get me a ticket, part II
“chicago merchandise mart, by river
The ominous, block-wide monolith above is Chicago’s world-famous merchandise mart — the center of the contract interiors universe. Where knoll and herman miller and the like keep permanant, multi-million dollar showrooms. It is so ominious, for me, because next week is Neocon - a ginormous trade show where most other contract interior product makers (people who make flooring and faucets and toilets and fabric and screen doors and industrial wallcoverings and ugly country french kitchen tile and, good god, you name it) flood the other 7 floors with temporary booths and smarmy salesmen that talk directly to your chest.
Ominous for me, because from this Saturday morning until next Wednesday night, this will be my world.
We’ve been working toward this biggest event of our client’s year for months and months. Thirteen seven-foot by three-foot silver-gel prints of dan’s awesome chicago photography, one twenty-two by 10-foot tall metallic color print of lifesize yarn cones, three 17″ plasma screens, three iBook workstations, three custom-made and upholstered benches, one 6-minute, custom corporate video, and three 8′ x 6′, monster-sized architect’s finish boards (which we will design and construct on the spot) will go with us.
It’s amazing how much money companies will spend on 3 random days in june. Every year. They create whole worlds in their little spaces. Whole expensive little worlds. Incredible.
The tradeshow universe is a strange place. Interesting. Consumerism at its most garish. I’ll be taking lots of pictures.
later.