Many thanks to this great company for sending me to Chicago!
View from one of the Haworth showroom windows.
Water Tower Place
Water Tower Place, I took the night to wander the city alone...this is what I found!
Eating dinner in the rain, we insisted on sitting it out..until our dishes starting pooling with rain water.
Trump towers, upon completion it will be the tallest building in Chicago...beating the Sears Towers
In front of the oh so grand Merchandise Mart.. in the rain.
Marina City (More like parking city...)Now that the world has stopped spinning for t-minus 60 minutes, I will attempt to inform you of my recent voyage to the beautiful city of Chicago. Kim (my boss) and I flew out on Thursday morning, morning is generous... I'm not sure the birds were even up yet. And always, when it came to preparations and packing, it was all last minute. I think I had convinced myself that if I didn't pack, I wasn't really going to have to go. Don't get me wrong. There was excitement prior to the trip, but it was choked out by nerves and insecurities. So, needless-to-say, I didn't get much sleep that night.
I have to say, I love Chicago, or what I saw of it for that matter. Kim and I took one afternoon to go on an Architectural boat tour along the Chicago river. That my friends, was one of the most fascinating parts of my trip. There are a plethora of beautiful buildings that are all so very unique. And it's true, I am a sucker for architecture. I definitely got my fix. Over the course of my 5 night stay, I was fortunate to dine at some fine establishments. My favorite place was Au Bon Pain, this deli of sorts on the bottom floor of the Merchandise Mart. One of the great things about travelling for business is everything can be expensed. So, expense my Au Bon Pain, I certainly will (along with the outrageous taxi fairs, and steep boutique hotel rates)
As for work... as usual in the world of construction and showrooms, there is a lot of collaboration between trades and every other designer and their dog. In short, it was a bit of a gong show at the showroom and there wasn't much for me to do at the start of my arrival. Once the installers started to get more product in, I was able to occupy my time easier. But what a treat to see everything coming together finally in front of my eyes. Just not sure if it's worth the many days away from home yet... still deciding on that one.
The actual building that houses the Haworth showroom is the Merchandise Mart, done in art deco style, it allows for over 4 million square feet of occupancy space. Along with our competitors are hordes more showrooms, some of which were also caught up in the frenzy of preparations for Neo Con. It was great to be able to stop in and see them. But I'll cut the ramblings off there and let you see Chicago. I will post the pictures from inside the showroom once Neo Con has gotten under way, until then it's top secret.
