BEST OF NEOCON 2009 GIVEAWAYS

Although NeoCon was filled with an abundance of new furniture, textiles, wall coverings, carpets and products, manufacturers were handing out several cool “giveaways” to draw attendees into their showrooms/booths. As I explored the Mart, I collected these “giveaways” so that we could hold our own little competition we like to call “Best of NeoCon 2009 Giveaways.” A panel of judges determined who really had the best-designed bag, stuffed animal, or other product. Most of these products are made of recycled content. Here are the results:

 Top 3 Products:

HON BAG

MDC MONKEY

MOMENTUM BAG

Most Memorable:

SAFCO BAG

Other Giveaways Collected:

 

SGUIG WATER BOTTLE

WOLF GORDON MINTS/GRAPHICS

SHAW CONTRACT PENCILS/NOTEPADS

 

ALLSTEEL BAG

BENTLEY PRINCE STREET BAG

VITRA BAG

OM WORKSPACE BAG AND AROMATHERAPY FLASH DRIVE

SEGIS BAG

KNOLL BAG

AIS BAG

HARRINGTON COLLEGE BAG/PIN

NURTURE BY STEELCASE BAG

TRENDWAY BAG

LINAK BAG

 VIP GIVEAWAYS:

HERMAN MILLER BAG

GLOBAL BAG

DESIGNTEX BAG

Thank you to all of those who participated!

Now that you have heard our response, which designs do you think came out on top? For those of you who attended the show, did you come across any cool products we missed that are worthy of recognition?

Written by Kayla Stauffer, IIDA Marketing Intern

NeoCon 2009 Favorites

Throughout NeoCon, attendees have provided me with some of their favorite products, moments, and showrooms. I know that I was impressed with the new introductions that will be on the market! Students and professionals alike shared some of their favorites. Check it out!

Favorite Products:

Maharam digital wall

ICF’s OPPO lounge chair

A funky pink couch by SEGIS USA

Okamura’s Leopard chair

Knolls Generation Chair

From various,  anonymous sources in the corridors of the Mart.

Favorite Moments:

Students visiting from Pennsylvania and Tennessee, Emily Haft and Kayla Beebe, said that their favorite moment was getting to collaborate together when they drew a design on the table top of the Campfire Table by Turnstone.

Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at the IIDA HQ, Jeanne Fisher, said that her favorite moment was when she ran into Lauren Rottet at IIDA COOL event on June 14^th.

Student Danica Terlitsky said that her favorite moment was when a woman paid her $20 for her pink Safco bag.

I personally had 3 favorite moments. A moment that will stick in my mind for a long time will be when I went down to the Nurture by Steelcase showroom and saw Linda, the designer, screaming in excitement on her phone and in tears because she was so honored by the award of best showroom. Another memorable moment was when I got to sit down and chat with Steven McCollom, the VP of Communications for IIDA. We had a very down to Earth conversation and he gave me insight about a small little town in Indiana  which is famous for its Architecture. I will definitely be making a trip to see all of the great buildings! Another great moment was when I met with legendary industry icon, Hilda Longinotti, prior to her presentation “Stories from a Classic.” We ended up exchanging my pink Safco bag for an autograph and picture on Herman Miller’s famous Marshmallow Sofa.

Favorite Events/Activities:

Some highlights included KI’s cocktail party, Pecha Kucha, the Global after party, trying out Knoll’s generation chair and Twista.

Favorite Showrooms:

Some of the top showrooms at NeoCon 2009 were Haworth, Shaw Contract, Wolf Gordon, Nurture by Steelcase, Patcraft Designwave, and the 3-Form Booth.

Now that I have given you just a glimpse of some of the favorite of NeoCon 2009, what were your favorites?

Also, be looking out for our “Favorites of NeoCon 2009 Giveaways” blog that will be coming out next week!

Written by Kayla Stauffer, Marketing Intern, IIDA HQ

Don’t Miss the Best of NeoCon 2009

Today is already Wednesday, the last day of NeoCon 2009 (and student day)!  How will you make the most of it?  In addition to specially planned programs at IIDA and elsewhere, remember to take plenty of time to explore the show itself.  With so much to see and so little time, start by checking out the winners of the Showroom and Booth Design Competition and the Best of NeoCon 2009 Awards.

The 14th annual Showroom and Booth Design Competition was sponsored by IIDA along with Contract magazine.  One of the biggest highlights is the Nurture showroom (3-101), which won awards both for Best Large Showroom and Best Overall Showroom.  Rather than resembling a typical showroom in the Mart, the winning space realistically recreates an actual healthcare environment.  “The approach by the Nurture design team was authentic, evidence based design,” commented Steve McCollum, IIDA, AIA, Vice President of Communications for IIDA.  Other winning designs you won’t want to miss include Leland International’s showroom (337) and Amtico International’s booth (8-7054).

