Our Symposia are weekend events held in good quality hotels. The main guest speaker normally gives two talks/slide shows on the Saturday and Sunday and additional speakers offer a wide range of  interesting topics.  Members bring plants along for a table display and plant appreciation.  Orchid growers from around the world tempt us with a wide selection of high quality, rare and unusual plants on their sales tables.  There is also plenty of time to meet, socialise and share ideas with fellow orchid growers.  The Society also exhibits at a number of orchid events around the country.

Summer Symposium 2004

Held at the Cheltenham Park Hotel, Cheltenham

Main Speaker - Professor Leonid Averyanov, Komarov Botanical Institute, St.Petersburg, Russia

Leonid gave two entertaining and enlightening lectures on his many years spent studying paphiopedilums in Vietnam.  Both talks were beautifully illustrated with computer images.  He looked at many of the species found in Vietnam and gave us a detailed insight into the varied environments where these paphiopedilums grow.  A full report can be found in the July 2004 issue of the Society Journal.

Other Speakers - Brian & Jo Walker- An Orchid Trip to Thailand

                           - Jean & Chris Barker - The 2004 Asia/Pacific Orchid Conference in Taiwan

Sales Tables - Ratcliffe Orchids

                      - Plested Orchids

Plant Appreciation  - Click on the thumbnail to see details of all the winning plants.

Winter Symposium 2004

Held at Marwell Hotel, Near Winchester

Main Speaker - Frank Smith of Krull-Smith Orchids, Florida

Frank's Saturday talk was 'A New Face of Paphs.'  He gave us a history of his lifelong interest in orchids and then looked at some of the work that he has done on line breeding of species to produce improved specimens.  The outstanding quality of his slides added to our appreciation of his many awarded plants.  His Sunday lecture looked at a more wide ranging selection of the quality orchids coming out of Krull-Smith Orchids.  A full report can be found in the January 2005 issue of the Society Journal.

Other speakers - Alan Burdis - My Favourite 10'ish' Slipper Orchids

                           - Janet Plested - Hunting for Orchids in Thailand

                           - Paul Phillips - The Ones That Got Away

Sales Tables - Ratcliffe Orchids

                      - Plested Orchids

                      - Wubben Orchids, Holland

                      - Orchids Limited, USA

                      - Orchid Inn, USA

Quote from our President, Mary Phillips - "Marwell 2004 was one of the nicest meetings we have ever had and the Plant Appreciation tables were quite stunning; quality, quantity, variety - all contributed to made a wonderful show at what was a truly memorable weekend."

Plant Appreciation  - Click on the thumbnail to see details of all the winning plants.

Winter Symposium 2005

Held at Wroxhall Abbey, near Warwick

Main Speaker - Ernst Gunzenhauser whose family nursery is at Geltenkinden in Switzerland.

Ernst's Saturday talk was about his travels in Vietnam hunting out 'The World's Most Beautiful Orchids.'  On Sunday his talk was on 'Breeding Orchids the Geltenkinden Way' and he introduced us to some of the many Paphiopedilum hybrids that have been produced at his nursery.  Both talks were illustrated with some stunning slides.

Other speakers - Chris & Jean Barker - An Orchid Tour to Taiwam

                           - Brian Walker- Mai Tang Tour of

                           - Culture Forum - Srarring Ernst, Alan Burdis and Norito Hasegawa

Sales Tables - Ratcliffe Orchids

                      - Plested Orchids

                      - Peter White Orchids

                      - Orchid Inn, USA

Plant Appreciation  - Click on the thumbnail to see details of all the winning plants.