b'It Might Be Goodbye Chicago, But ASTA Remembers It FondlyThe American Seed Trade Association looks back fondly on over 75 years of conferences in Chicago.Alex MartinYOURE GOING TOChicago? Inaround the show floor, passing out the middle of December? complimentary hot chocolate to all of Its a question the Americanthe exhibitors and offering apologies Seed Trade Associations (ASTA) staffand reassurances.was used to hearing, especially sinceThough the door eventually was the ASTA CSS & Seed Expo has beenshut, Crouse and the exhibitors housed in Chicago, Ill., for almost 76were reminded of the hospitality the years. The convention has found manyRegency Chicago worked to show incarnations throughout the years ASTA every yearand about how starting as the Hybrid Corn Industrycold December gets every year!Research Conference in 1946, until theThis director of engineering name changed in 1966 to the Corn &attended our closing Exhibitors Sorghum Seed Research Conference.Meeting on the final day of the show, It wasnt until 1994 when the Corn &Crouse says. He didnt exactly receive Sorghum Seed Research Conferencea warm welcome there either, poor combined with the Soybean Seedguy!Research Conference. Though theBut, the ASTA staff arent the name has changed, and the city getsonly ones with fond memories of the blistering cold in the winter, ASTAChicago showplenty of seedsmen found itself a second home in Chicagothroughout the industry remember the to network and collaborate.conference fondly. But, Jennifer Crouse, senior direc-tor of meetings and services at ASTA,Dont Know Anyone? Lets remembers that question sharply inChange That!her memoryespecially one yearJim Schweigerts ASTA journey where, while setting up the Seed Expostarted back in 2003 at the CSS & exhibitors near the hotels main loadingSeed Expo, before he was involved docks, the dock door had gotten stuck. with his familys business, Gro Alliance. The temperature was in the singleAt the time, he had just returned to digits in Chicago that week, she says.the industry after working outside of While the Hyatt Regency Chicagothe business in public relations. team were frantically working to getOne of the challenges he found, the door shut as soon as possible, thewas while he had some meetings hotels director of engineering walkedbooked, there werent many folks 6/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2022'