Considering the divergent nature of the interior design industry, it’s pretty remarkable that a vast amount of energy, attention and money in the industry is spent on a single event – the NeoCon World Trade Fair in Chicago. Since 1969, the annual fair has evolved from a residential showcase of furniture into a convergence of ideas, people and resources for contract design like no other in our country. I have been attending NeoCon for ten years, and each visit offers new advantages and perspectives into the many different aspects of doing business in design and the way products and ideas come to market.
Through my involvement with the Resource Directors Association (RDA), I was selected to serve on the jury for Best of NeoCon. The competition, managed by Contract magazine and supervised by Eileen McMorrow from the McMorrow Report, includes jurors from a cross section of professionals throughout the industry. Every year, an informed group of interior designers, corporate facility managers and resource librarians are invited to participate, primarily due to their involvement in institutions such as IFMA, IIDA and RDA. Not only is it an honor to serve on the jury and pick the winners, it also provides a fascinating glimpse into how contract products are presented and perceived across the industry and across the country. This year the competition consisted of over 330 entries; previous years have seen over 400 entries.
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