The organisers of the 7th Australian Native Flower Conference are now calling for interested parties to register their desire to present a paper at the upcoming conference.

The conference and is being organised by the Flower Association of Queensland Inc. (FAQI) and the University of Queensland Centre for Native Floriculture (UQ) will be held at the Bardon Conference Centre, Brisbane from May 25-28, 2005.

The conference organisers would also like to announce that the international keynote speaker will be Professor Abraham Halevy. Professor Halevy is one of the world's most distinguished horticultural scientists and was integral in developing the Israeli cut flower industry through his research work and industry leadership.

The organising committee has finalised a draft structure for the four-day event starting on day one with a tour of the University of Queensland research facilities and then visits to some of the surrounding flower farms.

Days two and three will be filled with seminars, workshops, floristry competitions, a trade fair and conference dinner. The conference's four workshops will be running under the themes, Nursery Accreditation & Plant Quality; Water Management; Quality Assurance & Marketing and Integrated Pest & Crop Management.

The conference weekend will finish with another full day of farm tours visiting growers (and perhaps a winery) in the Sunshine Coast region.

The event will provide an opportunity for growers, propagators, wholesalers, exporters, florists, researchers and allied input suppliers from across Australia to discuss the current issues and opportunities facing the native cut flower industry.

If you are thinking of attending, presenting or becoming a conference sponsor please register your interest to be included on the conference mailing list by contacting FAQI's Industry Development & Communications Officer, Shane Holborn, on phone 07 3824 9516, fax 07 3286 3094 or email shane.holborn@dpi.qld.gov.au