It’s back. It’s in Baltimore. And eventually, it’s likely to have a positive impact on the nation’s veterans.
NeoCon East is returning for an 11th run at the Baltimore Convention Center, near Camden Yards and the Inner Harbor, on Oct. 16 and 17th.
“It’s got two main purposes,” says Julie Kohl, vice president of exhibitor sales. “First, to help manufacturers sell products to the government, and also to help those involved in procurement get what they need.”
It’s high design that’s functional, but it’s also priced right. “They do get the best and lowest price that can be offered,” she says.
A total of 7,500 architects, designers and procurement officers are expected to attend, including those representing agencies like the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
“About 15 percent of the attendees are government employees,” she says. “Anything spec’d for the commercial environment will be there.”
More than 250 exhibitors will design their spaces to highlight the top names in furniture, building products, surface materials, metals, glass, stone, carpet and moveable wall systems.
Healthcare is a theme woven throughout the show.
Architect Michael Graves will be the keynote speaker at 11 AM on Oct. 16. Graves, well known for his postmodernist oeuvre, made news in 2011 with his design for the “Wounded Warrior Home Project.” The single family home prototype was designed to serve returning soldiers and create an environment that meets the physical and emotional needs of physically impaired veterans.
“He’ll be speaking about evidence-based design for people with disabilities,” she says.
On Oct. 17 at 11 AM will be Suzanne Tick, the gifted textile designer who specializes in materials brand strategy, product design, development, and direction for commercial interiors, will also speak.
“She designed for Knoll, and she’s hot in the carpet and textile industries now,” she says.
The convention center is centrally located in Baltimore, and part of a ten-block entertainment and cultural destination. It’s just two miles away from Baltimore’s Penn Station, on Amtrak’s Northeast corridor transit line, and a 20-minute ride from the airport on light rail.
And for the procurement officers in and around Washington D.C., it’s a design show whose time has come.
For more information, go to www.neoconeast.com.
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