After months of anticipation and preparation, the design industry converged in Chicago from June 10-12 for NeoCon 2024. The show didn’t disappoint, as the halls of the Merchandise Mart and the streets of Fulton Market were buzzing with design pros, enthusiasts, and trendsetters connecting, discovering, and of course, conducting business.
SURROUND was in town for the second straight year activating the NeoCon Podcast Studio in partnership with The Mart and SnapCab.
Programming included three jam-packed days of recordings at the Podcast Studio; two live events with Pallas Textiles and Momentum Textiles at SANDOW DESIGN GROUP’s DesignScene; and one enlightening workshop with SURROUND Senior Producer Rob Schulte.
Amidst all of the fascinating conversations for which we had a front-row seat, a few moments that stood out included:
Learning about Federico Negro’s journey from leading design at WeWork to co-founding Canoa, a design inspiration and organization tool for professionals, on Barriers to Entry.
Sitting front row for a conversation with Yinka Ilori, one of NeoCon’s keynote speakers, and arguably the standout product designer of the show, whose collaboration with Momentum was one of (if not the) most buzzed about collections of NeoCon, on Once Upon a Project.
Gleaning the new demands on furniture manufacturers from some of the industry’s heavyweights, including Steelcase, Allsteel, and KI, each of which shared their thoughts on how sustainability is shaping the industry with Metropolis Editor-in-Chief Avi Rajagopal, on Deep Green.
You can hear all of these episodes coming soon to SURROUND.
Power Talks for NeoCon 2024: NeoConversations
If you’re looking for the ultimate snapshot of what happened at NeoCon, we recommend turning to NeoConversations - the official podcast of NeoCon. Avi hosted the show this year, and we’ve broken down each of this year’s four episodes. It’s required listening to catch up on everything you missed, whether you were part of the action, or if you’re feeling a little FOMO.
The Power of Storytelling
The former president of Walt Disney Imagineering, Bob Weis, knows a thing or two about narratives and design. In the kick-off episode of this year’s NeoConversations series, Avi sits down with Weis, one of this year’s NeoCon keynote speakers, to discuss the power of storytelling in interiors.
How can we engage touch, smell, sound, and sight for more meaningful design? In this episode, Avi sits down with Faraz Shah of Turf, Ella Hazard of Arktura Ventures, and Carolyn Noble of Ames Design Collective to discuss the power of our senses in interior design. Listen as they explore the importance of a holistic sensory approach, breakthrough research, innovations, the relationship between sensory design and wellness, and more.
In this episode of NeoConversations, Avi sits down with design powerhouses and NeoCon speakers Cheryl Durst, Hon. FIIDA, executive vice president and CEO of IIDA, and Jason Pugh, NOMAC, AIA, AICP, LEED AP, principal design manager and global director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Gensler, to discuss the importance of diverse perspectives in interior design.
What did we learn during NeoCon 2024? In the final episode of this year’s NeoConversations series, SURROUND producer Hannah Viti turns the tables on this year’s host, inviting Avi to share his top takeaways from NeoCon—and what they mean for the future of interior design. You’ll also hear from Gia Kieu, the winner of SnapCab’s Be You Pod Design Contest. You don’t want to miss this recap episode.