Be sure to pick up a Best of NeoCon booklet on your way in and read about the top-rated products introduced at NeoCon 2009.  In its 20^th year, the 2009 competition chose the winning designs out of over 400 products in 45 categories. Award recipients include Steelcase, 3form, Teknion, Haworth, and Herman Miller, to name a few.  You can find their booths and showrooms spread throughout floors 7, 8 (booths) and 3, 10, 11 (showrooms).  Some say it’s best to start on 11 and work your way down.  However, remember that some of the booths on 7 and 8 may start packing up early today because it is the last day.  What will your strategy be for seeing the best and most exciting of NeoCon 2009?

Check back later to read about some of IIDA’s NeoCon 2009 favorites!

NeoCon Firsts!

Today was a big day, not only for the Merchandise Mart and the design community, but also for me. Today was the first day of my first ever NeoCon experience! I started off the morning perusing the showroom and booth floors, fighting crowds, and (I admit it) looking for free goodies! It was a busy day, but there was a lot of excitement in the air!

I took it upon myself to document a few other firsts happening around the Mart. Check out the following pictures to see what I came up with:

IIDA making a great "first" impression! Signs hung outside the main doors of the Merchandise Mart

Busy at the registration table: "first" people in the door this morning

Fellow IIDA intern Kayla takes her "first" test sit in Knoll's Generation chair

My "first" time sitting in Herman Miller's Embody chair. I could feel my blood pressure getting lower!

The "first" time IIDA members enjoyed a game of Twista in the middle of NeoCon

How did your first day go at NeoCon? What will you tell everyone about when you get home?

Submitted by Michelle Carroll, IIDA Summer Intern

NeoCon 2009! See the Future, Be the Future with IIDA!

NeoCon 2009 has officially begun!  Be sure to check in with our blog all week to learn about what showrooms are featuring what products!

Stop by suite 567 in the Merchandise Mart for IIDA Twista, Fourm Presentations, Student Events and much more!

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Interior Design Week in Illinois

The Merchandise Mart in Chicago, where NeoCon will be held June 15-17, 2009

Everyone is all the buzz in Chicago this week about the little event that you may have heard of called NeoCon, to take place June 15-17 in the Merchandise Mart. Thousands of designers, students, and industry professionals alike will flock to the Mart from all over the country next week to take part in the annual trade show and maybe even attend a seminar or party. The excitement has even spread downstate, to Springfield, Illinois (the state’s capital). In fact, last week Governor Pat Quinn released an official gubernatorial proclamation that June 15 – 22, 2009 will be deemed “Interior Design Week” in Illinois, coinciding with NeoCon. This is according to an official press release from IIDC (the Illinois Interior Design Coalition), announcing the proclamation. Hopefully, this proclamation will be able to raise awareness among the general public about the importance of the interior design profession, in case they haven’t caught the drift from NeoCon already.

Illinois' Governor Patt Quinn

In fact, the governor points out in his proclamation that, “interior designers are responsible for planning the spaces of almost every type of building and must be attuned to architectural detailing, including floor plans, home renovations, as well as regulations set forth by construction and building codes….” and that, “encompassing 1.2 million square feet of exhibition space on 10 floors, NeoCon will host more than 1,200 exhibitors showcasing thousands of new products from hundreds of the world’s top manufacturers, and is expected to draw more than 50,000 trade professionals.” Whoa! IIDC (and this blogger) thanks Governor Quinn for recognizing the profession of interior design, as well as approximately 1,600 registered interior designers and registered residential interior designers practicing as registered professionals in the great state of Illinois. Click here to see a copy of the governor’s full proclamation.

Has the excitement spread to your part of the country? Are you going to NeoCon?

Submitted by Michelle Carroll, IIDA Summer Intern.

Participate in the Conversation at NeoCon

Are you on Twitter?  If so, you can participate in the conversation by utilizing the NeoCon hash tag.

A Twitter hash tag allows you to tweet to a larger community about, well, pretty much anything.  The Merchandise Mart is utilizing #neocon09 for the show this year.

How do you use the hash tag?! Follow the example below:

“#neocon09 Knoll has a great showroom this year!”

Then follow your tweets at Hash Tags. We look forward to following your comments.  Follow IIDA_HQ for all of the latest updates regarding IIDA at NeoCon!  Our interns will also be busy posting pictures and their thoughts on the show as it happens here on our blog!

Last minute LEED!

Now that school is out for the summer, it is difficult for a lot of us to even comprehend taking on yet another exam. Yet, some ambitious design students are hitting the books hard this summer in studying for LEED, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design accreditation exam administered by the GBCI (Green Building Certification Institute), and written by the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council). Even though the current LEED version 2 exam is soon to retire (the last registration date for the current exam has come and gone, but the last chance to take it goes until the end of this month), there are still some people studying hard.

Among the brave souls who are beginning to study this summer is my new co-worker at IIDA, fellow intern Dallas Dyer. As someone who took and passed this exam mere months ago, I had a few words of advice for her, and I thought I’d pass this advice onto all of you as well.

Click here for specific advice on taking and passing the LEED CI exam.

