Chicago— NeoCon 2005 attracted 46,352 attendees from June 13 to 15 at The Merchandise Mart here, marking a 10.8% increase in attendance over the 2004 show. The annual show’s success built upon a resurgence in the contract
furnishings industry with more exhibiting companies than ever in NeoCon’s 37-year history, noted Mark Falanga, vice president of merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI), producer and manager of NeoCon World’s Trade Fair.

“The increased attendance at this year’s show, coupled with the optimism among attendees and exhibitors, reflects an upward trend in this industry,” he said. With our expanded and renovated temporary exhibit show floors and wide range of seminars and special events, the show continues to grow.” This year’s NeoCon was the largest one to date, with an additional 50,000 square feet of exhibit space and expanded indemand product categories, such as lighting, stone and tile, noted Falanga. The completely remodeled 7th and 8th floor temporary exhibit spaces were a major highlight and allowed for even more product and added convenience for all attendees.

“NeoCon is the premier opportunity to share our knowledge and innovations with customers,” said Brian Walker, president and CEO of Herman Miller, “as well as an annual reunion of friends, business partners and competitors.” The annual Best of NeoCon Awards received 319 entries, 40% of which were submitted by exhibitors from the temporary exhibit spaces. Bernhardt’s Art Center College of Design took top honors winning the coveted “best of competition” title for its Seating: Sofas & Lounge and Occasional Tables Collection, which was shown in showroom 300 at The Merchandise Mart.

In all, 68 awards were distributed, including gold and silver, as well as seven innovation, four editors’ choice, and the previously mentioned best of competition award. The Best of NeoCon Awards is sponsored by Contract magazine,
the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), MMPI, the International Facility Managers Association (IFMA) and McMor row Report. A wide range of seminars and special exhibits once again highlighted the show.

NeoCon’s 120 CEU-accredited programs ranged in topic from pitching design to media clients to navigating LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for existing buildings and using color as a design strategy, among others, of fering a superior educational opportunity for industry professionals. In addition, Student Day brought in 1,800 future designers who were more actively involved with the show than ever, participating in student exhibits, tours and a docent program.

A diverse array of keynote speakers, including Bill Rancic of “The Apprentice”; Michael Payne of HGTV’s “Designing for the Sexes” and Robert Verdi of Discovery Channel’s “Surprise by Design” lent their voices and ideas to the market. “2005 was a record-breaking year for seminar attendance at NeoCon,” said Monica DeBartolo, director of programming for MM-PI. “The newly expanded sem inar rooms on the 7th and 8th floors of The Mart provided the capacity for a 10% increase in seminar
attendance.” With six shows in one, NeoCon 2005 had something for everyone.

Products for Sustainable Environments was back by popular demand with an even greater emphasis on green products and sustainable design. Sponsored by Interiors & Sources magazine, GREENlife celebrated sustainable design and showcased the products, resources, people and education available to make it happen. Milliken Carpet introduced Color Vibe, a new way of customizing standard carpet selections by adding a high-energy accent color of the designer’s selection to the carpet pattern. Designers create their own vibe—igniting the floor with electric color sparks in such hues as indigo, violet, emerald and mango. Nine Color Vibe options are in addition to the standard pat terns and color treatments, providing a new level of color custom ization. Two collections—ReMix and Step Out—feature the Color Vibe process. Call 800/241-4826 for addition al information.

New from Freudenberg Building Systems, manufacturer of Nora rubber flooring, was Noraplan Fossil, a high performance line inspired by nature. “The striking color granules that characterize Noraplan Fossil resemble fossil inclusions found in nature,” said Carol Fudge, the company’s marketing manager. “The multi-colored granules are embedded in one of 16 base colors, each a blend of three matched colors that supplement the existing Noraplan range,” she said. “The floor’s smooth, nonglare finish reinforces the natural look of the line, making Noraplan Fossil the perfect compliment to wood, stone and other natural design elements.” Excellent wear and slip resistance make the product the appropriate choice for institutional, commercial, retail and light industrial applications. For more information, call 800/332-6672.

Johnsonsite debuted its new design-oriented finishing borders collection, Perceptions, which comes in three profiles—Recess, Spire and Quad. The collection, comparably priced to Johnson-ite’s traditional rubber wall base, offers easy installation and maintenance, and the 4.25-in. height helps to hide old glue lines in retrofit installations. More than 105 color options are now available, including ColorMatch colors, while the durable rubber construction will not fade or crack. For more information, call 800/ 899-8916.

The Mohawk Group introduced Translations, a collection of woven carpets from the Karastan Contract team that translates the traits of hard surface architectural elements into soft surface flooring, as well as Chenille Concepts, a woven product that strongly resembles the chic chenille textiles used in lush upholstery. Durkan Commercial displayed Etchings, the embodiment of high-end luxury, a precision cut and loop product made with a higher percentage of loop to ensure exceptional performance. Its four patterns include: Etched Weave, Laser Cut, Chiseled Edge and Pin Scribed. The Moroccan Series is a tufted construction with a patterned cut-and-loop texture in a grid like arrangement. Mohawk Commercial also debuted Initiative and Rhythm In Weave, while Bigelow Commercial showcased Renaissance, Fab and Wow. For more information, call 800/ 554-6637.

Utilizing a patent-pending 4D tufting technology developed by Lees Carpets, Product2Faced plys with pile heights to virtually hide colors, offering patterns and colors that completely evolve with different views. Designed in collaboration with Gerard Robertson, IIDA, the versatile Midtown Collection of modular carpets is progressive enough for today’s trends, but fashioned with enduring elegance to withstand the test of time. The Propositions Collection uses Lees’ innovative tufting technology to provide a luxurious, attainable aesthetic reminiscent of expensive woven or hand-tufted textiles. The company also debuted Woven-Square Phase2, and the NeoFloor PlayFloor Collection. For more information, call 877/285-5337.

The Shaw Contract Group unveiled “L7,” a collection designed in collaboration with Bruce Mau Design that brings color to carpet in a whole new way. By juxtaposing a wide range of hues within a limi ted palette, the products achieve a color depth never before seen in contract carpet, noted Shaw Design’s Ennis O’Neal. A unique packaging method was developed for 24square, a tile product within the collection. Each box of tiles contains 12 different hues of a single color, representing the various color pixels that create the whole.
Another innovation born from the L7 collection is a new process of cutting tiles to ensure none of the randomly placed accent squares are cut or compromised during the manufacturing process. The new technology allows for precision
cutting in tufted carpet that is typically only seen in printed products. L7 features two broadloom products and four tile products, all available in seven colors, with the exception of Osquare, which is available in 12 colors. For
additional information on Shaw Contract Group and its products, call 770/607-2430.