Seventy-two awards were distributed in The Best of NeoCon® 2011 competition of contract furnishing products during NeoCon® at The Merchandise Mart. Six Innovation Awards and a Best of Competition Award were included among the honors.

A total of 325 products were entered in 40 product and furnishing categories in the competition, sponsored by Contract magazine, Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc., The International Interior Design Association (IIDA), The International Facility Management Association (IFMA), and McMorrowReport.com.

The Tables: Training & Work Category took the top prize as the Best of Competition with MOTUS (shown below right), manufactured by HALCON and shown in Showroom 1044. Last year, ON® Ergonomic Task Chair by Wilkhahn took the Best of Competition.

Innovation Awards were bestowed to:
Steve’s Station™ by Anthro Corporation, Space No. 8-2050
Strategy by Evans Consoles, Space No. 7-6062
Balance Beam by io Lighting, Space No. 7-8119
Karndean Loose Lay by Karndean International, Space No. 8-7116
On the Edge by Shaw Contract Group, Space No. 10-167
SEEYOND™ Architectural Solutions by Seeyond Architectural Solutions, North Lobby

Editor’s Choice Awards were bestowed to:
Mind-Share and Rise from the Gather Collection by Allsteel, Space No. 1120
HIDA Series Furniture by ITOKI Design, Space No. 7-6030
Change Modular Collection by Tandus Flooring, Space No. 391
Illias Collection by Instyle: Molecular, Braille & Blink by Unika Vaev, Space No. 365

>> View all the Best of NeoCon® 2011 winning product slideshows, divided by product categories:

* Best of NeoCon® 2011 Coverings, Carpet/Flooring, Textiles Categories Winners
* Best of NeoCon® 2011 Seating Categories Winners
* Best of NeoCon® 2011 Furniture for Conference and Office Categories Winners
* Best of NeoCon® 2011 Lighting, Technology, and Accessories Categories Winners
* Best of NeoCon® Healthcare Categories Winners

The Best of NeoCon® jury is composed of 45 corporate, government, and institutional facilities management executives, interior designers, and architects, who are responsible for selecting and buying furniture and furnishings for their specific organizations or clients. The seven jury teams visited Merchandise Mart showrooms and temporary market suites to judge each product in person. Manufacturers or product designers had the opportunity to explain and discuss details of the entered product and answer jurors’ questions.

Best of NeoCon® Competition entrants and winners are featured on the following Web sites: contract-network.com, which encompasses all Best of NeoCon® entrants and winners; contractdesign.com; merchandisemart.com; and mcmorrowreport.com.

For additional information, contact Eileen McMorrow, director of the Best of NeoCon®, at eileen@mcmorrowreport.com. Call 973.509.7277.