Alan Koch – Gold Country Orchids (CA)

Internationally known for breeding compact and miniature Cattleyas. Alan has written for AOS and Orchid Digest and is a sought-after speaker and judge with over 250,000 orchids in cultivation.

Jim Roberts – Florida SunCoast Orchids (FL)

Award-winning hybridizer with 235+ registered crosses. Jim’s creations in the Cattleya alliance are colorful, unique, and easy to grow. Recipient of the AOS Hybridizer of the Year award.

Phillip Hamilton Bredren Orchids, Apopka, FL

Biography

Phillip Hamilton was born and raised in Jamaica, where he inherited his father’s love for orchids and spent his early years working in the family’s nursery, Hamlyn Orchids. While his father focused on Jamaican native Broughtonia species and their hybrids, Phillip found his own passion in Phalaenopsis, a genus he began growing and hybridizing at the age of eight.

He pursued both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Environmental Horticulture at the University of Florida in Gainesville and currently serves as a Senior Judge for the American Orchid Society (AOS).

Professionally, Phillip has worked as a grower and manager for two major orchid production nurseries in Central Florida. In 2013, he founded Bredren Orchids, initially as a part-time venture to share his unique Phalaenopsis and Broughtonia hybrids. Since 2017, he has dedicated himself full-time to the business, with the valued support of his wife, Liz. Together, they are working to expand Bredren Orchids beyond its current mail-order model.

Phillip will be offering a variety of plants for sale, including novelty Phalaenopsis species and hybrids, along with select Cattleya, Brassavola, and their related hybrids.

Sarah Hurdel
Owner of Needmore Orchids

Sarah Hurdel is the passionate owner of Needmore Orchids. She is an artist, orchid exhibitor, blogger, and an accredited judge with the American Orchid Society (AOS). Known for her exceptional skill in growing Habenaria species and hybrids, Sarah maintains a personal collection of over 600 orchids—all cultivated under lights in her basement. Despite not having a greenhouse, her plants have earned numerous AOS awards for culture, flower quality, and exhibit design.

Sarah began her orchid journey in 2002 with a single Habenaria rhodocheila. Her love for orchids quickly grew into a lifelong pursuit, leading her to develop unique growing techniques such as LED-lit vertical shelving to maximize indoor growing space.

Her knowledge and passion for orchids have made her a sought-after speaker across the U.S. and Canada. Sarah regularly presents to orchid societies, blending education with humor, photography, and personal insight. She is also the author behind the blog and Facebook page Something About Orchids, where she shares practical growing tips and her latest discoveries.

To learn more or follow her orchid adventures, visit her Facebook page:
Something About Orchids on Facebook