Interactive installations and immersive experiences came alive throughout both the interior and exterior of The Mart during NeoCon 2026. Attendees engaged with cutting-edge designs, took part in hands-on demonstrations, and discovered the latest innovations in technology and design.
Floor 7, 7-2002
Attendees entered an interactive art experience where ArtLifting’s mission—advancing access to the art market for artists with disabilities—came to life through artist Eliza Redmann’s neuroaesthetic designs coupled with immersive lighting. As perception shifts, visitors moved through wonder into self-reflection—an unforgettable journey revealing how design nurtures how we see, feel, and belong.
Lighting Designer: Morlights | Product Provider: Lighting Services Inc
7th Floor Exhibit Hall
Attendees stepped into an elevated café experience inspired by celestial patterns, movement, and form. Featuring expressive wall coverings by Spoonflower and furniture by Emeco - defined by sustainable, elegant design. This thoughtfully composed space invited attendees to recharge, dine, and connect within the energy of the show.
Floor 7, Center Pass-Through
The Café Lounge by Armstrong Flooring® invited attendees to step back in time with a novelty, retro-inspired diner experience. While enjoying snacks and sips attendees could be diggin' on the floor that featured our slip-retardant Safety Zone™ that has an embossed surface embedded with proprietary particles for exceptional slip-retardant performance. Plus, it seamlessly transitioned with our popular Imperial® Texture VCT, which means it's no longer an outsider and can be featured front and center in spaces that need to be safe.
Once you’re recharged, attendees were invited to cruise on over to booth #7-5068 to explore more fab surfaces from AHF / Armstrong Flooring®.
Floor 1, Suite 145
For the first time, attendees experienced the bold and integrated portfolio from Armstrong World Industries. Innovation came together in one immersive experience with Turf®, 3form®, Zahner®, Arktura®, BŌK Modern®, Eventscape, Geometrik, Móz™, and Parallel. Attendees discovered how the Armstrong portfolio empowers ambitious ideas, enabling creativity to come alive with integrity.
Floor 1, Northeast Corridor
BIOS Lighting’s Blue Sky technology, developed from NASA research and used on the International Space Station, delivers healthy blue sky light, indoors. It supports alertness, productivity, and calm by aligning with human biology, bringing circadian-effective lighting into everyday environments, and advancing a healthier, performance-driven approach to interior lighting design.
South Facade, The Mart
LOVE LANGUAGE
Art is our first language, an elemental expression that predates the written word. It begins in personal resonance and expands outward, connecting colleagues, friends, neighbors, cities, and the world beyond. Across distances and differences, we communicate through gestures, forms, and shared curiosity, guided always by purpose.
Why? To grow. To affirm one another. To remember that we belong to something larger than ourselves. To be human is to create with intention and to shape the world.
There is a force within this exchange that cannot be measured, yet is unmistakably real. Like gravity of the spirit, love moves beyond dimension and distance. It connects what is separated and gives meaning to what we choose to create.
At its essence this is our Love Language.
Runs nightly starting June 4, 9-9:30pm
About HDR:
We design to elevate the human spirit and shape environments that ignite possibility, connection, and renewal. By uniting multidisciplinary expertise with research, technology, and bold design thinking, we deliver projects that redefine what architecture can achieve for people, communities, and the planet. Guided by a regenerative ethos, we design places that restore ecological systems, advance human well‑being, and deliver enduring, measurable impact.
Floor 7, 7-10098
The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association continues to be the industry source for furniture standards and programs supporting Manufacturers, Suppliers, Specifiers and Buyers. Attendees were invited to visit the BIFMA Lounge and meet the team to learn more:
Floor 1, Center Pass-Through
Cisco is the fourth utility for next-generation workplaces, powering data driven environments that are easier to plan, people responsive, and seamless. Attendees explored simplified planning, real-time insights, and technology integrated collaboration spaces. They could leverage data to elevate the user experience, optimize real estate, and meet WELL and LEED goals, creating future-proofed workplaces.
The Mart
NeoCon attendees enjoyed the outdoors along the Chicago River and connected with colleagues over lunch or drinks from Marshall’s Landing at The Mart's River Park, presented by Haworth.
Floor 11, Suite 1144
Attendees explored cutting-edge solutions from leading manufacturers of education products in a dynamic, blended setting. The Education Pavilion by INDEAL showcased how thoughtful design meets the evolving needs of learning spaces, supporting education and inspiring innovation at every level.
Floor 10, Suite 1086
Attendees recharged, relaxed, and explored a curated mix of Brand Partner products in the INDEAL Connection Hub, a thoughtfully designed lounge for NeoCon attendees. Coffee, happy hour, and massage chairs were provided, plus complimentary bag check and lockers. Reservable meeting areas were available for INDEAL Members and Partners.
