This is Where Furniture Icons are Born

By Diana Mosher, Editorial Director

You know that good-looking desk chair you first noticed at all your favorite hotels… and then spotted in a couple of movies… and now you’ve had your team make it a staple in the amenity spaces across your entire multifamily portfolio?

Like most iconic furniture, that contemporary mid-back swivel desk chair was likely first introduced to the world at Neocon, the largest commercial interiors show in North America. The chairs and other types of products that are rolled out here every year are all designed with an eye on workforce productivity and return on investment.

An instant hit since 1969, NeoCon takes place at The Merchandise Mart in Chicago every summer. The three-day event attracts nearly 50,000 design professionals and showcases more than 700 leading companies that manufacture many of the products, like everyone’s favorite desk chair.

I’m at NeoCon this year, from June 16-17, reporting on the business-driven design trends impacting commercial real estate—including the multifamily sector whose asset managers know the importance of staying abreast of the latest design trends. Look for my special reports on behalf of Multi-Housing News and Commercial Property Executive.

A highlight of the show is the annual Best of NeoCon competition presented by Contract magazine with The McMorrow Report. The Best of NeoCon is judged the weekend before by a hard-working jury comprised of 50 facilities managers, architects and interior designers. There are 42 categories from Architectural Products to Workplace Technologies. See all the entries here.