Chicago — The 51st edition of NeoCon, held here June 10 to 12 at The Mart, will deliver a multidisciplinary offering of over 100CEU seminars from influential voices in the industry. To accommodate the robust schedule, NeoCon has added an extra day of programming, with presentations beginning on Sunday, June 9.
Ranging from exploring the role of play in cultivating innovation to design in the era of the #MeToo movement, the four-day conference program will feature a wide range of sessions to choose from across a number of vertical markets.
“NeoCon is a great resource for professionals who are looking for a rich and immersive educational experience and it’s a great way for them to fulfill their CEU requirements in a matter of days. The additional day of programming will allow attendees to get a head start,” said Monica DeBartolo, Director of Programming.
Below is a list of some of the seminars on tap for 2019. The complete list of seminars is available here.
SU02: Play to Innovation: Exploring the role of play in cultivating innovation
Sunday, June 9
9:30a.m. to 10:30a.m.
Based on extensive research, attendees will be provided with insights into the role of play in cultivating innovation. Insights will be supplemented by showing how to leverage the designed spaces to support innovation. [Intermediate] [INST] [OF]
Speakers: Rebecca Milne, Perkins Eastman, New York, N.Y.; Scott Fallick, Perkins Eastman, New York, N.Y.
M114: Irreducible complexity’s positive environmental impact
Monday, June 10
1:00p.m. to 2:00p.m.
Attendees of this seminar will discover how this holistic approach guides efficient design and leads to reduced cost, optimized materials, healthier manufacturing processes, longevity of a product and, most importantly, minimized environmental impact. [Basic] [GR] [WE] [HSW]
Speaker: Todd Bracher, Todd Bracher Studio, Brooklyn, N.Y.
M116: With Women in Mind: How intentionally designed healthcare spaces benefit the bottom line
Monday, June 101:00p.m. to 2:00p.m.
According to the most recent research, women make approximately 80% of healthcare decisions. As the chief medical officers in their homes, they set the health and wellness agenda for themselves and their families. presentation will highlight how well-designed women’s care spaces positively affect the institution’s financial health. While not always the most profitable services at a hospital, women’s services act as important marketing tools and create brand loyalty. [Intermediate] [HC] [FM]
Speakers: Carolyn Blake, Gresham Smith, Jacksonville, Fla.; Amy Jordan, Gordon Hospital, Calhoun, Ga.; Beth Hiltonen, Gresham Smith, Jacksonville, Fla.
M125: Can managing acoustic stimuli in the workplace help reduce burnout?
Monday, June 10
2:30p.m. to 3:30p.m.
Burnout costs a lot—an estimated $125 to $190 billion annually in healthcare spending. Much of the discussion about burnout has focused on individual factors and job characteristics. So, what can designers do? This seminar will work out some answers centered on workplace design. [Intermediate] [FT] [WE]
Speakers: Lida Lewis, Wingate Hughes, Washington, D.C.; Dr. Whitney Austin Gray, Delos, New York, N.Y.
T205: The ROI of sustainable interior design
Tuesday, June 11
9:30a.m. to 10:30a.m.
This presentation provides a simple framework to align owners’ goals, project design and product selection to deliver quantifiable impact reductions on watts, water, carbon and costs. Attendees will be guided through a proven methodology used by clients in the public and private sector to measure total cost of ownership and the impacts of their design decisions with green building rating systems such as LEED, WELL and Living Building Challenge. [Intermediate] [GR] [FM] [HSW]
Speaker: Paul Shahriari, USGBC, Ecomedes, Cape Coral, Fla.
T215: Interior Design and #METOO: Houston, we have a problem
Tuesday, June 11
1:00p.m. to 2:00p.m.
Women have historically made up a large proportion of those in interior design—yet their numbers in senior management are not proportionate. The presentation will examine the current state of — and status of — women in the industry through the numbers. Furthermore, it will cover research that illustrates how social expectations, company culture and individual behaviors can prevent women from becoming successful as leaders. [Intermediate] [PD] [FM]
Speakers: Joan Blumenfeld, Perkins+Will, New York, N.Y.; Cynthia Kracauer, Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, New York, N.Y.; Gabrielle Bullock, Perkins+Will, Los Angeles, Calif.
T219: Designing for Resilience: William & Mary’s New McLeod Tyler Wellness Center
Tuesday, June 11
1:00p.m. to 2:00p.m.
Colleges and universities today face an unprecedented demand for student health services. To respond, college counselors and wellness directors are ramping up their health and wellness programming. In this session, you will learn about the story of the College of William and Mary’s new wellness center (opened Fall 2018). Specifically, the discussion will include the drivers behind its design, specific building strategies used, as well as pre- and post-occupancy data collected by research partners at the University of Virginia. [Intermediate] [INST] [WE]
Speakers:Leigh Stringer, EYP Architecture and Engineering, Washington, D.C.; Antoinette Ayers, EYP Architecture and Engineering; Dr. R. Kelly Crace, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Va.
T220: The three pillars of human centric design
Tuesday, June 11
1:00p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
In the last 30 years, three major movements have evolved to become the cornerstones of modern human-centric design in the U.S. and globally. The most recent, wellness design, deriving from today’s trend toward health and wellbeing, has joined universal design and biophilic design as major contributors. This trio has allowed designers to meet the human needs of interior spaces, as well as facilitating more functional, healthy and aesthetically pleasing design. This presentation will examine the synergistic combination of these major approaches by delving into unique highlights of each. [Intermediate] [RES] [HSW]
Speaker: Barb Mueller, Designs Anew Houston, Seabrook, Texas
T221: Friction in the Workplace: Has ease become too easy?
Tuesday, June 11
2:30p.m. to 3:30p.m.
This lecture will explore the idea of building resistance back into the work environment, making space that is less like a worker’s utopia and more like the psychological reality for which all working people need to be prepared. [Basic] [OF]
Speaker: Verda Alexander, Studio O+A, San Francisco, Calif.
T228: GIVE ME A REASON
Tuesday, June 11
4:00p.m. to 5:00p.m.
With 50% of employees always ready to leave and only 15% engaged in their jobs, today’s workplace needs designers who can offer a solution. Join us to discover how to design a work experience to foster engagement and performance and keep employee disengagement at bay. This presentation will explore parallel processes and effective tools designed to create an environment where individuals and organizations thrive. [Advanced] [OF]
Speakers: Dean Strombom, Gensler, Houston, Texas; Sven Govaars, Steelcase ARC, San Francisco, Calif.
W304: Conflicting Workplace Trends: A framework for solutions
Wednesday, June 12
8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
While many sources offer information on workplace trends, the findings often appear to be conflicting and confusing. In this session, two workplace strategists, a multinational corporate end-user, and an architect present a framework for clear decision-making on workplace designs. Attendees will discover how organizations can make effective workplace decisions based on specific needs and organizational culture and hear about the recent Harvard study of open-plan offices that demonstrates the downside of applying trends in a vacuum. Details about the framework that is presented for determining how teams work at an organization, and how needs for new work approaches could evolve will be addressed. [Intermediate] [OF] [FM]
Speakers: Ashley Dunn, Dyer Brown Architects, Boston, Mass.; Bryan Parker, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Tampa, Fla.
