Where do interior designers get all their great ideas? Not just from their imaginations, though imagination and creativity are certainly important facets of any designer’s personality. But the most successful designers take advantage of being part of the design world, and that means attending design expos, trade fairs, and conferences on design whenever they can.
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Now in its 36th year, the NeoCon World’s Trade Fair, to be held in Chicago June 14-16, is one of the country’s oldest and largest such fairs, attracting builders, architects, interior designers, students, manufacturers, and distributors, and offering the latest in furnishings, floor coverings, lighting, textiles, and more. |
“We expect an incredible industry turn-out at this year's NeoCon,” said Mark Falanga, show manager and vice president for the commercial furnishings industry of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc., the group that organizes the conference each year. “NeoCon 2004 offers many not-to-be-missed opportunities. There are more manufacturers, more products, more special exhibits and more receptions than ever before.”
The Neocon World’s Trade Fair is actually more than one show; it’s six rolled into one. The six shows exhibiting at this year’s fair are the Buildings Show, the Office Expo, TechnoCon, New Hospitality, GREENlife and Fine Design.
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Each of the shows has its own focus, and its own flavor. The shows of most interest to designers and decorators are Office Expo, which offers all kinds of new ideas for designing for business; GREENlife, which features products “for sustainable environments,” and Fine Design, with more than 130 showrooms with residential furnishings, from fabric to art, from kitchen to furniture. The other shows, The Buildings Show, TechnoCon, and New Hospitality, will also be of interest, but because the show is so big, you may want to start with the other three first.
Neocon isn’t just packed with showrooms filled with fabulous furniture; it also offers a full schedule of workshops, lectures, and panel discussions on everything from ergonomics to building codes.
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One of the most important talks of the conference is sure to be the keynote speech, delivered by Daniel Libeskind, on Monday, June 14 at 3 p.m. Already one of the world's leading architects, Daniel Libeskind recently took a dramatic leap forward after being selected as the lead architect on the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, the most important American architectural project in decades.
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Libeskind will speak on “A Vision for the Future: Architecture, Art and Urban Life.” |
Of particular note, on one day — Wednesday, June 16 — NeoCon is devoted to students, with workshops and lectures geared specifically towards people studying interior design and architecture. Included is a lecture by Lucy Aiken-Johnson, rising star of Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, Inc., who will speak on how a new designer can have an impact in the first 10 years after graduating from design school.
In addition, there will be a lecture on “Concepts and Themes in Design” by Suhail, owner of Suhail Design, whose works include Chicago hot spots MOD and Sugar. He’ll discuss how themes can define a project by encouraging abstract though processes and methods.
On the afternoon of June 14, there will be a panel discussion that’s sure to be of interest to design students, titled “A Day in the Life of a Large Firm,” co-sponsored with Interior Design magazine, in which industry leaders will discuss their experiences.
For students, recent graduates of design programs, or for anyone looking to make a career move, participants can have their resumes critiqued by Stephen Viscusi and his staff for free. Viscusi is author of On the Job: How to Make it in the Real World of Work, and he has a monthly column in Interiors & Sources magazine, and hosts a nationally syndicated radio talk show, “On the Job.” All NeoCon attendees are welcome; appointments are not necessary. Simply bring your resumé. For more information, visit www.viscusigroup.com .
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Of special interest at NeoCon this year is the GREENlife Products for Sustainable Environments exhibits, which showcase products and resources to help designers and builders provide environmentally-friendly homes and offices. |
As more designers, architects, builders and customers become concerned about using environmentally-friendly products, the demand for such products has grown, making this element of NeoCon an important and popular one, according to Falanga.
“This will be a very exciting year for sustainable design at NeoCon, because the U.S. Green Building Council is introducing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI), a rating system that addresses green building criteria for commercial interiors. In addition, we are working with Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, Inc. Architects to incorporate sustainable design solutions, including LEED-CI principles, into the context of the GREENlife exhibit area,” Falanga said.
You can see that NeoCon will offer plenty of learning experiences, and plenty of ways to build your interior design career. But in case you’re thinking that NeoCon will just be all work and no play, there are also many receptions, cocktail parties, and other opportunities for socializing and networking throughout the conference.
So, polish up your business cards, make a list of what you most want to attend, and get ready for one of the biggest design fairs in the country. To learn more about NeoCon, visit their Website at www.merchandisemart.com/neocon/ .
–Sarah Van Arsdale, Sheffield School of Interior Design
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