From Where I Stand —

A large blank canvas sits

atop a solid black table. Next to the table sit colorful bottles of paint and splattered clay jars filled with brushes. One brush is selected. The tip is dropped into the paint and the bristles drink up the color. The brush hovers above the canvas. It is time to begin.

It’s 5am. The Dockmaster stands on the rear dock of the Schaumburg Convention Center. His navy blue jacket is zipped to his chin. He blows into his hands before reaching into his pocket. He pulls out a large key ring. A cloud of breath rips through the air as he slides a brass key into the rear lock. Click. The door opens.

A drop of paint falls to the canvas.

The unmistakable sound of ripped masking tape adds shape and partition to the concrete floor. The exhibit halls fill with the voices of tradesmen working and laughing between sips of hot coffee. The show decorator dispatches her team across the floor and dock. They scale lifts and ladders. They haul crates and handcarts. Each has a job to do and they do them well. Another drop of paint falls.

A truck driver sits in line with a carrier loaded with stone. He’s been passing the time since the sun came up. The Decorator approaches and jumps onto his cab step. He lowers his window and turns his radio down. She points to an empty spot on the dock. The engine booms back to life and the truck lurches forward. Drop.

up the event by emceeing the entire program live. Drop. The Man of the Year’s brother flies in from Philly to surprise the entire family. Drop. Three generations of family members gather on stage to snap a photo with an industry icon they get to call Dad or Grandpa. Drop. Students and their parents rub shoulders with companies whose names adorn the scholarship plaques they hold dear. Drop. The Distinguished Supplier goes off script and steals the show with hilarious and heartfelt remarks. Drop. Winners gather in the hotel bar and clutch their trophies like Oscars. Drop.

It’s Wednesday morning. An attendee sits in her car. It’s the first large gathering she has attended since the pandemic. She picks up a mask on her dashboard and plays with it between her fingers. She decides to set it back down. She musters her resolve, and with a deep breath she heads inside. Drop.

Drop by Drop

Topiarius, the show’s interiorscaper arrives with box trucks brimming with tropical plants, furniture, and wood walls. The trucks’ steel doors are opened. Plants are huddled like babies against the frigid cold and rushed to warmer air. In just a few hours, this barren concrete floor will spring to life using a vision 10 months in the making. Drop.

The ILCA staff arrive. They exchange final notes and nods. They retreat to the corners of the convention center each will haunt for the next five days. They have had a year preparing for the expected. They have years of experience preparing for the unexpected. Drop. Drop. Drop. Drop. Drop.

The Experience Committee members arrive. Company loyalties are left in the car as iLandscape jackets and fleeces are zipped-up like flack jackets. They shake hands and reminisce about shows past. This will be the last time their feet aren’t sore and their backs don’t ache. Drop.

The Education Committee heads to the Epiphany Room. This will be their headquarters until Friday. They lean against tables and receive their final instructions. Years ago, there would be more questions than answers. Now, they go about their business with a cool confidence as they prep to meet an army of almost 90 volunteers and 2,000 education pass holders. Drop.

Fifty education volunteers arrive for their briefing and another 30 join via Zoom. They will introduce speakers, count noses, scan badges, explain the app, point to the bathrooms, and tell throngs of attendees that sessions are full as per fire code. Drop.

The Awards Committee arrive and organize the largest number of plaques in years. The Chairs courageously agree to spice

The Young Professionals group organizes an impromptu walkabout of the show floor hitting up friends, vendors, and happy hours. Their day will end sitting in the bed of an antique truck surveying a crowd of almost 1,000 people hoping to nab a raffle prize. Drop. The winner of our grand prize, a $13,000 golf cart, signs paperwork while his hands shake. He says this moment is greater than when he shot his first deer. Drop.

A semi-retired volunteer plays with his cell phone and turns to staff and says, “I’m not a techy guy, but this app is awesome!” Drop. A professional in search of a new opportunity and a breath of fresh air scans the job board. Drop. A snow contractor sits in the back of a session room. The forecast is clear. He exhales, pulls out his notepad and focuses on himself for a few days. Drop.

A company searches for the perfect show backdrop to take a photo for Instagram. The giant clown mouth? Adirondack chairs with feet dug in the sand? They select a green wall with a neon sign that says, “We are plant people.” That post will be seen by thousands of followers and customers. A husband will remark to his wife after seeing it, “Honey, our landscapers look happy.” Drop.

Experience Committee members in candy striped vests find their inner carnies for the Games in the Garden. Over the next two hours they bark and beckon and tease and excite lines of attendees hoping to “step right up” and win the next prize. Drop. Attendees grip cotton candy martinis and fistfuls of $20s as they wait their next turn. They can’t remember a night at iLandscape being this much fun. Drop.

A student walks the show floor for the first time. She is shy, but never expected her future industry to be filled with this much joy. For the first time, she knows she belongs. Drop. A contractor only a few years from retirement reminisces about past MidAm shows at the Hyatt and Navy Pier and McCormick Place. He knows two things – that he feels older now and he will miss this when he’s gone. Drop.

An ILCA President opens the hasp to the door on the suite. He is not about VIPs or exclusive clubs. He’s got beer and some snacks. Anyone is welcome as long as you want to have a good