On June 7 and 8, the jury for this year’s highly anticipated Best of NeoCon competition will evaluate 295 new product submissions in person at THE MART in Chicago. View the 2024 Gallery of Best of NeoCon Entrants. Winners will be announced on Monday, June 10, marking an exciting kickoff to the NeoCon 2024 show, which will run June 10-12.
Handpicked from diverse industries and realms of expertise, the 52 Best of NeoCon jurors bring a wealth of experience and insight into the nuances of product design and specification, along with a profound understanding of evolving industry trends.
With a collective specifying scope encompassing millions of square feet across commercial, life science, healthcare, education, government, hospitality and public sectors, this year’s group has unparalleled expertise and will bestow the Best of NeoCon honor upon only the best solutions for the built environment.
Eileen McMorrow, Best of NeoCon Director
Best of NeoCon Jury: Education
Education environments have particular specification requirements and must meet the unique needs of students and their teachers. Judging 33 products within six categories of Education Solutions, as is fitting, are education design specialists and representatives from higher education institutions. Among these education experts are:
- Michelle Kollmann, Associate Principal, Ayers Saint Gross, Tempe, AZ
- Eleana Lynch, Associate Principal, Interior Designer, SLAM, Glastonbury, CT
- John Muckler, Director Facilities and Operations, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Janeallison Ng, Interior Designer, Solomon Cordwell Buenz, Chicago, IL
- Emily Perrotta, Senior Project Interior Designer, Associate, Ballinger, Philadelphia, PA
- Athi Toufexis, Principal, StudioGC, Chicago, IL
As a four-time returning juror, I am once again looking forward to this incredible opportunity to learn from the designers and development teams. Engaging in the deep dialogue that occurs during the judging process has helped me build confidence to more effectively share feedback and advocate for clients’ design needs. Understanding the language of technical specifications and how product development works has also strengthened my ability to present my specification plans to clients.
Janeallison Ng, Interior Designer, Solomon Cordwell Buenz
NeoCon jurors travel from across the country to convene at THE MART to meticulously assess and, if applicable, test out each Best of NeoCon product entry. This immersive approach affords jurors ample time for thoughtful deliberation while offering exhibitors the opportunity to present their introductions to the jury and address their questions in real-time.
The Best of NeoCon awards program annually honors outstanding new products across dozens of categories encompassing workplace, healthcare, hospitality and education domains. Winners may receive a Gold, Silver, Innovation, Sustainability or the coveted Best of Competition award. Take a look at the 2023 Best of NeoCon winners here.
This year, entrants have the opportunity to opt-in to be considered for the Business Impact Award and pre-vetted by a jury of facility end-users, real estate planners, and specifiers, who will evaluate their contributions based on the degree to which they contribute to business operations and enterprise-oriented built environments across verticals. Finalists will undergo additional evaluation on-site by a panel of business journalists from leading publications, including Fast Company, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Bloomberg.
Winners will be unveiled during a live ceremony at THE MART on Monday, June 10, at 7:30 AM, ushering in the 55th edition of NeoCon. Winners of the Best of NeoCon competition will proudly display their awards in their showrooms and booths during the show.
NeoCon 2024 registration, keynotes and featured presentations are complimentary. CEU programs and workshops are $45 per session ($40 if purchasing five or more). See our editorial team’s programming recommendations for education FMs.
To register and explore the complete listing of 2024 programming, including both onsite and virtual CEU-approved programs, workshops, NeoCon Talks, featured presentations and keynotes, head to NeoCon.