Chicago - Attendees at NeoCon® World's Trade Fair 2007 at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago are in for another inspiring opening keynote presentation, sponsored by Allsteel and presented by the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). The two organizations recently announced Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Zaha Hadid as the opening day keynote speaker at the industry association trade show.
Hadid's presentation will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, June 11 in the Sauganash Ballroom of the Holiday Inn Mart Plaza. Attendance at the opening keynote is free for registered NeoCon attendees.
As an architect known for consistently pushing the boundaries of architecture and urban design, Hadid's work experiments with spatial design concepts ranging from urban scale to products, interiors and furniture. She is best known for her seminal built works including the Vitra Fire Station, Bergisel Ski-Jump, the Rosenthal Centre for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati, the BMW Central Building in Liepzig and the Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg.
In 2004, Hadid became the first female Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, architecture's equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Previously, she had been awarded a CBE for services to the profession, and she has served as a member of the editorial board of the Encyclopedia Britannica. In 2006, Hadid was honored with a retrospective spanning her entire work at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
"Ms. Hadid's work combines energy and a sense of fluidity as it sets a new architectural dynamic in both appearance and relevance," says Brandon Sieben, Allsteel vice president, marketing. "We are excited to again partner with IIDA in bringing such an eminent speaker to NeoCon this year."
For more information about NeoCon and to register, or for more information about the keynote address, visit www.merchandisemart.com/neocon. More information about the keynote speaker can be found at www.zaha-hadid.com.
About Allsteel
Headquartered in Muscatine, IA, Allsteel Inc. designs, builds and delivers progressive and relevant workplace furniture solutions. The company has Resource Centers in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. For more information Allsteel, visit www.allsteeloffice.com.
About IIDA
The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) works to enhance quality of life through excellence in interior design and to advance interior design through knowledge, value and community. IIDA is a professional networking and educational association of 10,000 members in eight specialty forums, nine regions and more than 30 chapters around the world. Additional information is available on IIDA's Web site; www.iida.org.
About Merchandise Mart
NeoCon is a registered trademark of Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. (MMPI), a trade show 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.
