NeoCon 2012 draws 40,000-plus to see latest in contract furnishings; Best of NeoCon winners announced

by Ann Withanee — June 13, 2012—During its successful history of 44 years, the NeoCon show held at The Merchandise Mart, Chicago, has been a singular event for the exposition of contract furniture, furnishings and services in the commercial and institutional fields. Held annually in June, NeoCon attracts upwards of 40,000 facilities and government executives, designers and architects not only from North America, but from Europe and Asia as well. They gather for three exciting and informative days of seminars and events and to explore products displayed at manufacturers’ showrooms.

A major event during the three days of NeoCon, June 11-13, is The Best of NeoCon, a prestigious competition that limits entries only to those products being introduced during NeoCon. Exploring winners’ showrooms gives facilities executives and designer/specifiers a jump start to see award-winning new products for their future projects. Several days prior to the opening of NeoCon, panels of jurors visit each and every entry. Kicking the tires, as it were, while asking questions of the manufacturers. The Best of NeoCon product competition is sponsored by Contract Magazine; Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.; The International Interior Design Association (IIDA); The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and McMorrowReport.com.

Best of Neocon competition honors 80 products of excellence

Eighty awards were distributed in The Best of NeoCon 2012 competition of contract furnishings products during NeoCon. The Best of Competition was awarded to Nucraft, for its Passport conference room furniture. Look for stories and photographs on Nucraft’s Passport in FMLink along with other major products exhibited during NeoCon. During the next three weeks, as soon as FMLink posts a story on these award-winning products, it will provide live links from the list below. We suggest you bookmark this list so that you can access product information quickly and easily.

Listed by categories are Gold Award winners in the Best of NeoCon and a partial list of Silver Award winners, as well as Innovation Awards and Editors’ Choice Awards.

GOLD WINNERS

Best of Competition
and Gold Winner, Conference Room Furniture
Nucraft, for Passport

Architectural Products
Allsteel, for Beyond

Carpet Fiber
Universal Fibers, for revolve

Carpet: Broadloom
Tandus Flooring, for Needle Tech Broadloom Collection

Carpet: Modular
Shaw Contract Group, for Dye Lab

Casegoods
Gunlocke Company, for Silea Open Office Case Goods

Education Solutions
Vanerum Stelter, for i3 Board

Flooring: Hard Surface
Shaw Hard Surface, for Quiet Cover with In*Step Locking System

Furniture Systems
izzy+, for izzy Nemo Bar and Trellis

Furniture: Benching
Innovant, for FORm_office S4A

Healthcare Fabrics & Textiles
cf stinson, for The Esprit Collection