THE RECAP
I'm still buzzing from PlantCon Chicago and I need to talk about it because this weekend was absolutely wild.
Okay, so. After Houston absolutely exceeded every expectation we had, we knew we wanted to do it again. But Chicago felt different from the moment we decided to go. Houston was our first time exhibiting, so it was all brand new energy. Chicago was us returning to the plant convention circuit, knowing more, but also nervous about whether we could replicate that magic- or top it.
We packed up pur luggage, loaded in way more inventory than we had for Houston (clearly we learned a lesson there), and flew to Chicago ready to do this all over again. By Sunday afternoon, we'd sold out almost everything. Our entire plant wrap collection? Gone. Most of our real bloom jewelry? Sold. And the energy? Even better than Houston.
PlantCon Chicago was one of those weekends that changes how you think about your business, your community, and what's actually possible when you show up authentically.
FROM THE FEED | Thursday Night: Packed Up Energy & Pre-Show Jitters
We got to the airport early Thursday morning, got through security, and I spent the flight to Chicago mentally organizing the booth layout and definitely overthinking whether we packed enough inventory. We landed Thursday afternoon, grabbed a rideshare to our Rosemont hotel, and I did what I always do before a big event: I laid out all my outfits on the bed and made sure everything was perfect.
We got to Chicago Thursday evening, checked into the hotel, and I did what I always do the night before a big event: I laid out all my outfits on the bed and made sure everything was perfect. Because if you're going to represent House Plant Clubbin' at a major plant convention, you're going to do it looking good. Plant people appreciate the effort, and honestly, it helps your confidence when you're about to spend two full days behind a vendor booth.
Thursday night was quiet. We walked around downtown Chicago, grabbed dinner, and I tried not to think too much about all the things that could go wrong. By the time we got back to the hotel, I was ready for Friday morning.
SETTING UP THE BOOTH | Friday Morning & the Moment It Became Real
Friday morning we headed to the Rosemont convention center early to set up our booth. There's always this moment when you're unpacking your products and arranging them on the table for the first time where it hits you: this is real. These are the things you made. This is your business. People are going to walk past this booth in a few hours and make decisions about it.
Our booth was already feeling more polished than Houston's was. We knew what worked, what didn't, what caught people's eyes. We had a better understanding of how to display the plant wraps so people could immediately see how to use them. The real bloom jewelry was arranged to catch the light. Everything felt intentional.
By the time we finished setting up, I was buzzing with nervous energy. The opening ceremony was that evening and we had a few hours to walk the convention floor, see what other vendors were bringing, and get a feel for the energy.
WHAT WE BROUGHT | The House Plant Clubbin' Inventory
This time around, we brought an expanded inventory because we learned from Houston that people genuinely wanted what we were making. Here's what was on the table:
Real Bloom Jewelry (New Designs)
We came with more real bloom pieces than Houston and some new designs people hadn't seen yet. Each piece is made with actual flowers from our own plants—no printing, no synthetic materials, just real blooms preserved in resin. When someone picks up a real bloom necklace, they always ask the same question: "How is this made?" And getting to explain that it came from a real plant from your collection? That's magic every single time.
Plant Wraps (Our Star Product)
The plant wraps absolutely flew off the table at Houston. So we came to Chicago with triple the inventory, figuring we'd learn our lesson about stocking up. Spoiler alert: we still ran out by Sunday afternoon. The functionality is genuinely perfect - they stake your plant, support it, and look beautiful while doing it. Functional plant jewelry is such a simple concept but people don't know they need it until they see it. Then suddenly they're mentally listing every plant at home that needs one.
Jewelry, Clips & Accessories
We brought our beaded necklaces, clips, and some new plant-inspired pieces that rounded out the collection. But honestly, the plant wraps and real bloom jewelry were the show-stoppers. Those two products did almost all the heavy lifting for our booth.
THE MAIN EVENT | Friday Night Opening & Saturday Through Sunday
The opening ceremony Friday night was incredible. There's an energy at PlantCon that's genuinely hard to describe if you haven't been. It's not like a regular trade show. The people there are already your people. They don't need to be sold on plants - they're already obsessed. They just want to connect with other people who get it.
