NeoCon, June 13-15, Special Features

 

(Chicago, IL - May 2016) The 48th annual NeoCon®, held from June 13-15 at The Mart in Chicago, is just weeks away. The fair will deliver three days of innovative products, educational seminars, and networking opportunities. The single most important commercial interiors event of the year, NeoCon sets the tone for the industry, and drives it in new and inspiring directions. In addition to a powerful keynote program, including Paul Scalia, Founder/CEO of Delos, and Founder of the International WELL Building Institute® (IWBI): David Rockwell, celebrated hospitality designer and Founder and President of Rockwell Group; and Oana Stanescu, Partner of Family, the architecture studio behind buzzed-about projects including + POOL, the show’s momentum will be amplified by an array of new and engaging exhibits, events and resources.

Special features include the new Guerrilla Truck Show @ NeoCon, a satellite version of the ultra popular emerging design event typically held at Chicago’s Fulton Market. This year it will take place on Tuesday, 6/14 on the newly expanded South Drive. Inside, The Mart will feature several captivating exhibits and displays, such as the “IIDA Effect/Affect,” designed by the San Francisco-based, award-winning firm Studio O+A, a digital wall showcasing Best of NeoCon award winners, as well as places to refresh and recharge like the BuzziLounge and Herman Miller Plaza. Galas and gatherings, awards programs and installations by design firms, associations and media partners will round out the extra-curricular offering. Of course, no edition of NeoCon would be complete without the ever-popular showroom parties (Monday, 6/13 from 5 - 7PM), as well as 7th floor exhibit hall festivities (Tuesday, 6/14 from 3 – 5PM.)

In more detail, the NeoCon 2016 events calendar includes:

SPECIAL EXHIBITS

ASID
Floor 1, West Pass-Thru
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is pleased to welcome visitors to NeoCon 2016 as they arrive with a space located off the main lobby on the first floor. ASID is promoting a healthy NeoCon experience - physically, mentally & socially. At its booth, the association will illustrate how design impacts lives in a creative, engaging way.

BEST OF NEOCON DIGITAL WALL
Floor 1, North Corridor
Contract Magazine reprises its must-see, Best of NeoCon presentation this year, which will once again feature the most important and influential new product innovations. This competition of over 40 product categories is juried by nearly fifty architects, designers and facilities professionals from the nation’s leading firms. This year’s competition has a record-breaking 427 entries.

BUZZILOUNGE
Floor 1, East Pass-Thru
BuzziLounge offers a place to recharge with a playful pick-me-up at NeoCon. Guest can relax with Martin Lesjak while taking the BuzziBalance for a test drive, a seating solution designed in collaboration with 13&9. BuzziJungle is an ideal area to escape the crowds and gain a bird’s-eye view of the fair in the elevated work-lounge concept by emerging designer, Jonas Van Put. It will also feature a quiet nook to catch up on emails and socialize.

HERMAN MILLER PLAZA
Floor 1, South Lobby
Whether just arriving, on the way out the door, or seeking a break from the action, Herman Miller invites attendees to pause, connect, and revive in its vibrant plaza. The space will be outfitted with dynamic range of Herman Miller furnishings—from iconic classics reimagined in fresh materials, to brand new designs that redefine comfort in the workplace.

IDEAPAINT THINKTANK ANYWHERE
Floor 1, North Lobby Escalator
Since 2008, IdeaPaint has been re-imagining how people collaborate through the creation of dry erase paint and accessories. This innovation continues with the NeoCon-exclusive launch of a new mobile collaboration system, designed in partnership with Primo Orpilla of Studio O+A. The new line features three pieces to help take ideation anywhere. IdeaPaint will be highlighting its magnetic PULL system, and products still “in the lab.“ It will also have a 7th floor booth at 7-3069.

IIDA EFFECT/AFFECT
Floor 1, Starbucks Escalator
Attendees are invited to experience IIDA Effect/Affect, designed by the San Francisco-based, award-winning design firm, Studio O+A. Located near Starbucks on the first floor, IIDA Effect/Affect explores how a designed space evolves as people move through it and leave their mark on the built environment.

MAYER FABRICS - THE VOLLIS SIMPSON COLLECTION
Floor 1, North Corridor
Inspired by visionary American folk artist Vollis Simpson, Mayer Fabrics’ exclusive new collection of Sunbrella® Contract captures the whimsy, joy and intricate designs of Simpson’s work. This collection brings new life to commercial spaces by using the recurring details in Simpson’s work to uncover the unexpected charm in life’s smallest moments. The new Vollis Simpson collection and original Vollis Simpson artwork can be viewed up-close at the Mayer Fabrics showroom (1173).

MOHAWK GROUP - EXPAND YOUR BOUNDARIES
Floor 1, Kinzie Wells Entrance
Explore the “expand your boundaries” theme, with new inspiration, cutting-edge technology and unique product formats. Taking the perspective of an aerial photograph, Earth to Sky carpet tiles combine to evoke the rich topography of the world and its vanishing point into an endless sky. With new tile sizes and mixable patterns, unique interior landscapes and skyscapes can be created. Attendees are also encouraged to view the latest flooring solutions from Mohawk Group in its permanent showroom at The Mart (377).


