Zinc Burger

I know it’s another story I think I’ve written before but can’t find on this site, so if I did I’ll do it again! If not, or if you don’t remember, it’s fine!

In 1981 I was invited to Miami, Florida to adjudicate a University project with the University of Florida at Miami‘s Architecture Department. This project was sponsored by the Zinc Institute of America, and their local consultant in Detroit knew me and invited me to participate.

I was Dean of the then Center for Creative Studies, College of Art and Design. While I was an unpaid member of the team, I was invited and the Institute paid my expenses, which was as good as cash given a free December Miami trip.

The other members of the adjudication team were representatives of the zinc industry as I remember, and the Zinc Institute seemed to regularly sponsor a large, post secondary design event using zinc.

In this case, the students were designing buildings using zinc as an accent element in the design and construction. I remember little of the event itself, but I remember having a fun time.

The story is less about the event, as with any field trip, the thing the kids (or me) remember most was the bus breaking down, or anything that didn’t work out just right.

In my case it was the arrival at the first night “meet and greet”.

I knew no one but the consultant, and we came to Miami on separate flights as he had to be there early working with the students on their presentations. He was a Detroit area art teacher and was an unlikely candidate to get me a trip to Florida, but I loved his style! I had no idea who I would be meeting, what the scope of the project was to be, and where we were to meet.

When I arrived at the appointed hotel, I just had time to get to my room, put down my bags and get ready to go to the event. I went to the desk and asked if there was a message for me and there wasn’t. In these days before all the instant communication, messages were few and far between. I asked if the Zinc Institute meeting was scheduled in a specific room, and while they had no idea, they said the meeting rooms were down a corridor and all I had to do was go and look for my meeting. Of course, I had no idea what I was looking for!

Down the hall I strolled, and I walked into a wondrous party in progress. There was a large ballroom, with hundreds of people in attendance, all dressed nicely, many with name tags and all having drinks and hors d'oeuvres. I was in heaven. At best it was an all University thing with lots of funders and development opportunities, and at worst I’d get a drink and something to eat as I was promised this by mail.

I got a drink, took a plate and some food and began to wander around looking for some familiar face or type, none of which appeared. I finally asked someone if they knew who the Zinc Institute representative was and he looked at me with wonder. He had no idea what I was talking about, and clearly I was lost.

What I had wandered in to was the Miami based Burger King new franchises cocktail party. The food and drinks were fine, and I took them with me. I wandered much further down the hall and lo and behold, in a small meeting room, I found a congenial group of Zinc Industry guys and my friend from Detroit plus a couple of the University Faculty members. The evening was fine, and I enjoyed the next few days, but I may have missed my big chance to become a Burger King franchisee.