NeoCon 2014

The nation’s largest exposition of commercial interiors at the Merchandise Mart is a bohemoth of an event. All the furniture, textiles, flooring, building products and technology you can possibly stand shine brightly over 3 days of madness. However, by the end of Day 2, most attendees and exhibitors have checked out mentally and the crowds really thin out by Day 3. The exhibitors have it the hardest, dressed to the nines and smiling for 48+ hours while explaining the ergonomic benefits of the latest seating. As a designer, I can at least slip out for a long lunch to recharge, or power-nap back at the hotel before returning for the in-showroom cocktail parties. And then comes the evening, with it’s group dinners and more cocktails. Work hard, play hard. It’s only three days, you can do it!

NeoCon starts on a Monday morning at 9am, but many people are already scanned in by that point and filling the first floor to the gills. Usually I like to arrive about 8:30 for a breakfast on-the-go at Argo Tea Cafe. Have you seen the line for Starbucks right next door? I’ll settle for Argo coffee over a 30 minute wait any day. This year they offered something new – NeoCon Access – a quite lounge on the 14th floor with free Illy and assorted treats. Sit in a comfy lounge chair, go over your calendar of showroom appointments, and gear up for the day. Because waiting for elevators can be maddening, you don’t want to be bouncing around from floor to floor. I recommend starting your day on the 11th floor, continuing on the 10th and then wrapping up with the 3rd. If you’re really smart, you’ll save the 3rd floor for Tuesday. Personally, I can stay alert until lunch and then I start to fade quickly, I might get a couple of tours in afterwards, but by 2:00 I can feel myself losing focus. This is a great time to exit the Mart on Wells and make your way to an open bench on the water and revel in the fact that you’re not squeezed in between a thousand people. Pace yourself, focus on the showrooms you love, and plan to meet up with friends for the evening. It’s a recipe to enjoy NeoCon in all of its inspirational glory.