MOHAWK GROUP & INSTALL - “EXPAND YOUR BOUNDARIES” with INSTALL
Floor 1, North Lobby
Mohawk Group will be activating another space that will invite show-goers to expand their horizons with new installation methods. Mohawk Group, the leader in floor covering and INSTALL, the leader in floor covering installation training and certification will demonstrate new and innovative installation techniques, including floating carpet tile installations with FlexLok tabs and loose lay LVT. There will be live installations and the opportunity to learn about the value of quality, certified installations. With new technologies and a variety of installation methods, Mohawk and INSTALL can answer any flooring challenge.


NEW TALENT SPOTLIGHT: FIVE DESIGNERS TO WATCH
Presented By Metropolis magazine In Partnership With NeoCon
Floor 1, West Pass-Thru
Metropolis debuts five new talents in a curated installation at NeoCon 2016. Each new talent will display 3 to 5 objects of design, following Metropolis’s at-all-scales approach. This group of innovators to watch can be found on The Mart’s first floor, as well as in Metropolis’ June issue.
Sponsored by: Milliken and Wilsonart

New Talents:

Design With Company Stewart Hicks
Allison Newmeyer

DAMM Brenda Sain
Robert Zurn

Assembly Nora Mattingly
Pete Oyler

Studio Herron Dee Clements

Steven Haulenbeek Steven Haulenbeek


SNOWSOUND CALL ZONES
Floor 7, Pass-Thrus
Attendees can enjoy a moment of Italian inspired peace and quiet on the 7th Floor as they travel between main aisles 5000 and 6000 via the SNOWSOUND 7th Floor PassThrus. Walls lined with Snowsound Cubbies in two locations provide private acoustic call zones for attendees. Visitors can also visit Snowsound’s main booth on the 7th Floor @ 7-4022 for an espresso and introduction to five new design solutions.
*Snowsound is also providing acoustic panels for Seminar Rooms: 615 & 1450.

WOLF-GORDON "OFFICE_EXCAVATE"
Floor 1, Center Pass-Thru
The source for textiles and wallcovering, Wolf-Gordon, which also has a permanent space at The Mart (10-161), presents an imaginative rethinking of workplace interactions with Office_Excavate, an inviting gathering space deconstructed from the formerly cubicle-driven office block. Over 100 textiles, arranged by color, are upholstered to a grotto-like seating area and to asymmetrical forms, extracted from the "block" that can be positioned as desktops, tables and stools.


SPECIAL EVENTS

DIFFA CHICAGO: GALA 2016 – THE ILLUMINATION BALL
DATE: Saturday, June 11
TIME: 6:30 PM – Cocktail Reception | 8 PM – Dinner, Entertainment, Dancing
LOCATION: Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
TICKETS: 312.644.6412 or diffachicago.org
The DIFFA/Chicago 2016 Illumination Gala will feature an evening of enlightenment dedicated to the cause of eradicating HIV/AIDS. All are invited to shine a light on the fight – and illuminate what is possible.

IIDA COOL AWARDS GALA
DATE: Sunday, June 12
TIME: 7 - 11 PM
LOCATION: The Ritz Carlton Hotel
RSVP: Aisha Williams at awilliams@iida.org
The IIDA annual NeoCon black-tie gala celebration is a special evening to honor the winners of two of the most prestigious competitions in the Interior Design profession - the 43nd Annual Interior Design Competition and the 24th Annual Will Ching Design Competition.

2016 BEST OF NEOCON AWARD WINNERS' BREAKFAST
DATE: Monday, June 13
TIME: 7:30 AM
LOCATION: The Renaissance Hotel Ballroom, One West Wacker Drive
TICKETS: www.contract-network.com through 6/6
The Best of NeoCon 2016 winners will be announced among industry peers on the opening morning of NeoCon at Contract magazine’s annual Best of NeoCon Breakfast. The competition honors the best new commercial interiors products in the industry, which are exhibited in The Mart during the NeoCon show. Honors include Gold and Silver Awards, as well as Innovation Awards, Editors' Choice Awards, and one Best of Competition Award.

GROUPE LACASSE 60TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY
DATE: Monday, June 13
TIME: 4 – 7 PM
LOCATION: Floor 2, Suite 226
RSVP: By Invitation Only
Groupe Lacasse is celebrating 60 years of inspired design made with passion.

SHOWROOM PARTIES
DATE: Monday, June 13
TIME: 5 – 7 PM
LOCATION: Floors 1, 3, 10 and 11
Festivities will be in full swing on Monday night. Attendees can showroom-hop on floors 1, 3, 10 and 11 and network, experience new products, and enjoy food & cocktails.

GUERRILLA TRUCK SHOW @ NEOCON
DATE: Tuesday, June 14
TIME: 9 AM – 7 PM
LOCATION: South Drive
A satellite version of the ultra popular emerging design event produced by Morlen Sinoway, which ran in Chicago’s Fulton Market for 10 years, will be featured on the South Drive of The Mart all day on Tuesday, June 14. Sinoway will curate a selection of 10 up- and-comers showcasing prototype work and objects of design in the back of box trucks.