As I mentioned before, the LEED exam will be changing into LEED v3 in only weeks, which is going to be slightly complicated as far as I can tell. Specifically for students, the exam they will be eligible to take will not allow them to be accredited at the same level as professionals who have experience with LEED projects or green buildings, as they do now. Also, there will no longer be LEED-CI (Commercial Interiors) or LEED-NC (New Construction), but LEED-ID+C (for Interiors) and LEED-BD+C (for New Construction). Seem confusing? You’re not alone. But, if you’re interested, check out the following links I found that might help clarify, both from USGBC’s website and otherwise:

http://www.intheleed.com/the-leed-2009-greenbuild-update-the-leed-2009-exam/

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1970

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1936

A diagram of the new LEED v3 rating system

Hopefully this advice helps Dallas in her studying efforts and maybe some other people as well! I know that if I can pass the exam, others definitely can too! Good luck to everyone! 

Posted by Michelle Carroll, IIDA Summer Intern

IIDA Events at NeoCon 2009

“IIDA at NeoCon ® 2009: See the Future…Be the Future
For 15 years, NeoCon has been IIDA’s annual conference. This year, the International Interior Design Association will provide an engaging range of events and presentations, all fashioned to yield a discerning glimpse into The Future of Design. From serious contemplation to laugh-out-loud game interaction, IIDA presents a strong lineup of events.”

As NeoCon is quickly approaching, all of us here at IIDA HQ are frantically working to make sure that we get all of our projects done and events planned to make this years World Trade’s Fair a success. As I’m sure most of you already know, there are going to be a variety of seminars, showrooms, and new products launched right here at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago in just two weeks. Mark your calendars everybody! NeoCon events start Saturday, June 13th for Chapter presidents and IIDA members, but is open to the public Monday, June 15th, through Wednesday June 17th. Registration is FREE and can be done at neocon.com!

A complete list of everything that will be going on during NeoCon can also be found on the website. Although most are FREE, a couple events and seminars  have small fees, but if you’re a member you can get DISCOUNTS! Wanna become a member of International Interior Design Association? A complete list of the events, descriptions, prices and contact information for IIDA’s events at NeoCon, as well as registration to become a new member can be found on the IIDA website.  For those of you who want a quick run-down of IIDA’s events I’ve listed the basic info. below:

IIDA’s Chapter Leadership Council (CLC), Meetings and Workshops
Saturday, June 13, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at IIDA Headquarters, Suite 567 and Sunday, June 14, 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at IIDA Headquarters, Suite 567

IIDA presents Twista!
Throughout NeoCon, June 13 – 15, 10am – 4pm daily at IIDA Headquarters, Suite 567

IIDA/Contract Magazine Showroom & Booth Design Competition Sunday, June 14, 8 a.m. – Noon at Showrooms and Booths in the Mart and IIDA Headquarters. Deadline for entry: May 22, 2009

IIDA Annual Business Meeting

Sunday, June 14, 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave., enter at Pearson St.

COOL 2009, IIDA Black Tie Celebration
Sunday, June 14, 7:00-11:30 p.m. at the Westin Chicago, River North

IIDA/NeoCon Keynote Speaker Address
Monday, June 15, 7:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Mart Plaza

IIDA Forum Advisors Presentation: Trends for the Future of Design

Monday, June 15, 9:30-10:30 a.m. at IIDA Headquarters, Suite 567

IIDA College of Fellows VIP Reception
Monday, June 15, 3-4 p.m. at IIDA Headquarters, Suite 567

Applied Brilliance at IIDA: The Future of Design
Speaker: Dr. Jim Taylor, Futurist and Vice Chairman, Harrison Group
Tuesday, June 16, 10 a.m. at IIDA Headquarters, Suite 567

Legislative Roundtable
Tuesday, June 16, Noon-1 p.m. at IIDA Headquarters, Suite 567

Stories from a Classic, featuring Herman Miller’s Hilda Longinotti
Tuesday, June 16, 3-4 p.m. at IIDA Headquarters, Suite 567

Pecha Kucha Night
Tuesday, June 16, 5:30-8 p.m. at English, 444 N La Salle Blvd.

United by Design: IIDA Government Forum
Wednesday, June 17, 7:30 a.m.-Noon at IIDA Headquarters, Suite 567

IIDA Student Series Program: Magazine Panel
Wednesday, June 17, 11 a.m.-Noon at IIDA Headquarters, Suite 567

D.4.21 Social Networking Event post-NeoCon
Wednesday, June 17, 5:30- 8:30 p.m. at IIDA Headquarters, Suite 567

SEE YOU THERE!

-KAYLA

Brand Yourself

Today is the last day to send in your submission for IIDA’s Brand Yourself NeoCon competition!

We have received some excellent entries so far, and we hope to get more!

Send us your resume and business card postmarked (or emailed) by June 1st, and we will display them for NeoCon 2009 in Chicago. One winner will be chosen to receive a free membership for the 2009-2010 school year. Submissions can be mailed to:

Christa Koskosky
222 Merchandise Mart Plaza
Suite 567
Chicago, IL 60654

Submissions will be judged for design cohesion, content, professionalism and creativity.

Need inspiration or a little direction?
Adobe Illustrator business card tutorial
Business Card examples on Flickr