NEOCON® EAST RETURNS TO THE BALTIMORE CONVENTION CENTER WITH THE LATEST PRODUCTS AND FEATURES FOR THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION CONTRACT INDUSTRY
CHICAGO (September 10, 2007) – NeoCon® East, the premier exposition in the Mid-Atlantic region for the design and management of the built environment, returns for its fifth consecutive year to the Baltimore Convention Center October 17-18, 2007 with two exciting days of new products, special events, educational offerings and guest speakers.
With more than 250 exhibitors, 240,000 square feet of exhibit hall space and three main show components including Government Interiors™, Buildings Show® and GREENlife™: Products for Sustainable Environments, NeoCon East sets the pace for the East Coast contract furnishings industry. The ultimate show for architects, interior designers, facility managers, government specifiers, government designers, space planners, distributors, manufacturers and real estate executives, NeoCon East draws more than 8,500 attendees who rely on this event for innovative ideas and the latest trends.
SHOW COMPONENTS – THREE SHOWS WITHIN A SHOW
Government Interiors™
Supported by the General Service Administration’s (GSA) National Furniture Center National Furniture Center and Public Buildings Service – the entity that supplies federal government and military agencies with interiors solutions - Government Interiors serves the federal government specifier, designer and procurement manager. The show features accredited seminars, various special events throughout NeoCon East and an impressive exhibition that showcases an array of innovative products and services available on the GSA schedule. Government Interiors provides attendees with the most cost-effective way to explore industry trends and procurement changes that impact federal acquisitions.
Buildings Show®
Buildings and Archi-Tech magazines bring a showcase of building products, services and resources for new construction and renovation projects to architects, facility managers, building owners, developers and other professionals from the commercial design community. Attendees will learn the latest strategies and offerings in facilities management, construction and renovation.
GREENlife™: Products for Sustainable Environments
Architects and interior designers will find products, processes and certification measures that can provide eco-friendly solutions to help maintain a healthy planet. GREENlife is the platform for manufacturers who recognize the importance of sustainable design through both the product design and manufacturing processes.
Over the course of the show, more than 30 CEU-accredited seminars and association forums will be offered. Programming is designed to enhance the show experience for attendees, providing them with unique educational opportunities to expand industry knowledge and keep current with the latest trends in interior design and architecture. A range of seminar topics will be featured, including: “Acquiring Government Space or Housing a Government Office”, “Getting on GSA Schedule for Office Furniture”, and “Idea Centers: Ignite Creative Thinking Through Design.”
KEYNOTE ADDRESSES
NeoCon East also will feature two visionary keynote speakers during the show. On Wednesday, October 17, Leslie Shepherd, Chief Architect of the US General Services Administration (GSA) will discuss “High Performance Buildings – Future Generations of Design Excellence”. Shepherd will explore recent survey analysis accomplished by the US GSA of its customers, and how that analysis has set forth the essential design elements for all new design and construction projects.
Additionally, on Thursday, October 18, David Rinard, Director of Global Environmental Performance for Steelcase, Inc., Susan Szenasy, Metropolis Editor-in-Chief will explore “Designing for Sustainability through Lifecycle Thinking”. Rinard and Szenasy will explore the five stages of lifecycle thinking and how the buildings in the industry can have an impact on each phase.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Together with Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc., the GSA National Furniture Center will host a unique design competition called Prime Design. This unique competition will allow one lucky design firm the opportunity to create the GSA National Furniture Center Booth on the Show Floor at NeoCon East. Three design firms have signed up to put their skills to the test, including IA Interior Architects, DBI Architects, and The Marshall Group. Renderings of their design proposals are currently available for viewing online at neoconeast.com. Visitors to neoconeast.com can view and select their favorite design. The winning design concept will be showcased on site at NeoCon East in the GSA National Furniture Center booth #2503. Prime Design will unveil on the show floor at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 17.
For more information about NeoCon East and a complete list of exhibiting companies, please visit www.merchandisemart.com/neoconeast or call 800-677-6278 (MART).
MEDIA CONTACT:
Maura Bruton
Director of Public Relations
Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.
Phone: 312-527-7555
E-mail: mbruton@mmart.com
NeoCon® East is a registered trademark of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.
Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. (MMPI) is a trade show, leasing and property management firm, specializing in managing buildings devoted to wholesale showrooms and commercial office space. MMPI produces more than 300 trade shows, market events and conferences each year.
MMPI manages The Merchandise Mart and 350 W. Mart Center in Chicago; Market Square, the Suites at Market Square, Hamilton Market, Plaza Suites, Furniture Plaza and the National Furniture Mart in High Point, N.C.; the Architects & Designers Building and 7 W New York in New York; the Boston Design Center; the L.A. Mart in Los Angeles; and the Washington Design Center and Federal Center Southwest in Washington D.C.
Vornado Realty Trust, owner of MMPI, based in New York City, is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust. Vornado’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are traded under the symbol VNO.
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