Baltimore, MD, November, November 21--In its second year at the Baltimore Convention Center, NeoCon East drew 6,000 attendees from across the Mid-Atlantic region.
The business-oriented trade show, which was held Oct. 6-7, 2004, showcased the latest commercial products for interior design and the built environment. The interior designers, architects, facility managers, dealers, manufacturers¹ representatives, students, federal employees and corporate executives who attended the show experienced products from more than 230 exhibitors, 23 percent more than in 2004, in 177,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 44 percent increase in net show space from its debut year in 2003.
“I was satisfied last year with NeoCon East, but this year it has outdone itself. We¹ve had a lot of attendee traffic. It was a wonderful opportunity to share our product regionally. We will absolutely be back next year with a bigger booth,” said Anthony P. Minite, president of Bentley Prince Street, Inc., City of Industry, Calif.
“We are extremely proud of the success of NeoCon East. The momentum and growth of the show, coupled with the vibrant energy of the design professionals who exhibited and attended, point to a boom year ahead and bright start to 2005,” said Mark Falanga, vice president, Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI). “In addition to new offerings at NeoCon East this year, we had tremendous support from exhibitors and show partners, for which we are grateful.”
The 2004 installation of NeoCon East was completely sold out with major manufacturers in the commercial design industry participating with wonderfully aesthetic looks and large exhibit spaces, including: Haworth, Inc.; Herman Miller, Inc.; Kimball Office; Knoll; Steelcase, Inc.; Teknion; and The HON Company.
Hundreds of new products, including some not available for viewing at NeoCon® World¹s Trade Fair earlier this year, were showcased at NeoCon East. More than 85 percent of exhibitors have recommitted and re-signed for NeoCon East in 2005.
“We came back to NeoCon East mainly because of the GSA environment and the response we got last year,” said Christopher Zoucha, director of marketing of RFM Preferred Seating, Hillsboro, Ore. “If you have anything to do with the government and GSA, you need to be here. If you have anything to do with designers in the East Coast market, you need to be here. All of these things put together make this a win-win situation.”
Produced by MMPI, the show consists of four components: Government Interiors, Buildings Show®, GREENlife: Products for Sustainable Environments and the Architectural Stone and Ceramic Tile Exposition. New this year was the Product Design Showcase, a “village commons”-type area sponsored by Interior Design magazine and OMWorkspace, where attendees learned more about the inspirations behind the different products seen at the show directly from the product designers. The Best of NeoCon® Gallery also had a whole new look and feel with representation from all the 2004 winners either through product displays or graphics. The space was all-encompassing, giving attendees the full breadth of what Best of NeoCon is all about: the best of the best products.
“NeoCon East is a wonderful event that allows industry members an opportunity to meet with a variety of local vendors and distributors. The ease and convenience of having local access to these manufacturers and their furnishings is unbeatable,” said Taifa A. Coger, interior design and space planning specialist for the Executive Office of the President, The White House.
