Brickworld Chicago 2017

Brickworld - Chicago 2017 - A Recap to Remember

Brickworld Expos are always a cause for excitement around our office. Chicago's expo was fast approaching and we had lots to do in order to prepare. Being based in the Dayton, OH area these always involve travel time for us and some down time before we head out. So why do we travel outside our usual business radius to and attend Brickworld expos?

There is a long answer, a short answer, and an in between answer. The in between. We enjoy the feeling, energy, and excitement of the crowds of attendees when we get onto the expo floor. It is something I advocate all of our readers and clients experience for themselves. LEGO is a timeless toy and one that has many real world applications. You can build almost anything out of LEGO pieces and are only limited by your imaginations. If you haven't figured out how to build it in bricks you're probably not doing it right.

Brickworld has become more than an expo to us. It has become a home. This year is our first year that we have made plans to attend all four cities where the expos are held. So far this year we have two down. It has become a place that we as a company and individuals have been welcomed and accepted. We are just as excited to see the vendors and exhibitors as they are to see us again.

Brickworld Chicago is held at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel in Schaumburg, IL which is a beautiful location that has its own convention center. You're in the heart of LEGO country here because just down the road is Woodfield Mall which is packed with LEGO exhibits, The LEGO store, and a Brickmania location.

What to expect when you arrive at Brickworld Chicago:

Expect to have a good time

If you aren't prepared to have fun than you are probably going to wind up having it anyhow. There is something for everyone being exhibited on the expo floor. If you have a favorite type of movie or hobby it many very well be featured in a LEGO build by an exhibitor out on the floor. Love Drive-In movie theaters? Well there's a few of those built small scale and working out on the floor.

Budget for spending money

While coming in beyond the price of admission doesn't necessarily require you to spend money be prepared to do so. If you are trying to see everything you will more than likely be at the expo all day. There is food for sale at the expo and at restaurants surrounding the hotel area if you wish to leave and reenter. There is a good chance that if you're a LEGO beginner or a tried and true LEGO fan you will find something you will want to buy at a vendor booth. Come prepared.

Getting the best out of Brickworld

You're at a LEGO expo. You're already half way there. Don't be afraid to talk to exhibitors and ask questions about their builds. I can assure you that they will love to talk to you and explain their process to you on what went into their display. They didn't just put together all those grand displays to not tell anyone about them or why they brought them. Talk to as many people as you can. We're all fans! The Brickworld staff is excellent and helpful as well. They will do their best to answer any questions you might have as well. Let's not forget the vendors. Even if you can't afford to purchase something this time around go talk to the vendors. Get to know them. Grab business cards. Lots of the vendors also sell online. They are just as friendly as everyone else there and will answer your questions as well. Many of them will let you trade in other LEGO sets towards new sets you want.

Follow these few simple suggestions and we can guarantee you'll have a memorable time. We love our home away from home at Brickworld. The only problem is where to put all the LEGO sets once we get home.

ChiLUG Brick wall

ChiLUG – Brickworld – Chicago 2017

What does ChiLUG stand for? The easiest answer is to say the Chicago Area Lego Users Group. It's what their name is. Who are they exactly? ChiLUG was founded in 2012 and shares Lego building with their community. Their mission? "To design, build, and display diverse and unique LEGO creations, and share our building techniques and ideas with the world." according to their President, John Thornton.

When you get right down to it ChiLUG means a lot of different things like most LUG groups. ChiLUG is a home for some, a learning experience, a hobby, time away from the mundane, a place to discuss Legos, a time to build, family time together, and friendships getting put together much like the Lego pieces we all love. Elizabeth and I felt very welcome among them during our time at Brickworld Chicago. We spoke with Mike McDermott of ChiLUG and he gave us some insight into their builds and his love of constructing Batman scene landscapes. We looks forward to seeing ChiLUG and Mike again. Our first time meeting him and we felt right at home. They honored us by adding an Emunah Graphics engraved brick to their wall of unusual bricks. See if you can spot us in the thumbnail image! Thank you ChiLUG for all you do in your community.

