Every year, Chicago’s iconic Merchandise Mart Building prepares over four million square feet of its space for an influx of interior design related professionals, all of whom it will host for an exciting three days. The building has the honour of annually housing what is arguably the most popular exhibition in the contract furnishing industry – the National Exposition of Contract Furnishings, better known as NeoCon. Now in its 49th year, North America’s oldest furniture fair has been attracting top brands and designers since its start in 1969, with over 50,000 attendees and 500 leading brands expected at this year’s NeoCon 2017.
NeoCon has been the platform of choice for a majority of key players for product launches and announcements over the years, given its grand scale and the opportunity for ample visibility to the design community. However, it is the competitive element of the exhibition that makes things really exciting – The NeoCon Gold, Silver and the HiP Awards are highly coveted honours in their own right, with the Gold & Silver being key indicators for future success of the product. Add to this mix a host of special events, showroom parties, and exhibits and it all makes for a truly memorable week. And, to top it off, there are the keynote speakers to look forward to – an evident indicator of NeoCon’s prominence. Visitors to this year’s edition were treated to a presentation by none other than Arianna Huffington!
We decided to head over to Chicago this year to shortlist and share with you what we felt was the best of what NeoCon 2017 had to offer.