Events & Framework Program
WEDNESDAY
March 25, 2026
JUDGING
Approximate start: 8:00 AM
Required ticket type: Full registration
Additional requirements:
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Participants must be qualified judges to participate in the WOC judging.
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Additionally, you must have previously applied for judging via our website form JUDGING APPLICATION.
General Information:
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There are three judging rounds: ribbon, medal, and champion.
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Student judges are allowed to participate in the ribbon judging round.
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Judges will be assigned to groups of 10-15 people based on their preferences provided in the application form.
More information will be provided soon.
WEDNESDAY
March 25, 2026
OPENING PARTY
Approximate start: TBD (evening)
Required ticket type: Full registration
More information will be provided soon.
THURSDAY
March 26, 2026
OPENING CEREMONY
Approximate start: TBD (morning)
Required ticket type: Full registration
The opening ceremony marks the official start of the conference and will be followed by the first keynote speaker and the official lecture program. We plan to launch the lecture series in early summer 2025.
More information will be provided soon.
FRIDAY
March 27, 2026
NIGHT OF THE ORCHIDS
Approximate start: 7:00 PM
Required ticket type: Full registration, Single Day Registration*, D.O.G.-Season Pass
The Night of the Orchids is a special evening event featuring a spectacular lighting display in the orchid show area. The sales area will also be open, allowing visitors to shop throughout the evening.
More information will be provided soon.
*If you purchase a single-day ticket and validate it for Friday, you will be able to attend this exclusive event.
SATURDAY
March 28, 2026
GALA DINNER
Approximate start: 7:30 PM
Required ticket type: Gala Dinner
Join us for a special evening hosted by the D.O.G. on March 28 at the historic Ball- & Brauhaus Watzke, located directly along the Elbe River in Dresden. Known for its cozy atmosphere, cultural events, and in-house craft beer, Watzke perfectly blends Saxon brewing tradition with heritage charm.
Evening Highlights:
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Sparkling wine reception from 7:30 p.m.
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3-course dinner: Starter & dessert served at the table; main course offered as an abundant regional buffet
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All drinks included: Non-alcoholic beverages, wine, beer, and hot drinks
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Price: €150 per person
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Live music throughout the evening for a festive ambiance
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Charity auction of orchid plants, books & memorabilia for the WOC Trust
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Free shuttle service from selected partner hotels
SUNDAY
March 29, 2026
CLOSING CEREMONY
Approximate start: TBD (afternoon)
Required ticket type: Full registration
More information will be provided soon.
POST WOC
March/April 2026
EUROPEAN
ORCHID TRIPS
Required ticket type: separate booking
To give the participants of the WOC, some of whom will have traveled from far away, the opportunity to experience the rich variety of European orchids as well as to the orchid conservation programs of European botanical gardens, we are organizing several orchid - themed tours of approximately 7–8 days duration. Our partner, IC-Naturreisen, has many years of experience in organizing botanical tours to natural orchid habitats, often combined with fascinating cultural experiences. The Mediterranean tours will take place after the WOC, with participants either being picked up in Dresden on Sunday, March 29, 2026, or flying directly from Dresden on the morning of March 30, 2026. A pre-congress coach tour, featuring exclusive visits to botanical gardens and their orchid collections as well as cultural sightseeing at Heidelberg, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna and Prague, will take place before the WOC. It will start on March 17, 2026 in Frankfurt and end in Dresden on March 25, 2026. The tour prices will range between €2,400 and €3,000, depending on the destination. Given the international nature of the groups, the tours will be conducted in English. In case of high demand from members of the German Orchid Society (D.O.G.), additional German-speaking groups may be formed.
