NeoCon East 2016 Has Successful Second Run in Philly

 

Philadelphia, PA (November 2016) NeoCon East drew 7,000 influential design professionals to the Pennsylvania Convention Center (PCC), November 9 & 10 on the heels of a dramatic presidential election night. For the second year in a row, the move to Philadelphia proved fruitful as the show continues to draw attendees from the Northeast corridor and beyond. The region’s top commercial interiors professionals discovered a wealth of market-ready solutions, as well as the largest concentration of products and services for Government projects available on GSA’s Schedule. The two days were headlined by inspirational and captivating keynotes led by Marc Kushner and Ayse Birsel, as well as a comprehensive, career-enriching educational program. NeoCon East attendees also benefited from reciprocal resources offered by AIA Philadelphia’s Design on the Delaware Conference, which was once again co-located with the show.

Julie Kohl, Vice President-Exhibitor Sales, NeoCon Shows, remarks, "NeoCon East delivered on many fronts but most importantly it connected the key players in our industry interested in expanding their knowledge and business opportunities. With thousands of new products on display from nearly 200 exhibitors it is in these connections that business happens and market share is won. These relationships are vital to our industry dynamic and for this reason NeoCon East will continue to gain momentum. We’re excited to be coming back to Philadelphia in 2017!”

Day one was kicked off by an uplifting and informative keynote by visionary architect and Architizer co-founder, Marc Kushner. A recent TED talk speaker, Kushner engaged NeoCon East attendees with a captivating exploration into how online communication has the power to revolutionize the specification process and influence the future of the A&D industry.

Another highlight of the first day was the WELL Workshop presented by the International WELL Building Institute and the Delaware Valley Green Building Council. The two hour session provided an intensive introduction to the important WELL Building Standard’s ideology, structure, and certification process. Wednesday was rounded out by several networking opportunities with the region’s most influential associations and attendees.

After a productive first day, attendees and exhibitors reported making valuable connections on the show floor at The Philadelphia Block Party, which was co-hosted by IIDA’s PA/NJ/DE chapter and featured Philly treats and refreshments. Immediately following the Block Party, the networking fun continued at the Design on The Delaware Kick Off Party at AIA Philadelphia’s Headquarters across the street from the PCC.

Award-winning product designer and co-founder of Birsel + Seck, Ayse Birsel, set the tone for a successful day two. Taking a humanistic approach to architecture and design, she delivered a thoughtful presentation that offered attendees a look into how to "Design the Life You Love.” Attendee Karen Young, LEED GA, BBLM Architects, remarked, “Ayse was incredibly charismatic in her keynote. Her exploration of how design principles can be applied to living one's best life was fascinating. I appreciate programming like that---when topics are inspirational and relatable on a personal level.”

Overall, exhibitors and attendees had positive observations about the 2016 edition of the show. Karen Ostromecki, Interior Designer, IIDA, LEED GA, made the journey from Rochester, NY for the show. She commented, “I enjoy attending NeoCon East because it’s a hub for collaboration and learning and a great place to network for future project opportunities. Viewing the latest products, trend identification, and inspiring conversations are key.”

Exhibitors were pleased with the 14th edition of NeoCon East. Here are some of their observations:

“I think the show traffic was high, and we had a healthy amount of client appointments. Most of the design firms were here again, including a nice variety of healthcare and corporate clients.”

-Kevin McGregor, Vice President Sales / Mid-Atlantic Region, Tandus Centiva

“We've yielded a lot of very good quality leads, including leads from end users looking for new product. It's been a very good show for us.”

-Jim Fry, Business Development Manager, Spacestor

“Overall there was a good amount of interest that was generated. We had some top A&D firms and clients who stopped by our booth. There were a lot of people who liked seeing the different collaborative settings this year. It seems these solutions are gaining in popularity.”

-Anne Sweigart, Training & Marketing Consultant, Teknion

“We won best small booth--the 4th year winning that distinction. It's truly an honor for us. We're really happy as a company that NeoCon East moved to Philly, as we're drawing a much larger customer base. The traffic to our booth is consistently good. It was an amazing show. TheMART is such a wonderful establishment to work with and they do a fantastic job. They make it easy for us to exhibit at the show.”

-Noelle Novak, Director of Marketing, Bentley Mills LA

“All in all, the show went really well. NeoCon East is a great medium to meet customers--a place where they can approach us. It’s a great opportunity to connect face to face and it yields new business. As someone new to the industry, NeoCon East helped me better understand the landscape as a whole, and was a nice introduction to the key players.”

-Joseph Boldt, Account Executive, The Mohawk Group

“In addition to GSA, we encountered a lot of A&D, as well as big corporate end users at the show. We're very happy with the change to Philadelphia and we think the networking opportunities are great. The social events at the show allow us to connect with local dealers as well as our out of town dealers, and the A&D community at large.”

-Matt Janiak, Director of Desking, Global Furniture USA

“The traffic was very good. A lot of good people came through and we really enjoyed the keynote speakers--they were great. We saw good specifiers. We had a lot more requests for specific information this year. The show provided good quality interest.”

-Ann-Marie Snook, Vice President, ICF group-Nienkamper Furniture

“The show has been great for us. We usually only participate in education trade shows so this brought new opportunities for us. I can't tell you how many people I spoke to who are in the midst of projects and looking to specify something unique.”

-Austin Haines, Viggi Corp

“AIS was excited to be front and center this year at NeoCon East. It was great connecting with federal designers and buyers along with other designers and regional end users. It's great being in Philly--it brings a new vibe. We hope the energy continues next year.”

-Amy Transue, Inside Sales Strategist, AIS

“I think the show was a success. Very good attendance and good quality people came through and we had a really good turnout from local dealers, design firms and end users. In addition to Philadelphia, we had people come from NYC, Baltimore, D.C., Boston, and New Jersey. The nice thing about this show is that we were able to have quality conversation that you can't get at bigger shows.”

-Kathy Vonderheide, Contract Sales Manager, Jasper Group (JSI)

“Last time IOA participated at NeoCon East was in Baltimore. The move to Philly really opened up the NY market for us. We still had the same great audience we had in Baltimore and then some more. We are so happy about the change. We'll certainly be coming back. It's been really fantastic. We're a healthcare furniture company and we saw a lot of VA representation. Some of our new products were immediately picked up. And it was a great chance to introduce some of our new collections.”

-Matthew Delmestri, Director of Sales / East Coast, IOA Healthcare Furniture

Media can visit the show’s online pressroom at www.neoconeast.com to download press releases and announcements. The site also features an image gallery and fast facts. For exhibitor news, images and real-time information, follow NeoCon Shows on the following social media channels: Facebook (@NeoCon Shows), Twitter (@NeoCon_Shows), Instagram (@NeoCon_Shows), and Snapchat (@NeoConShows).

NeoCon® East is a registered trademark of theMART, a Vornado Property.

TheMART is owned by New York-based Vornado Realty Trust, a fully integrated, publicly traded, real estate investment trust (REIT) and one of the largest owners and managers of commercial real estate in the United States with a portfolio of over 45 million SF.