NeoCon Celebrates 51 Years of Commercial Design This Week

For the fifty-first year, NeoCon returns to the Chicago Merchandise Mart to showcase the best of the commercial design world. This year’s edition is currently underway and concludes on June 12.

According to the conference website, 500 leading companies and more than 50,000 professional designs are in attendance this week. Tomorrow’s final keynote address, “Do No Harm: The Role of Design in Complicated Times” will be presented by Liz Ogbu, Founder & Principal of Studio O in New York.

UPDATE: 12:17 p.m. CST

The above photo comes courtesy of NeoCon.

UPDATE: 10:14 a.m. CST

Beata Klecha, VP of Marketing at Element Designs, has been checking out the show floor this morning and photographing some of the most compelling and innovative exhibits in her eyes.

Below is a black matte and wood office setup by Geiger. Klecha was particularly impressed by the dark gray heather tack board. Black matte continues to be a prominent design trend in 2019.

The next picture submitted by Klecha features new occasional tables by Studio TK in various metallic finishes. According to Element Designs, these finishes are one of today’s primary design trends, with growing prominence in kitchen, bath, living and bedrooms across the world.

Klecha also photographed the below image of a HermanMiller Eames lounge chair, inspired by the classic Vans checkerboard print. The famous shoes are seen beside the chair here.

Terry Coffey of Draper Inc. submitted to MarketScale this photo of one of the company’s commercial window shade products.

Stay tuned for more product images and demonstrations from the show today and tomorrow and plenty more perspective from NeoCon 2019.

For the latest news in the world of architecture and design, head to our industry page and sign up for our weekly newsletter!

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

Adrienne Mageors
Allowing Purpose to Lead: Adrienne Mageors on Building a Career Grounded in Inclusion and Community Impact
November 12, 2025

Sometimes, purpose finds you when you least expect it. For Adrienne Mageors, it came in the form of a question she couldn’t ignore—one that pulled her out of corporate marketing and into a life of service and inclusion. What began as a career pivot became something bigger: a mission to build spaces where every…

Read More
college
The New Playbook for College ROI: Podium Education’s Scalable Model for Real-World Learning
November 12, 2025

The debate around the return on investment (ROI) of a four-year degree has reached a fever pitch. As tuition costs rise and employers question the value of traditional credentials, higher education leaders are rethinking how to make college more career-relevant. Experiential learning—work-based and project-based education embedded within curricula—is emerging as one of the most promising…

Read More
Trades
Heating Up the HVAC Industry: Closing the Gaps in Mentorship, Training, and Trust with Joshua Griffin
November 11, 2025

A rapidly changing HVAC industry is being shaped by refrigerant shortages, a deepening labor gap, and shifting expectations from homeowners. With refrigerant regulations evolving and long-trusted standards like R410A being phased out, contractors and technicians are navigating not only technical complexity, but also a growing need to rebuild trust and transparency with customers. The…

Read More
talent solutions
Redefining Talent Solutions in the AI Era: Soft Skills, Purpose, and Flexibility at the Center of Career Growth
November 11, 2025

As careers become less linear and more purpose-driven, workers are increasingly drawn to environments that value adaptability, culture fit, and soft skills for career growth. These capabilities are proving just as critical as technical expertise, especially as AI, remote work, and flexible paths reshape the labor market. According to McKinsey, 70 percent of workers…

Read More