SWROGA, Rogers AR, April 15-17

[Sue]

I just heard about this. I probably won't go (it's a 5 hour drive), but I'm thinking about it just a bit.

Who all is planning on being there?

[LJA]

RVO will be there. The Orchid Society of the Ozarks, our home society, is hosting!

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Hi everyone! I hope all the folks within a reasonable distance will come to see us in the SWROGA show. Like Lou said, it is our home society and it is gonna be a big extravagant event! The "goody bag" for registered folks is packed full of really nice things. Our show chair made us promise to keep quiet about the contents, so.....all I can say is it is worth the price to register.

River Valley Orchidworks will have three sales tables at the show too. You have seen us here on-line, so why not come and see us in person? Check out our plants, talk to us, and go to some of the events/ speakers. We love to meet folks from the forum.

I hope to see you there!

Cheers!
BD

[LJA]

Spring SWROGA is only barely over a week away, and it's going to be a huge event as these things go, so make plans to be there!

Here are some stats:

We expected about 100 full registrants, (the show itself is free; registration is for lectures, business meetings, etc.) but we have 180 as of now and had to book another block of suites at the Embassy!

So far, there are orchids and people coming from 13 states, with 31 Orchid Societies represented among the registrants. Fourty-seven Judges, 26 Clerks, 43 seperate exhibits. It's going to be awesome, and those numbers are pretty remarkable, expecially given that the New York orchid show is going on that same weekend!

Throughout the day, both days, there will be public showings of various educational films, and registrants can attend two lectures on Saturday, one given by Professor William Rogerson on "Cattleya Species and their Culture" (if you get Orchid Digest, he wrote an article on this topic in issue 4 of 2004), and Dr. Norito Hasegawa on "The Latest Directions in Paphiopedilums." These lectures alone are worth the $35.00 reg. fee, in my opinion, never mind all the gifts and surprises that will come in the registrants' "goody bags..." There's still time to register, contact Tom Larkin by email for details: wiprlark at cs.com.

The following vendors will be there:

Oak Hill Gardens
Orchidabilia/Woozworks
Orchid Konnection
River Valley Orchidworks
Paphanatics
Roberts Jewelry
Southwest Orchids
Windy Hill Gardens

so there will be lots of hella-cool plants and orchid related items to buy!

If it's a long drive, show attendees can stay at the Embassy Suites Hotel, where the entire show will be staged. We've contracted two-room Suites that normally cost 199 per night for 89, and that includes full, cooked, made to order breakfast and evening reception. Saturday features the Welcome to Northwest Arkansas Luncheon, and the NWA Gala Fest Banquet that night. There will be auctions, drawings--it's going to be an excellent event all the way around, and we OSO-ers have worked really hard to put together something truly spectacular.

So if it's at all even remotely possible, make sure you come!

[Gin]

Will be there tomorrow! looking forward to picking up my RVO. Paphs. Gin

[mrBreeze]

I drove in from Tulsa this morning. I was there around lunchtime and until around 2:30pm. I could have stayed longer but had to drive back to OKC (that's a lot of driving).

Anyway it was a great show. I suppose I haven't been to a great many but still, it had the best displays I've ever seen. I especially liked the one or two (or three) that, on first glance, seemed to just be a riot of paphs, phals, and phrags, with some catts. But when you look closer...all kinds of fun things tucked in! In one display there was a Dracula lotax and i bet most people miss it. There were masdies here and there, pleuros, even a Lepanthes in one display. (can you tell i'm a sucker for the small botanicals?). Of course my favorite thing was the two displays that had Angraecum "Lemsford beauty", a sesq. cross that has HUGE waxy white flowers shaped like sesquipedale.

If i wasn't such a species snob and an Ang-fiend, I could have gone really nuts in the vender room. Actually I'm really glad I'm mostly immune to paphs and phrags...cuz otherwise I would have left broke. I managed to escape with four plants. Three from Oak Hill, and one from Windy Hill...apparently i like hills. I got Aerangis verdickii and modesta, Jumellea comorense, and Smitinandia micrantha. The last one, I'd never heard of and neither had Herman Pigors, of Oak Hill, who sold it to me. (turns out it used to be Ascocentrum I think)

All the vendors (including RVO) had really nice plants. The displays were out of this world. I'm glad i went and I'd go again. Next time have it in Tulsa and save me some driving!

[LJA]

Thanks Mr. B!

People went all out with their exhibits--gorgeous plants everywhere.

We received several second and first place ribbons, a Best of Class for our Odm. Margaret Holm, and we won Best Commercial Tabletop again!

It was great getting to meet Maggie (Ladybug) and Gin, too! Though I do owe you an apology, Gin. I had two plants listed on the website that Gin had asked me to bring, and we had sold them; I totally had forgotten to take them off the listing. Sorry again, Gin! (Though Paphanatics made up for that, I think.... )

And despite all my rants about slow-growing Paphs, I couldn't help myself: I bought a couple of flasks from Norito, a roth cross from FCC parents being one of them.... It was there, I was there, destiny prevailed. Twelve years from now I'll be sure to post pics of the flowers.....

Anyway, more later. Have to go unpack plants, rehang them, water and fertilize, take a post-show inventory so I don't have things listed that aren't there ( ), etc......

[Gin]

Mr. B you are a sly one , Bugs and I would of liked to of met you . Did get to meet the RVO crew . It is OK. Louis I did get one from Norito and Marilyln . Apology accepted . Did not go Paphless .

Would liked to of stayed longer. Gin

[Ladybug]

Glad you got to go, Mr. B. Next time wear a name tag so we can find you...or was that the point??? hehe Bummer about the drive, eh?

And Gin had lots of fun spending my money. I now have lots species thanks to her.

The RVO exhibit was really, really deserving of the award. Congratulations on that and the ribbons, too!

Those goodie bags were just awesome! Tom and the OSO did a first rate job on everything! Can't wait to do it all again....

Maggie

[Ladybug]

Congratulations guys!

Maggie