Welcome to the Kleber & Associates blog! Here’s the latest on NeoCon World’s Trade Fair 2013
For three days, June 10-12, the historic Chicago Merchandise Mart was host to the 45th annual NeoCon World’s Trade Fair – the largest exhibition of contract furnishings in North America. Architects, interior designers and design enthusiasts flocked to the 700 showrooms canvassing the latest design trends in commercial/residential interiors, new products, exhibitors, and educational resources. Most importantly, Fair attendees came to network and engage with working professionals from across the entire design industry.
The most notable display at the show was the 100,000 square foot LuxeHome. LuxeHome is the world’s largest collection of luxury boutiques for home building and renovation. It features more than 30 of the finest boutiques, showcasing advanced technology and cutting-edge products that range in style from modern European to classic American to traditional English. Other highlights and overarching product trends include:
Crossville, Inc.: Highlighting its newest product additions at NeoCon, Crossville’s Laminam Collection definitely stood out as unique. Laminam, a brand which stands for innovative materials and unique technology, is the leader in large format porcelain panel production. Revolutionary technology concentrates three square meters into just 3 millimeters of thickness. Versatile and flexible, it is a genuine skin for contemporary architecture, and is ideal in a host of applications, from vertical walls to furnishings.
Dyson: The Dyson booth at any trade show is always a hit, due to the opportunity presented to visitors to interact with their products. An industry favorite, the Dyson Airblade™ hand dryer costs up to 98% less than paper towels, due to a faster drying time and no energy-hungry heating element. The Dyson Airblade™ hand dryer has a 70% smaller carbon footprint than paper towel systems.
Florida Tile: Magnolia by FloridaTile is another beautiful series to bear the HDP symbol of High Definition Porcelain. Created to signify a revolutionary new product category, HDP utilizes the most technically advanced glazing system in the industry, digital printing. Like the HD technology that changed the television industry, High Definition Porcelain brings you the most realistic tile image possible.
Mohawk: Inspired by the work of leading street artists, Mohawk Group’s Street Thread takes interiors on a journey through the most authentic representations of today’s urban art movement. The collection, which features unique patterns, offers a fresh take on inner-city street trends from around the world. It features bold motifs, abstract shapes and bright colors to make ordinary spaces come alive.
Schluter Systems L.P.: From a design perspective, open concept bathrooms are quickly becoming a hot trend on the market. With floors sloped to liner drains, shower curbs and shower doors can disappear, creating barrier-free bathrooms. Accessible showers not only create beautiful spaces, they also provide freedom and security to individuals with limited mobility, or homeowners desiring to age in place.
Sherwin-Williams: Newly introduced at the show, Sherwin-Williams’ latest innovation is in dry erase technology. Dry Erase Coating’s clear gloss finish allows you to turn any wall into a dry erase board without sacrificing the wall’s original color.
A success by any standard, the 2013 NeoCon World’s Trade Fair turnout was up over 2012, with nearly 41,500 interior designers, architects, and trade professionals in attendance. Byron Morton, Vice President of Leasing for Merchandise Mart Properties said, “NeoCon 2013 proved to be very successful. The increased number and quality of attendees, coupled with nine new showroom openings are clear indicators of the validity of the show, and we are pleased to say exhibitors upped the ante with their designed displays of new products that generated considerable visitor traffic.”
