NeoCon is North America’s most important trade show, dedicated to office interior design. It has taken place annually in June at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart since 1969. The next edition takes place June 10-12, 2024.
The Merchandise Mart in Chicago
The post-World War II period was a testament to human resilience and creativity in adversity. In Europe, architects and designers, despite the need to rebuild from rubble and scarce finances, invented innovative solutions that have left an indelible mark in history. Even in the United States, where reconstruction was not a necessity, the level of creative production in contract interior design in the mid-century was nothing short of astounding. Florence Knoll, a pioneer in her own right, brought together renowned designers and architects to create furniture for Knoll, while leading the way in office design. George Nelson and Robert Propst, with their visionary thinking, conceived Herman Miller’s Action Office.
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In this sparkling mood, the first International Contract Exposition and Congress took place in 1967 at Chicago’s McCormick Place, with more than 200 exhibitors in office design and furniture fields. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the venue, and the Merchandise Mart then became the site of the first NeoCon in Chicago. The first NeoCon, which ran June 22-27, 1969, had 750 exhibitors. More than a hundred, including moderators and speakers, participated in the seminars and conferences.
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The NeoCon in Chicago
A trade show for office and contract interior design
In the following decades, many things happened in North America, both in office interior design and furniture design. In 1973, the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) was established. At the same time, the American Institute of Decorators (AID) and the National Society of Interior Designers (NSID) came together in 1975, to establish the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). IBM introduced the first PC in 1981, and in 1984, the first Apple Macintosh came out. Computers greatly influenced office interior design, as computer use required new chairs and desks, with different postures. Stylistically, with the first Memphis exhibition in Milan in 1981, Postmodernism spread from architecture to furniture. Manufacturers turned to well-known postmodern and deconstructivist architects, such as Robert Venturi, Frank Gehry, and Peter Eisenman, to design objects and furniture.
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The Formica Colorcore, 1983
Made in Italy at NeoCon Chicago
In 1982, NeoCon witnessed its first international exhibition, Italcenter, on the eighth floor of the Merchandise Mart. Under the Italian Trade Commission (now ITA or ICE), Italcenter showcased the work of ten Italian companies, in an exhibition design by the renowned Lella and Massimo Vignelli. These ten companies, Skipper, Bieffe, Estel, Fantoni, Faram, Giovannetti, Skema, Technolinea, and Unifor, represented the global reach of office design and furniture at NeoCon Chicago in 1982.
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The Italcenter, exhibition design by Lella and Massimo Vignelli, 1982
NeoCon Chicago: 50 years of office interior and contract interior design
From 1990 to the present, NeoCon has been a platform for numerous events and innovations, both in products and in display. 1990 marked the inception of the first Best of NeoCon award, sponsored by Facilities Design and Management magazine. Today, the prestigious award is sponsored by Contract magazine. In 2002, Michael Braungart and William McDonough published ‘Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things,’ a groundbreaking research that set the stage for sustainability in the industry. Since then, companies have been actively working on process sustainability, and trade shows like NeoCon have adapted to these changing times.
Today, NeoCon is one of the world’s most important trade fairs in the office design and furniture sector. The others are CIFF, in Guangzhou, and Orgatec, which takes place every two years in October in Cologne, Germany.
Why visit
NeoCon is one of the world’s most influential and historic trade shows for office interior design; in fact, the first edition took place in 1969. NeoCon is considered one of the leading platforms for launching product innovations; from here come trends in the office and contract sector, which spread worldwide. Among the primary and already interesting features, moreover, NeoCon is a trade fair and exhibition, where showroom and exhibition have always been of great importance. To name a few, Arata Isozaki, Michael Graves, Robert A.M. Stern and Lella and Massimo Vignelli have designed showrooms at NeoCon. With more than 400 exhibitors, about 100,000 square meters, and 50,000 visitors, NeoCon is among the world’s largest office and contract trade shows.
The next edition takes place June 10-12, 2024
NeoCon, Chicago, June 10-12, 2024
For professionals, free entry upon registration
Size: 400 brands, 50,000 visitors
Visit Neocon.com for info
