NeoCon 2023 is coming up June 12-14, and the show is proud to announce the jury for this year’s edition of the Best of NeoCon Product Awards Competition. The roster of forward-thinking industry professionals will represent a broad cross-section of the NeoCon community, including members of IFMA, the premier facility manager organization, and leading design/architecture associations such as ASID, IIDA and AIA. The jury features influential facility managers, designers, architects and specifiers with a deep understanding of the evolving needs and emerging trends in the commercial design industry. “Now in its 33rd year, Best of NeoCon continues its tradition of convening a first-rate jury, as evidenced by this year’s roster,” notes Best of NeoCon Director Eileen McMorrow.
The jurors are respected leaders in industry verticals from commercial/workplace, education, healthcare and hospitality, including representatives from firms in design, technology, and enterprise, including Gensler, Studio O+A, NELSON, CannonDesign, NBBJ, HOK, and Studio GC, among others. More than 45 jurors will gather on site at THE MART to thoroughly evaluate all Best of NeoCon entries in the days prior to NeoCon, June 12-14.
Facilities professionals joining the 2023 jury include:
Nickla (Nahla) Al Khayatt, Space Manager, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center;
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Christina Early, facility manager, furniture and medical equipment planning, Atrium Health Floyd; Pat Guichet, senior planning, design, construction project manager, SSM Health; Lindsey Honeyager, assistant dean for facilities, UW-Madison, School of Education; Danielle Karwowicz, interior designer intermediate, University of Michigan Health Michigan Medicine; Jeehee Lee, senior space planner, Oracle Corp.; Jenny McMath, group leader, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Facilities Manager, corporate facilities; Wawanesa Insurance; John Muckler, director facilities and operations, University of Michigan; Meagan Newhart, manager, Workplace Strategy, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Stephanie Peters, director, Guest & Team Member Services, Walgreen Co.; Stephanie Restrepo, global design and construction project manager, Cash App/Square Inc.; Hillary Tate, architectural designer, project administrator, design and construction, American Honda Motor Co.; Katie Titi, facilities space planner, Synectics; and Amy Williams, manager, design and workplace, NetJets.
The full list of jurors is on the Best of NeoCon page of the NeoCon site.
School of Education
“Our jurors, who are actively specifying for projects in commercial verticals, bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the judging process, and their diverse perspectives and insights help us recognize the most innovative and impactful products in the industry,” says McMorrow, who has been managing the Competition for over 30 years. “We have a mix of veteran jurors and new jurors who maintain the institutional wisdom of Best of NeoCon while also bringing fresh perspectives. I look forward to seeing all the innovative solutions that this year’s jury will recognize as the 2023 Best of NeoCon Award winners.”
“As a three-time veteran juror for the Best of NeoCon Awards, I find this experience incredibly valuable, as it provides me with an in-depth look at top products that are relevant to my work and allows me to offer feedback that can help improve the product for specification,” says Jennifer Cappella, Associate/Interior Designer at Ballinger. “I’m looking forward to networking with manufacturer leadership, designers, technical teams, and fellow jurors to evaluate products from different perspectives, market sectors, and project backgrounds.”
In the days preceding the show, all jurors gather on-site at THE MART to thoroughly evaluate all Best of NeoCon entries. The jurors are divided into teams and visit all participating showrooms and booths to carefully assess submitted products. This approach affords both the jurors and exhibitors ample time for comprehensive evaluations. Winners will be unveiled during a live ceremony at THE MART on Monday, June 12, at 7:30AM, preceding the opening of the show. The winning manufacturers will be presented with a distinctive award, crafted by NeoCon partner and renowned graphic design firm Maiarelli Studio.
“Having attended NeoCon more than 15 times, I can’t wait to see behind the curtain this year and serve as a juror for the Best of NeoCon Awards,” says Dianne Murata, Founding Principal of Kimiko Designs. “I’m a self-proclaimed ‘furniture nerd’ and have recently spent a significant amount of time focused on industry environmental and sustainable issues. I am keen to hear firsthand how manufacturers are addressing the needs and demands of facility owner and manager clients and bring this information back to members of Kimiko Green, our sustainability initiative.”
“Being able to participate in the lively dialogue between jurors and manufacturers was profoundly helpful to me professionally in 2022,” says Laura Leung, returning juror and Intermediate Interior Designer at IA Interior Architects. “I’ve built confidence in learning to ask better questions that are suited to my clients’ needs and further define what makes good versus great design.”
The awards program recognizes superlative new products in 56 categories spanning workplace, healthcare, hospitality, and education sectors. A complete list of categories is available here. Honors will be awarded for Gold, Silver, Innovation, Sustainability, as well as the singular honor of Best of Competition. New for 2023, jurors will also consider entries for a Business Impact Award, which will then be judged by a curated journalists from leading business publications including Fast Company and Crain’s. Review the 2022 Best of NeoCon Gallery of Winners here.
Exhibitors can submit entries through the Best of NeoCon online portal through May 19. Any new products introduced to the U.S. market since June 2022 that will be on display at NeoCon 2023 are eligible. Products that were entered in Best of NeoCon 2022 are not eligible. The remaining submission deadlines and entry fees are as follows:
Regular entry by May 5: $800.00
Late entry by May 19: $900.00
Visit this link for more details on the program and entry process.
NeoCon will take place June 12-14 at THE MART in Chicago. The show is open to trade, C-Suite executives, and other industry-related professionals, and registration is free for all attendees. Register here. Stay tuned for more details on programming, product trends, and highlights ahead at NeoCon 2023!