science Officer and Editor-in-Chief of Orchids magazine. Ron’s growing experience spans lights while a graduate student in Iowa, out-of-doors in Southern California as a postdoc at Cal Tech, a northern greenhouse in upstate New York, a temperate greenhouse in Atlanta, a shade house in Central Florida and recently a move to North Carolina.
Ron is a PhD Chemist by training, receiving his degree from Iowa State University and spent
two years as a postdoctoral fellow at Caltech in Pasadena, California. He holds a monthly orchid Q&A webinar (Greenhouse Chat). Don’t let that name scare you off. If you haven’t registered for one, you should.
Ron represents the AOS on the Orchid Hybrid Registration Advisory Group (OHRAG), an international group that advises the Royal Horticultural Society on matters of hybrid registration and nomenclature. Additionally, Ron is an American Orchid Society Emeritus judge.

3:30 PM - Harold Koopowitz, PhD - "Disa - Species, Hybrids and their Culture"

Disa is a terrestrial orchid genus from South Africa and neighboring countries, including the spectacular bright red Disa uniflora, known as the Pride of Table Mountain. Disa uniflora is famously used in modern Disa breeding as it introduces new colors range, flower forms and sizes. Learn all about Disas from this informative talk.

Harold Koopowitz, PhD grew up in South Africa. He moved to California where he got his doctorate. He is Professor Emeritus of Biology at the University of California, Irvine. He was a founder of Orchid Digest magazine. Harold is known for his breeding of slipper orchids as well as miniature daffodils. He has written over a hundred books and articles on conservation and breeding orchids, as well as a series of entertaining fictional tales about orchid hunters (based on fact) called The Adventures of George and Matilda.

In addition to this amazing Speakers lineup, we'll hold two Hands-On Workshops

Friday - 1:00 PM - "Orchid Viruses & Testing" Sponsored by Agdia.

Protect your collection and grow with confidence! This hands-on Orchid Virus Testing Workshop will demystify the process of identifying common orchid viruses and explain why early detection matters for every grower. Learn how testing works, what results mean, and how to prevent the spread of infection in your greenhouse or home collection.

Attendees are encouraged to bring plant samples for on-site testing during the workshop — a valuable opportunity to gain real-time insight into the health of your orchids. Sponsored by Agdia, a leader in plant pathogen diagnostics, this workshop offers practical knowledge you can immediately put to use. Don’t miss this important and empowering session for serious orchid enthusiasts!

Saturday - 3:30 PM - "Repotting, Dividing, and Mounting. Your Orchids will Thank You" with Jay Balchan.

Give your orchids the fresh start they deserve! Join Jay Balchan for a hands-on workshop. Learn when and how to repot, the right way to divide mature plants, and techniques for mounting orchids to encourage strong roots and growth. Whether you’re caring for prized specimens or expanding your collection, these practical skills will help your orchids thrive.

Supplies will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis - so arrive early and come ready to dig in!

Register HERE