Floor 11, Suites 1120, 1112, 1110
DesignScene brought together multiple SANDOW DESIGN GROUP brands on the 11th floor with dynamic activations: INTERIOR DESIGN Playground (1120), a vibrant hub for color, connection, and immersive installations created in partnership with leading brands; the METRORPOLIS Sustainability Lab (1112), where sustainable design meets bold creativity to bring this year’s theme, Good is Fun, to life; and The NeoCon Podcast Lounge Powered by SURROUND (1110), featuring live recordings with some of the industry’s most influential voices, plus a special interactive space with ThinkLab.
Floor 1, East Pass-Through
Attendees stepped into KFI Studios’ pop-up lounge, designed to inspire curiosity and creative thinking. They explored new products as the space encourages visitors to pause, reflect, and saw how furniture supports connection and playful exploration in workplace design.
Throughout The Mart
The physical sample, reimagined. Material Bank unveiled MTag at NeoCon: NFC technology that transforms physical samples with a single tap. Attendees contacted reps, saw colorways, found similar, and more.
Floor 7, 7-5079
Material choices matter. Every successful commercial project begins with selecting materials and components that meet your demands for performance, sustainability, and budget—without sacrificing your design goals. Material Intelligence curated an experiential, educational installation where attendees could see and handle a wide range of materials, finishes, and components currently used in top commercial projects. Attendees also found answers to your challenges and inspiration for projects from the materials experts staffing our space.
Floor 11, Suite 1112
The METROPOLIS Sustainability Lab at NeoCon was an immersive exhibit and dynamic hub designed to inspire and empower attendees to drive positive change for people and the planet. This vibrant space showcased the latest innovations, pioneering initiatives, and essential resources to support and elevate sustainable design practices.
Floor 10, Suite 1035
Children instinctively turn the sky into a canvas. They spot creatures in clouds, invent worlds overhead, and trust their own interpretations.
Sky Stories invited NeoCon visitors to step into that instinctive act of imagination. By embracing storytelling, wonder, and open‑ended thinking, Sky Stories affirms Project Color Corps’ belief that creativity and color can reshape communities from the ground up.
7th Floor Exhibit Hall
Designed by Charlie Green Design Studio, NeoCon Collab: Half-Light was a new multibrand, designer-curated environment inspired by the Chicago Henge - a rare moment when sunset aligns perfectly with the city’s architecture. The space invited discovery, connection, and the experience of products in context. Through a thoughtful integration of materiality, color, and product, the environment created a cohesive setting that showcases each brand within a unified design narrative. Featured brands include:
Allseating, Foamcore Architectural Elements, Focal Point, KI, Kriskadecor, Luxxbox, Mohawk Group, Paul Brayton Designs, ROOM (an OFS company), and Simii Design.
Floor 11, Suite 1110
The NeoCon Podcast Lounge returned for NeoCon 2026! A lineup of SURROUND Podcast Network shows were recorded for a live audience throughout the three days of NeoCon. Attendees got to meet the hosts, enjoy exciting giveaways, and take part in exclusive hospitality. Sponsored by: Unika Vaev. Partners: B+N, Framery, Momentum, UpSpring
Floor 1, Suite 121 and South Lobby
Paved States x DesignLab expanded its footprint to take over The Mart lobby with workshops and panels, bringing together emerging designers from North America. Jointly curated by Patricia Urquiola and Chris Force, this year the exhibition evolved into both a retail and apartment-style environment anchored by a listening room, blurring the lines between gallery, exhibition, and concept store.
Floor 7, 7-7046
Curated by Associative Design, this exhibition presented Portuguese design within thoughtfully composed spatial settings. Bringing together designers and brands, it highlighted innovation, material quality, and craftsmanship. Through integrated environments, the showcase demonstrated how contemporary Portuguese design shapes functional, aesthetic, and adaptable spaces for today’s evolving interiors market.
Floor 1, Suite 137
Open during NeoCon through September 2026, THE SHOWHOUSE @ THE MART brings together a world-class selection of luxury kitchen, bath and fine furnishings. Illustration by Kristine Steiner.
Floor 1, North Corridor - Orleans
It’s not just another chair - Attendees recharged in the Recovery Chair featuring neuro-sonic vibration. Or experienced the versatility of Hushfree XM for collaboration and focused work. Then they were encouraged to head to the Thinkspace showroom on Floor 10 for a complimentary chair massage and beverage.
NeoCon Freight Elevators
Turf once again took over The Mart's freight elevators on June 8-9 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Attendees took a ride (and a dance break) on Freight 22.
Floor 1, Kinzie/Wells Entrance
Outdoor spaces, like people, are not defined by a single mood. This installation brought together multiple expressions—from structure and tactile contrast to layered relaxation and natural renewal—revealing how they coexist within one environment. Attendees continued the journey at Tuuci's showroom in 1419 to experience the full composition.
