Why Best of NeoCon Matters for Your Product Strategy in 2026

Ideas, illustrations, mood boards, and crafting have taken place. Designers have spent countless hours shaping their designs to perfection before the final product assembly. Now it’s time for the product to hit the showroom floor. To ensure all of that legwork is seen, NeoCon invites companies and designers to submit products for the Best of NeoCon Awards.

As competition intensifies across commercial interiors, standing out at NeoCon isn’t just about showing up—it’s about proving your product’s value to the people who specify, purchase, and manage it every day. That’s where the Best of NeoCon Awards come in.

Now in its 36th year, the program brings together a jury of nearly 50 architects, designers, facility managers, and end users from firms like Gensler, HOK, HDR, and major organizations, including State Farm and Walgreens. These are the professionals actively shaping projects ranging from corporate headquarters to healthcare campuses—meaning their evaluations reflect real-world specification criteria, not just aesthetics.

“We personally invite the most respected practitioners because their ability to evaluate products through the lens of real-world application is central to maintaining the program’s credibility and relevance,” said Eileen McMorrow, director of the Best of NeoCon program. “We strive to diversify the jury across project types, firm sizes, areas of specialization, and geographic regions. Both designers and facility managers are sourcing solutions for substantial, complex projects, and that breadth of perspective is critical.”

What this Means for Exhibitors

Your product isn’t being judged in a vacuum. It’s being evaluated by the same people who decide what gets specified, purchased, and installed in projects across the country. Recognition here signals that your solution meets the demands of performance, durability, and user experience at scale.

The Best of NeoCon awards ceremony will kick off NeoCon 2026 on Monday, June 8, at The Mart. Jurors will award Gold, Silver, Innovation, Sustainability, Business Impact, and the highest distinction—Best of Competition—to products across 46 categories during the ceremony. This year’s awards include expanded lighting classifications alongside the exhibition debut of Illuminate at NeoCon, focused on lighting innovation

From Design to Business Impact

Beyond traditional design categories, the Business Impact Awards spotlight products that deliver measurable outcomes—like improving space efficiency, reducing costs, or enhancing workplace performance. For manufacturers, this is a critical shift. It’s no longer enough to be innovative; your product must demonstrate value in use.

Why This Matters to Your Day-to-day Decisions

• Guides how you position product features and benefits 
• Strengthens your sales narrative with specifiers and clients 
• Validates R&D investments with third-party credibility 
• Helps differentiate your brand in a crowded NeoCon floor 

Direct Access to Decision-Makers

During on-site evaluations at The Mart, jurors engage directly with manufacturers—offering a rare opportunity to communicate your product story, materials strategy, and intended applications face-to-face with industry influencers.

Paola Contreras, senior interior Designer at HDR with 20 years of experience across healthcare, justice, and behavioral health environments, explained, “I value the opportunity to understand how products are developed and brought to market, especially those that support clarity, safety, and dignity for the people using these spaces. Being a part of the jury process offers a chance to learn from manufacturers first-hand and see how new ideas are being translated into real solutions.”

The 2026 Best of NeoCon jury is comprised of professionals involved in large-scale projects across America, including corporate headquarters, healthcare campuses, higher education facilities, and mixed-use buildings that are 90,000 to over 1 million square feet. Jury members’ portfolios span Fortune 500 companies and global financial institutions as well as hospitals, research labs, and academia. These projects require high-performance, durable, and human-centered products and solutions for building occupants. Facility managers bring operational insight to the judging as they oversee workplace transformations and campus-wide improvements, so Best of NeoCon products are assessed not only for design quality but also for long-term functionality and real-world impact. 

Jessica Maples, design director at Gensler with more than two decades of experience designing workplace interiors, said, “Serving on the jury offers a unique vantage point into emerging manufacturers, sustainability innovations, and creative partnerships. It’s a chance to stay informed, connect great design and products with our clients, share that insight with our teams, and help inspire the next generation of designers.”

The jury is a mix of returning and first-time participants to support a comprehensive evaluation process. The diverse disciplines and market sectors strengthen the product reviews as each juror brings varied expertise and project experience. They will engage directly with manufacturers during on-site evaluations, learning about product development, material choices, and intended applications. 

