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“ACE” AWARDS TO BE A FEATURE OF 18TH WOC. The 18th World Orchid Conference in Dijon, FRANCE will feature special AWARDS FOR COMMERCIAL EXCELLENCE – (condensed to “ACE” AWARDS.) Now Commercial Orchid Growers can be rewarded for supporting orchid shows. The awards evolved over the last ten years through the efforts of a few international orchid enthusiasts with enough vision to recognise the changing world of orchids. Organisers of the 17th World Orchid Conference in Malaysia incorporated them correctly and they were judged by a small group with long experience in the commercial orchid field – not the normal orchid judges.. The success of their inclusion is evidenced by the 158 entries that were in the cut flower section plus 68 in the pot plant section
A group of cut flower ACE exhibits being prepared at Shah Alam
Today, about 90 % of all orchids grown in the world are for cut flower or pot plant purposes and most mass commercial orchid growers have little connection with the orchid society scene. Without mass commercial exhibits in International Orchid Shows, the exhibition loses much of its colour and public appeal. The public are attracted by colourful displays of massed orchids. These can only be supplied by large commercial growers of cut flowers or pot plants. Our public is often amazed at the champions selected by our specialist judges where the individual spikes from massed Commercial displays seldom conform to what our judges consider to be the best blooms. Commercial Growers have definitely lost interest in our shows, simply because our prizes and awards give no recognition to the qualities that make a good commercial orchid. The ACE Awards are designed to recognise these qualities, whether the exhibits be for the cut flower or pot plant trade. A top commercial orchid must have the following attributes: Produce lots of flowers each season. Flower quickly from flask. Flower stems strong and compact for their particular market. Easy to pack for shipping. Of popular colour for the market. (Labellum is important in this feature) Flowers with a long “shelf – life”, that resist marking and bruising? “Indoor Orchids” – Pot Plants Orchids must be compact and showy. All Commercial orchids must be disease resistant. Attributes such as size and shape have little importance to a good commercial orchid except that these aspects must conform to the overall balance of the product.
Some of the above requirements are not obvious from a display in a show. Hence it is essential that nominations be accompanied by declarations as detailed on nomination forms. (Available early in 2005) It was also found, in the 17th WOC, that some commercial clones are not officially registered – only registered clones can be considered. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America produce many orchids of genera such as Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis, Zygopetalum, Paphiopedilum and others for cut flower and pot plant use. Many of the seasonal genera such as Cymbidium, are exported to the Northern Hemisphere. Growers of these are encouraged to take this opportunity to exhibit for ACE Awards at a time of season that corresponds to their flowering season. There could be no better advertising than to state that your special orchid, or new hybrid, received a GOLD ACE AWARD for its outstanding quality as a commercial orchid. |
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