Once again, it’s the Friday before NeoCon in Chicago! NeoCon returns June 13-15 to Chicago’s Merchandise Mart for its 48th year, and we at officeinsight are happy to report that this year’s show has tons of excellent stuff planned that we can’t wait to check out.

The three-day event will attract nearly 50,000 design professionals and showcase more than 700 companies. NeoCon attendees can expect to see thousands of new products across a spectrum of vertical markets including workplace, healthcare, hospitality, retail, education, public spaces and government.
NeoCon 2016 officially kicks off at 9am Monday morning, and the first keynote, Paul Scialla of Delos and the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), precedes that at a bright and early 8am. But, as many NeoCon regulars have noticed in recent years, much of the fun has even begun to seep into Sunday; it seems we just can’t wait until Monday morning anymore!
But, NeoCon is extra special this year for one big reason…the Merchandise Mart will unveil a $40 million dollar transformation of its public spaces, designed by architecture studio A+I. The renovation, in the works for the past three years, will be the largest renovation to this iconic building’s public spaces in more than 40 years. This is a huge deal!
New architectural elements added to the Merchandise Mart’s architecture include:
>The Grand Stair: a monumental new portal of the MART, the 50-ft wide majestic staircase creates a connection between the first two floors, and also serves as a meeting or workspace with stadium seating, a large projection wall and free Wi-Fi.

>The Lounge: a multi-purpose space with spectacular views of the Chicago River and skyline, located atop The Grand Stair, will feature food-service and provide various areas to meet, work and socialize. During NeoCon, The Lounge will offer food service provided by Lettuce Entertain You restaurants, and will be a convenient meeting place for all participants. Comfortable seating and complimentary WiFi will offer a welcome respite from the busy showroom and exhibit hall floors. Lounge furnishings include casual and dining furniture by Allermuir, Bernhardt Design, Davis, HBF, Herman Miller and Stylex, and floor coverings by Masland Carpets.
>The Food Hall: a reconfigured, reinvigorated and dramatically designed seating area with more natural light will engage visitors beyond dining and offer additional space for lounging, socializing and working.

>River Drive Park: a 5,000 square-foot outdoor green space along the riverfront connects tenants, visitors and pedestrians to theMART’s main entry, and includes seating and shaded areas with dramatic views of the river and Chicago skyline.
>Reception/Information Desk: a new greeting point for the building located at the base of The Grand Stair.
Many of us love the Merchandise Mart for all of its best qualities, and also for all of its quirky flaws. We’re happy to see that this renovation will preserve the best of an architectural icon while modernizing it for those who wander its halls during NeoCon and year-round.

Additional building upgrades include better WiFi service on the first and second floors; a new bank of automated elevators on the far West side of the building serving all floors; and, of course, the newly redesigned seventh floor Exhibit Hall with new floor coverings, wall system, lighting, wayfinding, and enhanced WiFi service.
If you haven’t already done so, we recommend you take a few minutes to gear up your NeoCon App and the new My Planner tool, which you can use to keep track of all things NeoCon, including your favorite products/exhibitors, keynote speakers and seminars, appointments and parties.
The Merchandise Mart will again welcome a great group of new kids on the block this year – Architex, Clarus Glassboards, Koleksiyon, Muraflex and Naughtone, – who will make their permanent NeoCon showroom debuts, as well as a host of other companies on the 7th floor. We encourage you to stop by the new showrooms and spend some quality time at the new Exhibit Hall on floor 7. This year, NeoCon seems to be all about transformation – we hope you all take time to try something new at the show, whether it’s exploring new showrooms, signing up for an off-the-wall seminar, or simply taking the time to enjoy the Mart’s new features.
And without further ado, we introduce our guide to many of the newest offerings from the contract interior furnishings industry. Happy NeoCon, and see you at the show!
FLOOR 1
>BuzziSpace (East Pass-Thru)
BuzziBalance, designed in collaboration with 13&9’s Martin Lesjak and Anastasia Su, includes a rocking board and an upholstered rocking pouf available in two sizes. The wooden-carved board helps to re-energize the individual who stands and rocks on it. Sitting on the rocking pouf allows for purposeful stretching.

BuzziJungle is an elevated work-lounge concept by emerging designer Jonas Van Put. This new idea for the social office pushes the traditional boundaries of a workspace. Fair attendees will be encouraged to interact with the piece—and one another. They can climb, lounge and meet in the elevated work-lounge, which offers a bird’s-eye view of the fair.

>IdeaPaint (North Corridor)
ThinkTank Mobile is a customized Happier Camper trailer designed in partnership with Primo Orpilla that enables people to create a ThinkTank anywhere – even on the road. Its adaptive interior design is complemented by IdeaPaint surfaces and mobile whiteboards, so whether it’s parked on a campus, used as a breakout room, or taken on the road, the ideas go where it goes.

>Mayer Fabrics (North Corridor)
The Vollis Simpson Collection is an exclusive new Sunbrella® Contract collection inspired by visionary American folk artist Vollis Simpson. It captures the whimsy, joy and intricate designs of the artist’s work.

>Mohawk Group (Kinzie Wells Entrance)
Earth to Sky collection is an expansive modular tile system that conjures up textures, colors, and patterning found in raw, natural environments. Taking the perspective of an aerial photograph, it evokes the rich topography of the world and its vanishing point into an endless sky. Lustrous metallic yarns in a patterned textured loop enhance the color palettes, offering glimmers of natural light. This visual effect is also created with new tufting technology which allows for exact color and pattern placement.
