2026 Convention (Wheeling, Illinois)
Chicagoland Celebrates 75 Years of The Gesneriad Society
June 28 to July 4, 2026
The Northern Illinois Chapter and the 2026 Convention Team hosted The Gesneriad Society’s 69th Annual Convention at the Westin Chicago North Shore Hotel in Wheeling, Illinois, and welcomed the 150 convention attendees. They also celebrated 75 years of The Gesneriad Society with many special programs. Gesneriad Society founder, Elvin McDonald, was one of the special celebrants.
The convention was a great success based on the enthusiasm shown by all the attendees whether they were simply socializing and talking plants with other attendees, enjoying time together on several well-planned trips, listening and learning at judging school or during the various lectures, programs and meetings held all week, participating in or just enjoying the flower show, plant sale, and auctions. The annual meeting/dinner was well attended where this year Wen Fang (China) and Ralph (Rob) and Olive Ma Robinson (New York) were honored with an Award of Appreciation.
The flower show displayed 292 high-quality entries from 39 exhibitors. A list of all awarded entries as well as the Flower Show images will soon be available on this website. Congratulations to all the winners and everyone who exhibited to help make an educational, well-rounded show.
- Best in Horticulture – awarded to Gary Mikita for Primulina ‘Rachel’
- Best in Horticulture Runner-up – awarded to Dale Martens for Streptocarpus ‘Dale’s Monkey Business’
- Sweepstakes in Horticulture – awarded to Dale Martens with eight blue ribbons, six red ribbons, and six yellow ribbons
- Sweepstakes in Horticulture Runner-up – awarded to Gary Mikita with five blue ribbons, three red ribbons, and five yellow ribbons
- Best in Artistic – awarded to Karyn Cichocki for her design “Shedd Aquarium”
- Best in Artistic Runner-up – awarded to Lana Gernady for terrarium, straight-sided
- Sweepstakes in Artistic – awarded to Karyn Cichocki with seven blue ribbon and one red ribbon
- Sweepstakes in Artistic Runner-up – awarded to Rita Gindt-Marvig with three blue ribbons, one red ribbon and two yellow ribbons
- Best in Arts – awarded to Nathan Mamere for “Earrings – The Gesneriad Society Diamond 75th Anniversary”
- Best in Arts Runner-Up – awarded to Stephen Maciejewski for a color print of Gasteranthus bilsaensis
- Best in Educational/Commercial – awarded to Stephen Maciejewski for the exhibit of photograph(s) of gesneriads that because of their seasonal nature and/or rarity are not often exhibited – “Gasteranthus bilsaensis”
- Sweepstakes in Education – awarded to Stephen Maciejewski with four blue ribbons
- Multi-Division Sweepstakes – awarded to Vicki Ferguson with four blue ribbons in Horticulture, two blue ribbons in Artistic and one blue ribbon in the Arts
The featured speakers/lectures at convention were
- Wen Fang (China) – “The Past, Present, and Future of the Genus Primulina”
- Primulina Growing Panel (Presentations and Discussions): Linda Hall, Jim Vlasic, Vicki Ferguson, Josh Higgins
- Fu Jia Xin (China) – “Petrocosmea: Hidden Treasures of China’s Karst Landscapes”
- Beverley Williams (Canada) — “Petrocosmea – The Must Have Plant”
- John L. Clark (Florida) – “Neotropical Gesneriaceae: Three Decades of Discovery and Change”
Downloads of some of the featured lectures as well as other convention programs will soon be available to enjoy at your leisure complimentary to convention registrants or to all others at a nominal cost in The Gesneriad Society Shop.
Thank you again to the chairpersons, workers, and volunteers; to those who provided sales and auction items; to those who entered or helped with the flower show; and to all who attended and helped in any way to make our 2026 Convention a success. The Chicagoland Convention may be over, but wonderful memories remain.
In 2027 we hope to see old friends and new in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, from June 28 to July 3 at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott Hotel to enjoy “Gesneriads Explore Pittsburgh.”