Countless live events have been canceled this year during the global Covid-19 pandemic. From sports, to music, and exhibitions. The flooring industry’s big events did not escape the lockdown either.
To ensure NeoCon, one of the biggest annual floor showcases could still reach an audience, the organizers decided to make the show available virtually.
Traditionally NeoCon has been held every June in Chicago at the Merchandise Mart for the past 52 years, bustling with exhibitors, students, and design professionals.
This year instead, NeoConnect, a virtual showcase features a series of online events, resources, and engaging programming. Exhibitors, partners and the NeoCon community can connect from June 2020 through Fall 2020.
To achieve this, NeoConnect is relying on virtual technology including virtual showrooms, virtual forums, and more to create engagement.
Exhibitors and manufacturers are utilizing online design events to highlight their design team, new product releases, creative design ideas, and CEU presentations as well as giving sneak peeks of what is to come. These trends and new innovations are vital for the future of the industry and it is fantastic news that they are still finding a way to promote and get these offerings out there. There are also tons of industry blogs, Instagram feeds, and interesting online events to get into at NeoConnect. Iinteriors+sources alongside a group of talented SCAD students are taking would-be NeoCon exhibits and creating unique hand sketches overlaid with technology to provide designers with the latest product introductions.
You can also learn more about NeoCon’s new partnership with the City of Chicago and meet the 2020 Design Impact Grant Recipients, or hear about the influence of sustainability and wellness on design, or how surface materials affect the spread of bugs like MRSA.
While it may all be online this year, there is still so much to enjoy. NeoCon hopes to deliver content that transforms spaces and experiences for the months and years ahead.