Key Opportunity Windows

If you’re exhibiting at NeoCon 2026, timing matters. Submissions are open exclusively to NeoCon 2026 exhibitors for products released after June 2025. As of March 1, exhibitors can submit their products through the online awards portal.

Here are the dates to mark on your calendar. 

• Standard submissions: April 1–30, with a $1,000 fee per entry
• Late submissions: May 1–20, with a $1,100 fee per entry
• Business Impact Award opt-in available, with a $500 fee 

Eligible products must be new to the U.S. market since June 2025 and on display at the show. 

The Bottom Line

Best of NeoCon isn’t just an awards program—it’s a strategic platform to validate your product, elevate your brand, and connect directly with the professionals driving specification decisions. In a market where performance and proof matter more than ever, recognition here can go beyond perception to influence pipeline.

Still have questions about the Best of NeoCon Awards? Here is a list of Frequently Asked Questions.

With NeoCon less than two months away, our excitement is building to see your products on display. The interiors+sources team will be at the show, so please reach out to us so we can catch up in person. 

Q: What is the Best of NeoCon Awards program?
A: Best of NeoCon is an annual awards program recognizing new products in the commercial design industry. Now in its 36th year, it evaluates entries across multiple categories, honoring innovation, sustainability, and overall excellence in the built environment.

Q: Who evaluates the products submitted to Best of NeoCon?
A: Products are evaluated by a jury of approximately 45 professionals, including architects, designers, facility managers, and end users from leading firms and organizations such as Gensler, HOK, HDR, State Farm, and Walgreens.

Q: What types of experience do jurors bring to the evaluation process?
A: Jurors are actively involved in specifying products for large-scale projects, including corporate headquarters, healthcare facilities, higher education campuses, and mixed-use developments. Their experience reflects real-world application and operational considerations.

Q: How are products evaluated during the program?
A: Jurors conduct in-person evaluations at The Mart, where they engage directly with manufacturers. Products are assessed based on factors such as innovation, materiality, functionality, and real-world performance.

Q: What categories are included in the awards program?
A: The 2026 program includes 46 categories, with expanded classifications for lighting. Additional honors include awards for Innovation, Sustainability, and overall Best of Competition.

Q: What are the Business Impact Awards?
A: The Business Impact Awards recognize products that demonstrate measurable organizational value, such as improved efficiency, cost savings, or enhanced use of space. Finalists are reviewed in a second round by a panel of business media journalists.

Q: Who evaluates the Business Impact Award finalists?
A: Finalists are reviewed by journalists from business media outlets, including the Chicago Sun-Times, Crain’s Chicago Business, Forbes, Inc., The New York Times, and Wirecutter.

Q: What is the purpose of the People’s Choice Awards?
A: The People’s Choice Awards allow NeoCon attendees to vote for their favorite products from the Best of NeoCon winners. Voting takes place both digitally and on-site following the awards ceremony.

Q: When are the Best of NeoCon winners announced?
A: Award winners are announced during the official ceremony on Monday, June 8, at The Mart, coinciding with the start of NeoCon 2026.

Q: Who is eligible to submit products for consideration?
A: Submissions are open to NeoCon 2026 exhibitors. Eligible products must have entered the U.S. market since June 2025 and be on display at the event.

Q: What are the submission deadlines and fees?
A: Standard submissions are accepted from April 1–30 with a fee of $1,000 per entry. Late submissions run from May 1–20 with a fee of $1,100 per entry. There is an additional $500 fee to opt into the Business Impact Awards.

Q: Where do the product evaluations take place?
A: Evaluations are conducted in person at The Mart in Chicago prior to the start of NeoCon.

Q: What role does direct interaction with manufacturers play in the process?
A: Jurors engage directly with manufacturers during evaluations to better understand product development, intended use, and design considerations.

Q: What distinguishes Best of NeoCon from other awards programs?
A: The program emphasizes real-world application by relying on jurors who actively specify and manage projects, ensuring that product evaluations consider both design quality and operational performance.

If you have questions about the Best of NeoCon, email [email protected].