James K. McCusker, Viante Home Products Company, demonstrates his company’s new coffee maker at The International Home and Housewares Show at McCormick Place in 2009. (Bradley Piper/Chicago Tribune)
By Kathy Bergen
| Top executives with the International Home + Housewares Show fired off an email to Gov. Pat Quinn today, saying they could not recommend Chicago as the show’s venue for 2012 and beyond when their board meets later this week unless the governor signs the McCormick Place overhaul legislation.
“The lack of signature to this bill will ultimately send us and other vitally important trade show business elsewhere,” the email stated. It was signed by Phil Brandl, president of the International Housewares Association, and Mia Rampersad, the group’s vice president/trade shows. The association’s show has been a cornerstone of the city’s convention business since 1939.
Quinn is expected to make a decision on the bill within days. Sources expect he will sign it, but will try to attach some changes as well.
I sure hope they have the cojones to move their show somewhere else if Quinn doesn’t sign the bill. Once all the big shows have moved elsewhere, let’s see how many six-figure patronage jobs remain for the high-school dropouts, err, I mean the executives and union members who work at McPier.
About time somone puts their foot down! McCormick Place is ran by a bunch of money hungry clowns. Changes have been long overdue for the way that whole system is ran. It’s a total joke of humanity. Charge somone $900 to install a light bulb. Geez give it up already! I hope every place bans McCormick until they get with the times.