Bangkok--18 Nov--Jigsaw Communication
Doritaenopsis orchid renamed Sir Elton John in an Orchid Naming Ceremony at Sands Expo and Convention Center
20th World Orchid Show, organized by National Parks Boards, Orchid Society of Southeast Asia and supported by Marina Bay Sands is proud to honour Sir Elton John in an Orchid naming ceremony, where the orchid species, Doritaenopsis was renamed Doritaenopsis Sir Elton John. The National Parks tradition has seen orchids named after visiting VIP dignitaries and celebrities in the likes of Jackie Chan, Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, US First Lady Laura Bush, Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth.
The prestigious ceremony was preceded over by Dr. Kiat W. Tan, Chairman of 20th WOC Organising Committee, who removed the plaque with parentage of the plant invited Sir Elton John to replace it with a plaque bearing his name.
A beaming Sir Elton John said “I have been meaning to get some rest and Singapore is such a great place to do that. I have had a lupine named after me and even a rose but never an orchid and this is a great honour as I am an avid lover of gardens. Thank you for your kindness for this as it is an eloquent list of people I seem to have joined and this is indeed the most beautiful specimen of orchid.”
Showy and full-bodied, Doritaenopsis is a phalaenopsis hybrid belonging to the Harlequin group bearing 9 flowers on each inflorescence. The striking magenta pattern and large petals combined with an arresting golden forked lip makes this exceptional orchid hybrid a perfect fit for world-famous Sir Elton John.
Eager to have his orchid flown home to England, Sir Elton John said “David and I were talking last night and we are going to put it in our garden in England to grow some orchids so we can have our own at home.”
To mark this special occasion, Marina Bay Sands created a special flower arrangement modelled after the iconic three towers and topped off with the picturesque Sands SkyPark. Made entirely out of orchids, the model is 80cm high and 112cm long and was built over 24 hours by the Marina Bay Sands in-house floral team.
Organized by the National Parks Board and Orchid Society of Southeast Asia, the 20th World Orchid Conference (20WOC) is a triennial prestigious international event where some of the world’s finest and most spectacular orchids displayed at the show compete to win top accolades in the orchid world.
Marina Bay Sands is fast becoming a hotspot for international superstars, having previously hosted Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Kobe Bryant, Katy Perry, Kylie Minogue, Ludacris, David Foster, Rain, Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Woods.
Sir Elton John with Doritaenopsis Sir Elton John
Sir Elton with partner David Furnish and son, Zachary
Marina Bay Sands Orchid Model