This called for urgent investigation.
It appears that ever since the International Check List of Bromeliad Hybrids was published in 1979 this reference has been incorrect. It all stems from incorrect translation from the French in Chevalier's "Monographie des Bromeliacees - Tillandsiees" (1930). Here when describing Vriesea 'Excelsior', Chevalier mentioned that this hybrid obtained the red colour of the spike from V. barilletii and the bract shape from V. conferta (Both are Grandparents!). In the Bromeliad Cultivar Registry (1998) the parentage of Vriesea 'Excelsior' is correct as 'Baron de Selys' and ('Morreniana' x barilletii) where the formula can also be expressed as 'Closoniana'. Purely because of the mistranslation the reference to Vriesea conferta was linked to the parentage of Vriesea 'Excelsior'!
As far as I am aware Vriesea 'Excelsior' is not in cultivation whereas its parents Vriesea 'Baron de Selys' and Vriesea 'Closoniana' are at least being grown in Belgium. (personal communication with G Samyn).
Vriesea 'Conferta' has therefore never been a hybrid but a species which was treated as a synonym of Vriesea ensiformis as long ago as Baker's 'Bromeliaceae' (1889). There is a reference to a Vriesea ensiformis var. conferta in Padilla's 'Bromeliads' page 102 (1973) but this is botanically incorrect.
I will therefore be deleting all reference to this cultivar name in the Bromeliad Cultivar Registry. Vriesea 'Conferta Major' and 'Conferto-Rex' will remain although the seed parent should be shown as conferta not 'Conferta' because it was treated as a species at that time. The same applies to the seed parent of Vriesea 'Baron de Selys'."