Well, the attendance was down again this year (will we ever see the crush in the hallways that we used to or has the changing economy, accessibility to info via the internet and the rising cost of air travel changed that forever?).
Most workstation manufacturers really stressed the benching trend so it got a little blurry as to who was doing something really innovative. So this year the main story seemed to be about seating. And within that were some very interesting new entries:
GEIGER : Several new Geiger pieces caught our eye this year. None of it, and I say this as a compliment, looked like anything that Geiger has done before:
FULL TWIST: Mark Goetz did a terrific job of creating this sensuous ( yes ,sensuous in how it feels to sit in this chair ) blend of sculpture and engineering. Everyone I watched sit in this couldn’t stop rubbing their forearms along this chair’s arms. more...
2 By 3: Not your usual contract stool by any means. Sensuous ( there is that word again ) and organic in the curve and precise fit of this stool’s construction. more...
CITY HALL: Brian Graham ( haven’t I met him before?) has done the most straight forward of clean, angular pull up chairs. I wish the IIDA gave an Honor Award for chairs since I would love to hand one to Brian for this very versatile winner. more...
SAYA: Who would have thought that Geiger could make the perfect blend of wood, metal frame and mesh? This one does it. more...
HERMAN MILLER: It has been a while since Herman Miller has introduced a new lounge chair and Brian Kane did an excellent job with the new SWOOP series. This is a full collection of settees, chairs, tables and ottomans created with an eye mainly for the younger generation and the casual way they approach lounging. One does not just sit in this collection but can truly lounge, loaf, slouch and drape one’s torso in whatever position is comfortable. But whatever your age you will find this a very comfortable experience.more...
Bernhardt: It is interesting how two separate designers working in two different parts of the globe can come up with two chairs that are strangely similar but, none the less, successful each on their own. Noe’ Duchaufour-Lawrence’s CORVO chair looks more than a bit like Mark Goetz’ Full Twist chair but it is strictly its own creation. This is another example of beautiful wood technology with a sculpted feel and look. Very solid in its look and yet smooth in the flow of the chair’s lines. The knock out to me was the white enamel version. more...
COALESSE: The SW-1 chair won an award this year at Neocon and you can see why. This collection of lounge and conference chairs has a graceful curvy line and blends upholstery and mesh in a perfect balance. I like the way that the conference chair still looks like a lounge chair but totally functions in a conference setting. more...
DAUPHIN: OK, this is a bit of a wild card but I did get a kick out of the PERILLO chair. It is not for every application but it is ultra modern and perfect where one might need a statement chair. more...
HERMAN MILLER: There was one new collection of tables that I have to note and that is the Herman Miller SENSE desking system. European in design it is simple and function and has a great accent of wood both in the desk and the coordinating media cabinet. more...
We also sent our marketing guy, Steve Wedman to Neocon this year, check out his product video review, complete with some scenic Chicago footage.
And what did YOU see at Neocon that tickled your fancy, in or out of The Mart? Send me an email and let me know!
