Our American Host Cities 

 

Ornamental camellias first reached America in 1798 from England for Col. John Stevens, the inventor of the steam locomotive. They included a double white (‘Alba Plena’) for his greenhouse in Hoboken, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York City. Almost instantly, camellias began migrating south to a climate closer to their native China and Japan, including the three cities that will be our hosts.

Pre-Congress Tour (Capacity 150)

Mobile, Alabama (January 22-26, 2027), is the site of the Pre-Congress Tour, an original French settlement commissioned by King Louis XIV in 1702 to serve as the capitol of Louisiana. (Its capitol later moved to nearby New Orleans.) Mobile’s coastal location on the Gulf of Mexico was strategically so important, it was later fought over and captured by the English, Spanish, and finally the Americans, who first raised their flag in 1813. 

But it was two Japanese plantsmen, Kosaku Sawada and Tsukasa Kiyono, who made Mobile famous for camellias, which were said to be cultivated by the square mile. Mobile also is the birthplace of Mardi Gras in America, which you will get to experience! And it remains one of America’s ten busiest seaports with a strong presence by international companies from France and Germany (Airbus), Japan (Nippon Steel), and Australia (Austal Marine), to name a few.

Air travel is via Mobile International Airport. Hotel accommodations will include two nights at the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel overlooking the Mobile River, and two nights at the Marriott Grand Hotel – Point Clear, a luxury resort on Mobile Bay.

 

 

Main Congress (Capacity 300)
(Joint Meeting with American Camellia Society) 

Macon, Georgia (January 26-31, 2027), is where the American Camellia Society was founded and will host the Main Congress, only a few miles away from its 10-acre office and campus known as Massee Lane Gardens. There you can visit the ACS’ national office, its world-class library, museum and gift shop; its magnificent camellia collection (an ICS Garden of Excellence); and its Silver Conservatory and greenhouses. 

Macon was founded in 1809 on the site of a Native American town dating to 950 AD. Its ruins are still visible, and you can tour them along with nearby gardens and other attractions. In addition to camellias, Macon is known for its annual cherry blossom festival along European-style boulevards. It also is home to Capricorn Records where many famous music artists made history, such as the Allman Brothers, Otis Redding, and others. 

Air travel to Macon is via Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport, the world’s busiest. Our host hotel is the Macon Marriott, a four-star hotel adjoining the Macon Convention Center. Shuttles will be available. An excellent education program is planned.