Contract Magazine – Foresight 2019 - 12

NEOCON 2019

Ready for NeoCon 2019!

Welcome to Foresight-the essential guide to NeoCon 2019 products, ideas,
and innovations, presented by Contract. This year, we're excited to showcase
our expanded NeoCon coverage in a fresh, new format. The pages ahead feature
a selection of products to debut at The Mart in Chicago, as well as a selection
of other special NeoCon programming. Included is a full list of events to mark
on your calendars, as well as preview interviews with this year's NeoCon keynote
speakers: Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch, founders, Roman and Williams
Buildings and Interiors, New York; Ilse Crawford, creative director, Studioilse,
London; and Liz Ogbu, founder and principal, Studio O, New York-whose words
and design approaches will inspire and leave you excited to hear from them in
Chicago. We look forward to NeoCon each year because it's also the place to learn
about the latest trends in design. With that in mind, we spoke to several architects
and designers who provided their perspectives on the future of workplace,
hospitality, healthcare, and education.
NeoCon is always evolving, and this year there will be seven new permanent
showrooms making their debut at The Mart, as well as several brands expanding
or relocating. We got a sneak peek of some of them, and they are all beautiful and
curated with excellent designs, so be sure to visit them. Additionally, we've included
previews of several interactive installations on display throughout The Mart this
year, meant to keep you engaged, and in some cases, give you a place to sit back
and take a break from the craziness.
This year will also mark the inaugural NeoCon and IIDA sponsored Inside
Design Tours, a series of in-depth tours of new and iconic architecture and design
in Chicago-led by the designers themselves. These tours require pre-registration,

Meghan Dwyer

Paul Makovsky

Lauren Volker

Beth Weaver

so be sure to purchase tickets ahead of time. And for anyone visiting Chicago
for the first-or one hundredth-time, take a look at our Insiders' Guide to the city
for recommendations on where to eat, drink, shop, walk, and relax. We invited three
local Chicagoans to share their insider tips on the best local spots for a design lover.
And last but certainly not least, Contract looks forward to presenting
the Best of NeoCon competition, honoring new products exhibited at The Mart
during NeoCon 2019. The competition celebrates products in 42 categories that
have been introduced to the U.S. market since the close of NeoCon 2018. Jurors
are architects and designers, as well as corporate, education, healthcare, and
government facilities management executives who are responsible for selecting
and buying furniture and furnishings for their clients or organizations. Entries
are previewed digitally by the jurors who then visit NeoCon showrooms in teams
at The Mart prior to the opening day of NeoCon. Honors include Gold and Silver
Awards, as well as Innovation Awards, Editors' Choice Awards, and one Best
of Competition Award. Winners are honored at the Best of NeoCon Awards
Breakfast on Monday, June 10, and are published in Contract.
Be sure to look out for further event coverage in our June/July issue
and check out the Best of NeoCon winners in our August issue. We look forward
to seeing you all in Chicago!
Sincerely,
Meghan Dwyer, Paul Makovsky, Lauren Volker, and Beth Weaver
The Contract Editorial Team

12

contractdesign.com

FORESIGHT 2019
http://www.contractdesign.com
Contract Magazine – Foresight 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract Magazine – Foresight 2019