By the time Saturday morning rolled around and the doors opened at 10am, I was ready. The floor filled up quickly and we didn't stop for eight straight hours. Saturday was a blur of conversations, handshakes, people picking up plant wraps and having lightbulb moments, and that incredible feeling of being completely understood by everyone walking past your booth.
Plant people are built different. They ask real questions. They lean in. They pick things up and actually engage. They tell you about their collections and suddenly you're having a real conversation instead of a transactional interaction. That's what made both days fly by.
Sunday was somehow even more intense. Word had gotten around that we were one of the booths worth visiting. By mid-afternoon, we were running low on everything. By 6pm when they closed the floor, our plant wrap collection was completely gone. Like, not a single wrap left. We had inventory we thought was generous and it wasn't even close.
MEETING OTHER PLANT BUSINESSES | New Connections, New Friends
The plant community at PlantCon isn't competitive. It's collaborative. Some of the best conversations I had all weekend were with other vendors and creators who were just as passionate about what they were building as we are about House Plant Clubbin'.
I came home with new follows, new friendships, and genuine excitement about the people doing amazing things in this space. When you connect with people who get it the way plant people get it, it's a different kind of connection. There's no judgment. Just mutual respect and excitement about what each of us is creating.
I met shop owners, other small business makers, and creators who are pushing the plant community forward. And the best part? Nobody was trying to outdo anyone else. Everyone was just there celebrating their thing and supporting everyone else's thing. That's the energy I want to build House Plant Clubbin' in forever.
CREATOR MOMENTS | Meeting the People We Admire
Okay, this section. This is the good stuff. PlantCon isn't just vendors. The plant creators show up, and getting to meet people in person who you've followed and admired online is genuinely surreal every single time.
I got to meet creators who've inspired my plant journey. I got to tell them how much their content means to me. I got to connect with other small business owners doing plant-related things. And every single conversation reinforced something I already knew: the plant community is genuinely good.
These are the people making plant content better, more inclusive, more beautiful. Getting to be in the same room and actually talk to them? That's the kind of moment you don't forget.
THE PART THAT ACTUALLY MATTERED | Why PlantCon Chicago Hit Different
Here's the thing about going to a plant convention as a small business owner: you walk in with the fear that maybe it was a fluke. Maybe Houston was a one-time thing. Maybe the second time you won't sell anything and you'll realize it was luck, not genuine interest.
That's not what happened.
The plant community doesn't need us to over-explain what House Plant Clubbin' is. They just get it immediately. They see a plant wrap and they understand exactly why it exists and why they need it. They pick up a real bloom necklace and they just know. There's no convincing required. There's just immediate, genuine interest.
And that matters because it means we're not just making things. We're making things that solve actual problems for people who love plants as much as we do. We're speaking the same language. We're part of the same community.
Walking out of PlantCon Chicago with an almost completely empty booth was the best feeling in the world. Not because of the sales, but because it confirmed what we believed when we started House Plant Clubbin': there are enough people who care about this to build something real around it.
THE HAUL | Plants We Couldn't Resist
You don't go into a plant convention as an exhibitor and leave empty-handed. Yes, we were there to sell. But we're also still plant people, and plant people do not walk out of plant conventions without bringing something home.
I came back with new plants, new products to try, and new inspiration for what House Plant Clubbin' can become.
WHAT'S NEXT | Scaling Without Losing What Makes Us Us
Here's what I'm thinking about right now: we need more inventory. A lot more. PlantCon Chicago proved that demand is real and it's not just a Houston thing. It's actually something bigger than we thought.
But scaling doesn't mean losing what makes House Plant Clubbin' special. It means staying true to what we're building while making sure there's enough of it for everyone who wants it. That's going to be the challenge, and the adventure, for the next few months.
To everyone who stopped by the booth at PlantCon Chicago, bought something, and became part of the House Plant Clubbin' story: thank you. You made this weekend possible. You made us believe even more in what we're building. And you reminded us why we started this in the first place, because the plant community deserves beautiful, functional, handmade things made by people who genuinely love plants as much as they do.
PlantCon Chicago, you were absolutely everything. See you at the next one.
