NeoCon®, June 11–13 at The Mart in Chicago, announces a lineup brimming with captivating events, activations, and cutting-edge displays to mark the milestone 50th edition, enhancing an already robust show. NeoCon 50 will be particularly vibrant, featuring a week of dynamic experiences and festivities, dozens of engaging installations, and stunning lounges in celebration of a half a century of commercial design. The three day fair also includes an epic The Future is PARTY fêting NeoCon’s five decades of cutting-edge design.
“It's all systems go for NeoCon 50 as we celebrate with 100-plus, new-to-NeoCon brands and 25 new interactive displays and installations. We have surprises laid out throughout every corner of the building and on the South Drive to create a rich and dynamic experience for all of our visitors,” says Byron Morton, Vice President of Leasing.
NeoCon 50 special events, installations and experiences include:
THE FUTURE IS PARTY (The Mart South Drive)
DATE: Tuesday, June 12
TICKETS: $50; Purchase through Registration
The NeoCon community will celebrate “50 Years of Tomorrow’s Design” and usher in the future at The Future Is PARTY, presented by Mohawk Group and sponsored by Vitra, Mayer Fabrics and BuzziSpace. Fresh summer food and drink, a live musical performance by Classixx, and more will be available in a designed environment spanning The Mart’s entire South Drive from 5-8 PM. This is THE party of NeoCon celebrating half a century of design. Tickets are $50 with proceeds benefiting DIFFA/Chicago.
ASID INTRODUCES “THE QUEUE” (Floor 1, West Pass-Through)
ASID is bringing an immersive design experience to NeoCon, called “The Queue”. The unique installation will encompass multiple environments and engage all the senses. Be prepared to be inspired.
BUZZILOUNGE (Floor 1, East Pass-Through)
BuzziLounge will offer a luxe reprieve with BuzziMe Low, a new lounge seat designed to encourage intimate conversations. Attendees will be able to recharge and catch up on emails in this quiet oasis under a sea of BuzziJet and BuzziProp acoustic pendant lights. The lights create a warm and comfortable sphere representative of BuzziSpace’s mission to creating happy and healthy workspaces.
DEKKO CHARGING STATIONS (Floor 7, 7000 Aisle)
AirCharge™ wireless charging kiosks offer attendees the ability to stay powered and connected while on the go. The kiosks function by simply placing a device on the AirCharge™ pad for rapid charging. The kiosks will be located on the main aisle on the 7th floor for recharging convenience and at the Dekko/ECA booth #7-1082.
EDWARD FIELDS NEOCON RUGS (Floor 7, 7000 Aisle)
The 7th floor Expo Hall will showcase an inspiring dose of NeoCon history. NeoCon partnered with legendary rug designer Edward Fields through the early 70s through the early 90s to create area rugs based on that year’s event poster. The rugs were displayed each year in The Mart’s South Lobby. Fourteen of these rugs, ranging from 1974 through 1992, are on display along the 7000 aisle of the floor. Edwards Fields famously coined the term “area rug” and considered rugs to be design elements and art objects all on their own, challenging the convention that rugs were merely decorative. He spoke of rugs as “the fifth wall”—art for your floor essentially. The Tai Ping Showroom on the 6th floor (Space 635) will offer more information on Edward Fields.
EMECO RECLAIMED BY JASPER MORRISON (Floor 1, Center Pass-Through)
Emeco presents 1 Inch Reclaimed by Jasper Morrison. The introduction affirms the melding of effortless design and sustainable materials. Floor 1 will offer attendees a chance to learn and explore more innovative ways to use consumer and industrial waste, along with environmentally responsible resources to create and build simple, timeless furniture that is made to last.
OASIS OF HAPPINESS BY FRAMERY (Floor 1, North Central Corridor)
Framery joins NeoCon’s 50th edition celebration by launching its latest innovation in soundproof workspaces. The Oasis of Happiness will also present attendees with the chance to meet the team behind the world-leading soundproof meeting pods, experience the brand’s new products, and learn about the Framery way of increasing happiness at work. For more on Framery, the main stand is on the 7th floor, booth #7-7062.
MEMORY LANE BY GMI COMPANIES AND TRINITY FURNITURE (Floor 10, Center Pass-Through)
GMI Companies (Ghent, Waddell, and VividBoard) along with Trinity Furniture will present a tribute to NeoCon’s 50th edition on the 10th floor hallway adjacent to showrooms 1060 and 1061. Visitors can engage with a series of glassboards in the hallway by sharing memorable moments from past NeoCon events or simply relax in the lounge.
