Held every June at The Mart in Chicago, NeoCon serves as the commercial furniture industry’s launch pad for innovation, offering ideas and prototypes that will shape how workspaces look today and into the future.
NeoCon 2019 was held from June 10 to 12 and showcased 500 manufacturers (including many Rightsize partners) and opened its doors to 50,000 professionals from the commercial design community. Our team spent three days absorbing the exciting new ideas, products, and services featured at the show. Here are some of the office furniture trends we observed.
2019 Design Trends
Like our workforce, our physical workplace is expected to be flexible, well-connected and mindful of our health and wellness. Those trends were reinforced at this year’s NeoCon. Here are a few of our favorite trends:
- Integrated Technology – While technology in the contract furniture industry is nothing new, we saw manufacturers better integrating technology with aesthetic appeal. The gold-winning Watson Cloud 9 desk is an excellent example of this. Watson is one of our strategically aligned brands.
- New Ergonomics – Businesses realize that in order to attract the right talent, including wellness-oriented millennials, employee health needs to be considered. To accommodate many workspaces and workstyles, several companies introduced flexible seating solutions, including many stools. Humanscale introduced its Alto stool, designed by legendary designer Don Chadwick, who is known for his work in ergonomics and seating designs. Alto’s distinct stance provides stability while its contoured, flexible shell allows for the user to sit comfortably and in a more ergonomic position.
- Biophilia – Biophilic design was seen all throughout showrooms this year. It’s all about bringing the outside in. Studies have shown it improves happiness and productivity in the workplace. Biophilia can include everything to mimicking organic shapes, using natural materials, letting in plenty of outdoor light to living walls within an office space.
- Innovative Storage – New aesthetics like height adjustable table storage manufactured by AIS. Other manufacturers showcased lockers, fun storage accessories and sleek mobile pedestals.
- Space Division – There were many new products around space division, privacy and sound attenuation including many privacy ’phone booths’ and sound control solutions for open offices.
Rightsize Contract Furniture Partners
Awards
Rightsize works with select contract furniture partners to deliver solutions that match aesthetic, functionality and budgetary goals of our clients. We were thrilled to see that many of our strategically aligned brands won awards for their products at NeoCon 2019. Click here to find out more about how we offer industry best discounting on leading manufacturers.
2019 Best of NeoCon Winners
Acoustic Privacy & Modular Solutions
Gold: OFS: Leant To
Conference Room Furniture
Silver: Andreu World: Reverse Wood
Furniture Collections for Collaboration
Silver: STYLEX: Free Address
Furniture Systems & Enhancements
Gold: Watson Furniture Group: Cloud 9 Rail
Lounge Furniture Collections
Silver: Andreu World: Rap Sofa
Office Accessories
Silver: Watson Furniture Group: Cloud 9 Cart and Garage
Seating: Benches
Editors’ Choice: Nienkämper: Heartbeat
Silver: Allermuir: Axyl Bench
Seating: Conference
Gold: OFS: Kasura
Seating: Ergonomic Desk/Task
Gold: via seating: Younique
Seating: Guest
Gold: Allermuir: Kin
Silver: Andreu World: Gala
Seating: Outdoor Contract & Hospitality
Silver: Andreu World: Nuez Outdoor
Seating: Sofas & Lounge
Gold: Andreu World: Rap Sofa
Seating: Stacking
Gold: Sandler Seating: HDS 1.1
Silver: SitOnIt Seating | IDEON: Mika
Space Dividers/Partitions/Screens
Gold: Clarus Glassboards: Flex Wall
Tables: Height-Adjustable/Training/Work
Editors’ Choice: Versteel: Sky
Gold: Watson Furniture Group: Cloud 9 Desk
Showroom and Booth Design Competition winners:
Small Showroom – Under 4,000 sq. ft.
Hightower (with Casey Keasler)
Best of Competition Award
Hightower
Check out these photos taken by the Rightsize team highlighting the various design trends spotted at NeoCon.
Watson Furniture Group: Cloud 9
JSI showcases a hip mixture of technology and design with its lighted curved privacy panels.
Humanscale: Alto
Biophilic and space division design showcased at NeoCon 2019
Groupe Lacasse: Paradigm
Interested in learning more about Rightsize Facility? Get information about our turnkey space planning and furniture solutions.
