McCormick Place | Table for Five

Wordless Wednesday: Me and Mr. Clean at the Housewares Show!

March 14, 2012 By Elizabeth

Mr Clean and Table4Five at the Housewares Show

The pose was his idea! And yes, he is THAT handsome and fit

Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday Tagged With: Chicago, Housewares Show, McCormick Place, mr clean, Wordless Wednesday

No Friday Fives Today, I’m Heading To Chicago For The Housewares Show!

March 9, 2012 By Elizabeth

This weekend is the International Housewares Show at McCormick Place in Chicago, and I was honored to be invited for the third year in a row to attend as a member of the Internet Media (sounds so fancy, doesn’t it?). What makes this weekend even better is that I spend it with my dear friend Lisa from My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings (and about a bazillion other blogs too, that girl is a blogging beast). I’m forever grateful to her family for letting me basically take over their basement rec room for three nights so I don’t have to spend a fortune on a Chicago hotel room!

Lisa and I always have a blast at the Housewares Show. It’s hard to describe just how huge McCormick Place is to begin with, then to fill up three humongous expo halls with what is probably a million different things to look at? It’s crazy and exhilarating and exhausting and eye-opening and well, FUN!

Because our email addresses are available to exhibitors, Lisa and I start getting emails about a month before the show, inviting us to stop by certain booths. We try to stop by every booth that invites us personally. You’d think half a day on Saturday, a full day on Sunday, and a few hours on Monday would be enough, but it won’t be!

Guess who we have appointments to meet in person? It’s two very famous celebrity chefs, and I’ll give you a hint – one of them likes to say “BAM” when he cooks That’s right, we are meeting EMERIL LAGASSE!! We are also meeting Curtis Stone, who is such a hottie that I’m going to have to try to resist the urge to just stand there with my mouth hanging open.

I’ll take as many photos as I can (only Internet Media people can take photos, which makes us feel even more special!), and when I get home I’ll start rounding up my favorites on MomReviews and MomCooks. I’m hoping I’ll be able to do some fun reviews and giveaways, too!

So, wish me luck and keep me in your thoughts and prayers please as I drive the 217 miles to Lisa’s. I can’t leave until after Chris gets home from his business trip to California! He lands at 3:30, I pick up the rental car, and then I hit the road. Chicago, here I come!

Filed Under: Blogging Events and Conferences Tagged With: celebrity chefs, Chicago, curtis stone, emeril lagasse, international housewares, international housewares show, McCormick Place, mccormick place in chicago

I Went To The International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago!

March 16, 2010 By Elizabeth

Holy cow, it’s been a long time since I posted! I have a good reason though, I’ve been out of town having quite an adventure! Last Saturday morning, I packed up and drove 4 hours to Oak Lawn, Illinois, where my friend Lisa lives. The next morning, we drove together into Chicago to attend the International Home + Housewares Show at McCormick Place downtown.

We spent eight hours Sunday walking up and down the aisles of one and a half buildings, visiting probably 300 vendors displaying everything from cleaning products to coffeemakers. When our feet couldn’t take another step, we went back to her house to collapse, then got up Monday morning and went back! After another half a day of walking, networking, shaking hands, passing out business cards, accepting free samples, and pitching my services as a review blogger, I got back in my car and drove the four hours home.

And left my laptop in Lisa’s living room. Oh yes I did. Try to imagine the panic I felt last night in the few minutes between realizing I didn’t know where it was and waiting for Lisa to get back to her house so she could call me and tell me if it was there or not. The good news? It was there, and she’s overnighting it to me today.

So, anyway, I got to visit my friend and her family AND attend an absolutely fabulous event! Imagine a building the size of the average Wal-Mart, except there are SIX HUNDRED individual booths to visit. And now multiply that by THREE buildings. I didn’t visit all the exhibitors, but I walked past probably two-thirds of all the booths. I would guesstimate that I talked to somewhere around 300 individuals and handed out close to 150 business cards (most booths had more than one person). I brought home two huge bags full of literature and samples, plus shipped home a small box!

Who did I see that you might be familiar with? Well, how about MR. CLEAN?

I’ve got more photos up on Flickr, and I”ll keep adding them as I go through them. It was an amazing experience, and I’m so grateful to Jay Kelly from the media relations team for the show for inviting me! He and his team did an incredible job putting everything together. I plan to attend next year for sure!