EXPERIENCE HERMAN MILLER’S FAMILY OF BRANDS (Floor 1, South Lobby)
With a vast variety of furnishings for an increasingly diverse floor showcase, Herman Miller’s family of brands is driving design to new frontiers. An inspirational, architectural installation will be the South Lobby’s centerpiece. Herman Miller has showrooms on the 3rd floor.
ID LIVE (Grand Staircase at The Mart)
Interior Design will host ID Live—sponsored by Carnegie—for the third year in a row. Editor in Chief, Cindy Allen, will host designers and guests at the Rockwell-designed ID Live studio located on the Grand Staircase. The interviews will stream on Interior Design’s Facebook page and will also be projected on the Grand Staircase. Attendees can watch or tune in on Facebook.com/InteriorDesignMagazine. Hours: Monday June 11 and Tuesday June 12, Noon to 1PM.
IIDA: DESIGN IS EVERYWHERE
The commercial interior design association will be connecting the design professions everywhere before and during NeoCon—IIDA is going mobile. An IIDA truck will be making the rounds. The latest happenings and IIDA’s location will be updated on @IIDA_HQ. The IIDA twitter feed will tweet contest details, information on customized giveaways, and exclusive opportunities for IIDA social media followers to be featured on their social media channels.
JABBRRBOX: [Think. Create. Connect. ReCharge] Inside the Box (Floor 2, South Corridor)
Jabbrrbox will offer attendees the opportunity to experience their new “space as service” solution for public and semi-public applications, JabbrrX. The on-demand private workspace, which will be reservable in 15-min increments (up to 2 hours), will be located on the second floor adjacent to Marshall’s Landing, where it will remain permanently. Jabbrrbox will have an additional installation and presence at booth #7-3082, complete with a JabbrrLounge featuring Gunlocke and HBF Textiles.
GABRIEL DAWE, “PLEXUS C22,” SPONSORED BY MANNINGTON COMMERCIAL (Floor 1, North East Corridor, Starbucks Escalator)
Artist Gabriel Dawe is bringing an ethereal formation of color and light to The Mart’s North East Corridor with “Plexus C22,” sponsored by Mannington Commercial. Dawe’s architectural installation was created from miles of thread. Also on site will be a glimpse of the Moiré Collection—an innovative collection of modular plank and broadloom designed by Dawe in collaboration with Mannington Commercial. The Moiré Collection and Mannington’s new flooring collections will be on view in showroom 1039.
NEOCON RETROSPECTIVE PRESENTED BY METROPOLIS (Floor 1, North Corridor)
The editors of Metropolis will highlight the most important innovations in 20th century contract interior design in honor of NeoCon’s 50th edition with a retrospective video.
MOHAWK GROUP – MEGA ART COLLECTION AND COLOR BALANCE (Floor 1, Kinzie/Wells Entrance)
Mohawk will demonstrate the transformative power of great flooring solutions with a colorful, dynamic installation of their Mega Art Collection and Color Balance modular carpet planks. In addition to the installation on the Kinzie lobby floor, Mohawk Group will showcase an innovative pop-up exhibition cube featuring more product details and an inset of Mega Art, Color Balance and Matuto Plus enhanced resilient tile. Mohawk Group will be in space 377.
ZITTO BY MURAFLEX (Floor 1, North Lobby)
Muraflex™ is presenting its newest freestanding pod that provides an acoustically sound, structurally superior, and visually sharp space to think, meet, exchange and create. Murfalex’s design-savvy demountable glass partitions and partition systems are also available to view in their showroom 11-130.
NOOKS ON PARADE! (Floor 7, 6000 Aisle)
Nook offers a place where small teams can meet or individuals can find focus—or just relax, have lunch, and take a breath without missing any of the show’s excitement. The wireless charging facilities are fully loaded with power. Nooks are available on the 6000 aisle. Nook’s designer will be at booth 7-5078.
SNOWSOUND QUIET ZONES (Floor 7, Pass-Throughs)
Snow-goers are invited to enjoy a moment of peace and quiet on the 7th floor as they travel between the two main sections of the NeoCon Exhibit Hall, the 7th floor Snowsound Pass-Throughs. The acoustic retreats are designed with Snowsound Panels and Acoustic Textiles to offer an architecturally-inspired acoustic haven of tranquility. Snowsound's main booth at the show is booth 7-5018 on the 7th floor. The brand will offer an Acoustic Experience Room demonstration and a shot of Italian Espresso.
NeoCon 50 will also feature the ever-popular showroom parties (Monday, June 11 from 5–7PM; on floors 3, 10, and 11) as well as the 7th floor exhibit hall festivities (Tuesday, June 12 from 3–5PM). Partner events as well as the most coveted awards programs in the industry will round out the roster of immersive extracurricular offerings.
For a comprehensive list of events and awards programs, please click here.