NeoCon announces full programme of dynamic events

With more than 400 companies showcasing thousands of new products, programming from the industry’s top thought leaders, and more, the 2022 edition of NeoCon (June 13-15) will be jam-packed with innovation and opportunities to experience the future of commercial interior design first hand. A hub for community and connecting within the industry, this year’s NeoCon will offer a wealth of engaging installations, as well as on-site activations and events that will provide invaluable moments to gather together, learn from each other, and share ideas.

“We are thrilled by all the excitement and buzz around NeoCon 2022,” comments Lisa Simonian, Vice President of Marketing for NeoCon. “Our exhibitors, partners, and sponsors are all hard at work planning show-stopping designs, programming, installations, and activations that represent the best of what our community has to offer.”

Festivities will begin on-site at theMART the weekend leading up to NeoCon. Interior Design’s annual HiP Awards will take place on the steps of Marshall’s Landing Sunday evening, celebrating standout products and design thinkers in the A+D community. Following the HiP Awards, IIDA’s black-tie gala, Revel in Design (formally the COOL Ball) will commence at The Ritz, honoring the winners of the 49th Annual Interior Design Competition and the 30th Annual Will Ching Design Competition.

The 32nd Best of NeoCon Awards Breakfast, honoring the most innovative commercial products of 2022 will kick off NeoCon on Monday morning of the show. Bob Beck, Editor-in-Chief of officeinsight and NeoCon community leader, will once again play host and announce the winners of the highly anticipated awards. Additional awards and events include the DIFFA Chicago: MASQ Gala (June 11), IIDA’s Annual Meeting (June 12), IIDA Showroom and Booth Design Competition, the MetropolisLikes virtual awards, the inaugural NeoCon Business Innovation Awards and the BIFMA’s Business Breakfast (June 15).

Throughout the show floors, attendees will discover a number of exciting experiences and interactive displays from media partners, organizations, and sponsors. Danish Design Makers (DDM), an alliance of designers with different backgrounds, but all with strong ties to the Danish Design culture, will be debuting IN UNION on the 10th floor (1091).

The special exhibit will showcase DDM’s approach to Danish design solutions in a post-pandemic world, focusing on their belief in openness, collaboration and community. SANDOW will be popping up on the 3rd floor (380) with their first-ever DesignScene gathering space.

This interactive environment will be the home of the Interior Design Show Daily office, happy hours hosted by Material Bank, a silent auction and installation in support of DIFFA, and the return of Metropolis Magazine’s Sustainability Lab, which will offer a selection of environmentally-innovative products and insight on how designers can address climate change and build sustainably.

ASID’s Climate, Health and Equity Lounge (1st Floor, West Pass Through) will also offer an experiential space to learn from brands that are minimizing their impact and finding ways to slow the impact of climate change. Interiors + Sources (i+s) will present their Trend Futures pop-up, an exploratory exhibit curated by trend forecaster and design entrepreneur Stacy Garcia on the 10th floor (10-109). Garcia will offer insight into the colors, patterns, textures, and technologies that are shaping the future of design as well as an insider 101 into nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and their growing role in the design industry and beyond. For every visitor in the space, $1 will go to IIDA’s Design Your World student program.

During NeoCon, Art on theMART, the largest permanent digital art projection in the world, will feature a special schedule of two works running on the facade of theMART nightly at 9pm and 9:30pm June 11 through June 15 from acclaimed American artist and NeoCon keynote Nick Cave features completely original footage together with remastered content from Cave’s original film Drive-By (2011). “Chicago Design Through the Decades,” a collaboration with the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), Columbia College Chicago, and the Chicago Design Archive (CDA), will celebrate the last 100 years of Chicago design.

Participating exhibitors will also showcase interactive installations across public spaces throughout theMART, offering attendees areas to connect, commune, and recharge. These include Mohawk Group’s Lichen Community calming carpet installation (Kinzie/Wells Interior Entrance), SnapCab’s Workspace pod pop-up (1st floor Center Passthrough), a Haworth brand exhibit, designed by Studio Urquiola (1st floor South Lobby), Framery’s Framery One (main image), the first-ever connected, soundproof meeting pod (1st floor North Central Corridor), NOOK’s Back on Parade privacy bubbles (6th floor, 6000 aisle), and Zenbooth’s Connections Café with interactive activities to help you connect and network in meaningful ways (7th floor Café).

Outside theMART will be several community-focused spaces for attendees to gather for meetings or to unwind with a cocktail at the end of the busy day, including KFI Studios’ unveiling of the Juna Outdoor Collection at the exterior Kinzie/Wells Entrance and the return of the River Park, an urban boardwalk along the river with a variety of social spaces, presented by Haworth.

Full show details and access to registration are available at neocon.com. For showroom, exhibitor, and general NeoCon news, images, and real-time information, follow NeoCon on: Facebook?(@NeoConShows), Twitter (@NeoCon_Shows), and Instagram (@NeoCon_Shows).