NeoCon 2023 Review:
By Robert Bagley
This is the first NeoCon I have been to since 2019 (before the pandemic). Previous to this, I had been attending almost every year since 2007, so I have insight on how to work the “Mart.”
My overall take is that Covid’s negative effects on attendance have somewhat dissipated and that both the Merchandise Mart and Fulton Market were buzzing both Monday and Tuesday.
Trending Themes
Choice – hybrid and permanent workers want to now be moving around the office for different types of working/recharging office experiences.
Height-adjustable Desking and Conferencing – every furniture manufacturer is working on height adjustable for every kind of desking and conferencing now.
Sound-booths – all types of booths and booth manufactures were represented on the 7th floor as those are not permanent showrooms typically at the Mart.
- Framery’s permanent booth on the 3rd floor had the most options showing and they showed single, double, 4-person, and 6-person booths. Each booth was set up with technology that allowed the user to hook-in virtual attendees. Even the single booths had touch screen abilities to quickly join virtual attendees.
- Nook had several open and closed soundproof options and areas where they can pipe in lighting, sound, and even scents into the space for a 4-D-type experience.
- Hush from Haworth was nicely shown with a 4-person booth and 2 singles (one with bench, one with stool).
Executive Seating – all clients that toured with me wanted to see all the seating options Haworth had and of course Fern and Zody took the most interest as we walked them through.
Technology Solutions – lots of screen sharing options and quick video call hook-up options were displayed at all the major’s showrooms. See also Framery comments above.
Lockers – Lacasse and Haworth were two that showed high-tech and low-tech locker options. I see this as an on-going need for those who come into the office and have non-assigned offices.
Collaboration Areas – ancillary furniture and spaces of all types shown in all the major’s showrooms.
Focus Areas – permanent and non-permanent focus areas for head’s down project execution are important, especially to non-permanent office workers. Lots of options shown in addition to sound booths.
Conference Areas: Both In-Office and Hybrid
In-Office
A vast variety of different options shown at all the major’ showrooms such as we have in BOS Orlando with large training and conference rooms to smaller quick-sync areas like our “WarRoom” in Orlando.
Hybrid
This quote from Humanscale’s Fulton Market space encapsulates the current state of things around Hybrid Conferencing:
“As hybrid work life increasingly becomes the norm worldwide, inclusive design takes on even greater significance. Conference rooms must evolve to seamlessly accommodate both in-person and remote participants as if they were all present in the same physical space. Achieving this goal requires a well-considered user experience from start to finish.”
Attracting Hybrid Workers Back to The Office
From cool collaboration spaces like Pergola and other architectural solutions and furniture, to attractive workstations like Compose Echo, to all types of sound-deadening booths, chairs, and spaces all manufacturers are working to feverishly be solution providers to businesses to give reasons for their employees to come back to the office.
Temporary officing solutions are just as important now as permanent officing. Matthew Haworth’s son, Aaron, was one of the tour guides for me and our Orlando customers, Orlando Aviation/Airport. Aaron is in research now and his research tells us that non-permanent office areas are continuing to be in demand.
Haworth and Their Brands
AIS’ space at the Mart was hopping and Haworth’s large space seemed to be the most attractive and attended space at the Mart. OFS was a close second. Haworth had “Maker’s” on sight making chairs and fabric, etc. They also brought their digital upholstery machine that produced the head rest covers for Fern chair with their new homage look (75th Anniversary style). Haworth’s other brands were shown both in the Haworth showroom as well as their own smaller respective spaces. Well represented. See pics.
Conclusion
The biggest take-away is that BOS is now looked upon by our customers as genuine workspace solution providers. Never before does it seem like people don’t know where to start when it comes to office planning for the new hybrid work era, we now find ourselves in. Our mandate is to give our customers options that perfectly meet their needs in order to attract and keep great talent by giving employees reasons to come to the office so that face-to-face collaboration and ideation can occur.
Some things just can’t be accomplished behind a screen. BUT, there are certain focus tasks, like writing this review, that are better accomplished outside the office in a coffee (or cigar) shop (hint, hint) or one’s home office. NeoCon and Fulton Market Design Days 2023 was a pivotal moment in time for this new dynamic.
