6.23.08 | This year, with high fuel prices on everyone's mind, we asked companies where their products were made. We were surprised, and delighted, to discover that between 70% and 80% of all commercial textiles are manufactured in the USA. It turns out that there are many creative, facile mills scattered all over the country and they are doing a healthy business despite the fact that two major domestic mills went under last year.

6.23.08 | This year we decided to present carpet in a way similar to our textile review, with a survey piece giving our readers a broad overview. If we've left someone out, it is not intentional; just let us know and we will address the matter.

6.23.08 | The exhibits on NeoCon floors 7 and 8 were robust with diversity from furniture systems to design schools to chair casters. Given the dense, small-booth format, some of the following products and companies could have been easily overlooked. Here is a sampling of some of the gems we found among the chaos.

6.23.08 | The seminars at NeoCon give us a pop look at things we really ought to know, but nevertheless persistently elude either fluent familiarity or comfortable expertise. So sign up we do and in we go. The air conditioning is good and acoustics work well as long as speakers use the mikes properly and you don't sit too close to the doors. There seats are often too close together, but this too has the value of tacitly reminding us to renew our vows of weight loss.

6.16.08 | Every Wednesday morning during NeoCon, BIFMA (Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association) hosts a breakfast for its members, at which is gathered the leadership of the contract manufacturing community. The event features some housekeeping matters for the organization, a guest speaker – this year the featured speaker was Mitch Stapley, Chief Fixed Income Officer, Fifth Third Securities: Markets Gone Wild (more on this in a later issue, but it’s not a pretty picture except for exports) – and some remarks by Chris Kennedy, President of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.

6.16.08 | We begin our NeoCon WTF 08 coverage with a few delights, moments that, for whatever reason, caught our fancy and provided a small emotional bump to our already pumped up autonomic system. By their very nature, these delights are strictly personal, and are gather from our staff, so take them for what they are worth. But they are our small tribute to the collective efforts of the Merchandise Mart, the exhibitors, the keynote speakers and seminar leaders, and yes, even to the attendees, all of whom were essential elements in our industry’s greatest show.

6.16.08 | officeinsight spoke at length with Eileen McMorrow, editor and publisher of the McMorrow Report (www.mcmorrowreport.com). Having been the director of the Best of NeoCon awards from 1994- the present, there is no better person to talk to for an inside look at the industry’s oldest and biggest product competition.

6.16.08 | Celebrating its 19th year, the Best of NeoCon honors new commercial interiors products. A total of 352 products were entered in 39 product and furnishing categories in the competition, sponsored by Contract magazine, Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc., The International Interior Design Association (IIDA), The International Facility Management Association (IFMA), and McMorrow Report.com.

6.2.08 | Kimball Office just might steal the show this year with its launch of Hum. Minds at Work.™ O.K., you have to like cute to clap with glee for the name, but the concept, execution (as far as we can tell from images), and underlying research move Kimball Office up with the leaders of the class in the North American contract furniture area. With its striking showroom at 325 North Wells, designed by TVS Interiors, and its relaxing views overlooking the Chicago River, the short trip across the street from the Mart is an essential stop.

6.2.08 | Carnegie (www.carnegiefabrics.com) introduced an exciting new Xorel product at the Hospitality & Design Show, and we just couldn’t wait until NeoCon to get the details. What we discovered was, thanks to a newly developed process of embroidering, Xorel Embroider was born. It’s available in 8 patterns that include plaids: Axis Embroider and florals Laurel Embroider.

6.2.08 | Coalesse (Mart Suite 1032), (an obvious play on the word coalesce, to fuse or unite into a whole) is the new name for Brand 3, and, in a sense, is a new guise for the now defunct Steelcase Design Partnership, some of the products and parts of which transferred to Coalesse and other Steelcase divisions or reporting lines.

6.2.08 | The newly refreshed DIRTT showroom (across the street from the Mart with Kimball at 325 N. Wells) is an ode to environmental sustainability’s tenets –Reduce and Reuse. It is proof conscientiousness doesn'’t mean less design or function.

6.2.08 | Geiger is going to have a big NeoCon 08, the first under the overall direction of Steve Gane, president. Apparently Mr. Gane remembers the success of his tenure at HBF when that company, now a competitor, seemed to grow products at increasing volume each NeoCon.