Supported by: Gensler, Skender Construction
Event design provided by AIGA in collaboration with Leo Burnett
Department of Design, Multiple, ogilvy485, Someoddpilot, and Trunk Club

BOOTH PARTIES
DATE: Tuesday, June 14
TIME: 3 - 5 PM
LOCATION: Floor 7
Attendees should not miss the cocktails, conversations and contacts that will be offered in the 7th floor exhibit hall.

INTERIOR DESIGN’S HiP HiP HOORAY CELEBRATION
DATE: Tuesday, June 14
TIME: 5 – 7 PM
LOCATION: South Drive
TICKETS: $35 online (hiphiphooray2016.splashthat.com) or $40 at the door.
Interior Design and NeoCon will host a party on The Mart’s South Drive, celebrating the 2016 HiP winners and honorees. The Guerrilla Truck Show will also be a highlight of the Tuesday night HiP HiP Hooray Celebration.

ASSOCIATION EVENT – VINYL IN DESIGN: SOLUTIONS IN HEALTHCARE
DATE: Wednesday, June 15
TIME: 8 – 9 AM
LOCATION: Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza – 14th Floor,
Western Stage House
RSVP: 216-241-7333 or cffa@chemicalfabricsandfilm.com
This Association Event, Vinyl in Design: Solutions in Healthcare, is an outreach and education program presented by The Vinyl Institute to familiarize architects and designers with the wide range of design solutions vinyl products can provide in today’s healthcare environments. Attendees will earn .1 CEU credit through IDCEC upon completion.

AWARDS

CONTRACT MAGAZINE’S BEST OF NEOCON® AWARDS
Now in its 27th year, the iconic Best of NeoCon Awards continue to honor the best new commercial interiors products in the industry. These products are introduced to the market in 42 categories ranging from Architectural Products to Workplace Technologies. Over 40 jurors comprised of interior designers, architects, and facilities management professionals, review close to 350 products in 22 hours over three days before NeoCon begins. Award recipients’ booths and showrooms will be flagged with Best of NeoCon Award signs during the Show. In late May 2016, all products that are entered the Best of NeoCon will be available for viewing on the Contract Network.

IIDA/CONTRACT MAGAZINE SHOWROOM & BOOTH DESIGN COMPETITION
The IIDA/Contract Magazine Showroom and Booth Design Competition seeks to honor originality of design, visual impact, effective use of materials and the outstanding use of space, color, texture, lighting, and graphics in showrooms and booths at NeoCon 2016.

INTERIOR DESIGN HIP AT NEOCON AWARDS
The third annual Interior Design HiP at NeoCon Awards honors exceptional people and innovative products. This initiative, unique within the design world, honors commercial industry pioneers and achievement in design solutions and product applications. Winners are announced at an exclusive event on Sunday, June 12. Attendees can visit HiP Showrooms throughout NeoCon and celebrate at the HiP HiP Hooray event on Tuesday, June 14 from 5 - 7 PM on the South Drive of The Mart. Tickets required and are available at: hiphiphooray2016.splashthat.com #hipawards

#METROPOLISLIKES
The popular awards program #MetropolisLikes returns in 2016. Metropolis editors will select the top designs of NeoCon 2016. Winners will be announced live on Metropolismag.com, Twitter, and Instagram to over 200,000 Metropolis followers, and receive a custom award delivered in person at NeoCon. Show-goers can follow #MetropolisLikes for the list of 2016 winners.

PRODUCT INNOVATIONS AWARDS –BUILDINGS MAGAZINE
Celebrating introductions that maximize productivity and sustainability, this awards program covers flooring, seating, lighting, walls and partitions, acoustics, furniture, and restrooms.

For showroom/exhibitor news, images and real-time information, follow NeoCon on the following social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Vine. Media can access the show’s online pressroom at www.neocon.com to download press releases and announcements. The site also features an image gallery and fast facts.

For additional product and show information, attendees can visit the new “My Planner” feature on NeoCon’s site. It boasts an online image and video gallery with product descriptions and general company information. Those who complete their free profile can schedule appointments and contact each other via the system. My Planner can even suggest potential connections based on user interests.

Media Contacts:
Alexandra Zwicky / Chris Abbate / Danielle McWilliams, Novità Communications
Email: alexandra@novitapr.com / chris@novitapr.com / danielle@novitapr.com

NeoCon® is a registered trademark of The Mart, a Vornado Property.

The Mart, a Vornado Property, a division of Vornado Realty Trust, is a leading owner and operator of integrated showroom and office buildings, as well as trade show facilities, bringing buyers and sellers together through market events, trade and consumer shows, and conferences each year. We are committed to creating sustainable environments in the properties we manage and the communities we serve.

Vornado Realty Trust, based in New York City, is a fully integrated equity real-estate investment trust. Vornado’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are traded under the symbol VNO.