Heroes Club LUG

Heroes Club LUG - Brickworld - Chicago 2017

What is Heroes Club LUG? Brickworld is always full of surprises and one such surprise this year to us was Heroes Club LUG. Heroes Club LUG is a LEGO fan club based out of China who appeared at Brickworld Chicago this year featuring amazing mech builds and a famous garden build. You can find pictures of their builds on our Facebook page or in the links of the video.

We were fortunate enough to meet Prince Jiang, Ambassador of the group, at Brickworld this year. He was excited to speak to us and tell us about Heroes Club LUG. Also, Prince Jiang gave us the best news any LEGO fan would love to hear. And you're ALL invited! You might not be able to make it for 2017 but you can certainly try for 2018! What's the news? Watch the video and let Prince Jiang tell you himself.

LEGO spans continents. That's the beauty of the brick. There are international languages and then there are international toys. Language barriers dissolve when it comes to bricks. We were honored that Prince Jiang took the time out from the expo to speak with us that weekend. We look forward to seeing more of Prince Jiang and Heroes Club LUG at future Brickworld expos.

Mod1

MOD Pizza - Grand Opening - Englewood, OH

I got to speak with Tommy Sikes the Director of Marketing for MOD Pizza during their grand opening in Englewood, OH. Tommy explains what the new restaurant in our area means to the community it serves. The atmosphere is great. MOD Pizza is reasonably priced and keeps a business model of fresh food done fast. They roast their garlic in-house each morning and you can taste the freshness of it when you add it to your orders.

MOD Pizza's new location also means new jobs to our area for an employer that takes time to ensure their employees are taken care of and matter. They had all of their staff on-hand to train at the same time so each of them would know what the other employees knew. Don't take my word for it on how great this place is. Watch the video and hear Tommy tell it in his own words.

Storybrooke Cafe

Storybrooke Cafe

I sat down with Natalie Lowry, owner of Storybrooke Cafe, this past week. Storybrooke Cafe is a small bookstore that serves coffee, cold drinks, teas, pastries, and some lunch items. They are located at 8381 North Main Street in Clayton, OH. They hold weekly special events that include themed weekends, book signings from local authors, and arts and crafts events for adults and children alike.

Storybrooke Cafe is so much more than the descriptions I can provide about it. It's a shop filled with magic and wonder for all ages. Some weeks they have makeup representatives on hand that can help transform your looks into something straight out of a story book. Other weeks they have adult painting parties or arts and crafts sessions for children. When you enter the cafe you are greeted with a smile, friendly hello from Natalie, the smell of pastries and coffee, and a castle. Storybrooke Cafe is a member of the local Northmont Chamber of Commerce and they are active in the community.

Everyone should stop in, check the place out, treat yourself to a pastry and beverage, and maybe the purchase of a book to transport yourself to another world.

For more information you can watch the video or find them on the web at: http://www.storybrookecafe.com/

Emunah Graphics Convention Booth

Emunah Graphics Goes Mobile

On November 26, 2016 Emunah Graphics participated in the Annual Northmont Neighbors Helping Neighbors Vendor Fair.

We shared information about the services we offer the community and many of the small business in the area.

For individuals we offer wedding, birthday, and special occasion invitation design.
Emunah Graphics is equipped with in-house made templates to choose from and the option for a full custom design for something more special and personalized.

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A Letter from the Owner

Emunah in Hebrew

Emunah (pronounced: em-oo-naw)

 

Emunah is the Hebrew word generally translated to mean Faith.

Faith is a big part of any community. In order to be a community you must have it in your neighbors, your personal values, your community leaders, and the businesses that operate in your community. Without faith in what resources are around you there would be none.

Emunah Graphics was founded with that faith in mind. We want to be the local driving force to help other small businesses survive by offering affordable services to them. We recognize that not everyone is a business and that there are individuals in a community. This is why we offer wedding invitation services, funeral programs, special event invitations, and all sorts of non-business related services.

We take our faith in the community one step further by offering discounted services to Veterans, active Military, first responders, non-profits, and help groups. We do this as a thank you to those that help our community thrive. Without you, we wouldn’t be here either.

I would like to personally thank every one of our current and future clients for having faith in us as well to serve you locally. I am always just one email or phone call away from being able to help.

Sincerely,

Michael S. Cohen
Owner

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