Returning to The Mart June 8-10—with a Preview Day on June 7—NeoCon is proud to announce notable milestones leading up to the 2026 edition. Marked by significant investments from powerhouse brands, including Keilhauer and Calyx by Claridge tripling their footprints, a surge of key renewals from Emeco, Schiavello, and Stance Healthcare, to new permanent showrooms for Formica Group and Slalom, the debut of a new Collab Space featuring veteran giants, and the launch of Illuminate at NeoCon showcasing 50-plus premier lighting brands, this year’s show underscores NeoCon’s spirit of innovation, community, and connection.

“Each year we look for ways to support how the industry comes together,” comments Byron Morton, Vice President & Co-Head of Leasing. “From expanded showrooms to new platforms for collaboration and product discovery, we’re continuing to enhance the NeoCon experience, building fresh opportunities for brands and attendees to connect and exchange ideas.”

New and Notable: Leasing Activity and Showroom Growth

The Mart continues to evolve with new permanent showrooms, strategic relocations, dynamic expansions, 22 long-term leases, and an influx of specialty showcases. Major highlights include: 

New Permanent Showrooms: Formica Group (10-120), Nevers Industries (1061), Slalom (10-168), and Workrite (333) are opening new showrooms in time for NeoCon 2026, further expanding the building’s offering across textiles, seating, surfaces, and ergonomic solutions.

“As a brand with more than a century of design heritage, Formica Group cares deeply about showing up for the design community, sharing new ideas, and continuing to innovate alongside the industry,” notes Meghan Howell, Creative & Design Director, Formica Group North America. “Having a permanent home in The Mart allows us to do that in a more meaningful way, and we’re excited to be part of the energy and creativity that makes NeoCon so special.”

Significant Expansions: Established exhibitors continue to reinvest in larger and more immersive environments designed to support year-round engagement, including Calyx by Claridge (1082), ClearSpace Design (1040), and HAT Collective (1078), alongside Keilhauer and Division Twelve (399).

“After more than a decade of exhibiting at The Mart, Calyx by Claridge is proud to reinvest by extending our lease and tripling our floorplate,” adds Beth McGrew, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Calyx by Claridge.

Strategic Relocations: Several brands—including CF Stinson + Arc-Com (355), Krug Furniture (373), Mayer Fabrics (335), OM Seating (1012), and Sedia Systems (324A)—are relocating to refreshed spaces within The Mart ahead of the show.

Key Renewals: Furnishing leaders Emeco (318), Schiavello (10-135), and Stance Healthcare (10-139), have extended their commitments for long-term leases.

Speciality Showcases: In addition to the permanent showrooms, NeoCon 2026 debuts a series of specialty spaces and design destinations on the 10th and 11th floors. This curated selection includes the re-engagement of former long-time tenants HBF and HBF Textiles and Neutral Posture, as well as first-time exhibitors Haskell Education, Impact Acoustic, Memo, and ACTIU.

The New 7th Floor: A Curated Blueprint for DiscoveryNeoCon’s destination for discovery, the 7th Floor Exhibit Hall, will be reimagined into an intuitive hall-within-a-hall layout, featuring a category-driven exploration of immersive showcases and branded experiences from more than 200 companies, including returning notables AHF Products, Assa Abloy, Benjamin Moore, Configura, Emu, Mockett, NARDI, and Snapcab, and first-time exhibitors Airiia, Emma Hayes, Fenabel, Hanan Sotelo, Lignotrend, Lucca House, Metall Furniture, Revigres, and The Wood Veneer Hub (WVH®). Key pillars include:

• Collab Space: A 2,800-square-foot hospitality-driven installation designed by Charlie Greene Studio, Collab Space represents a departure from traditional booth silos. Inspired by the concept of ‘Chicagohenge’– the spectacular alignment of the sun with the city grid – it serves as a metaphor for design synergy.  Marrying atmosphere, materiality, color, and product integration into a cohesive destination, the interactive space will feature brands like Allseating, Kriskadecor, Mohawk Group, Paul Brayton Designs, ROOM, an OFS Company, and Simii Design in context.
  • “We’re so excited to share an experience that’s quintessentially Chicago with NeoCon attendees: Chicagohenge,” says Jason Hall, founder and creative director of Charlie Green Studio. “The way the deep, rich color of the setting sun aligns perfectly with the city grid once a year is memorable and fleeting.” 
• Illuminate at NeoCon: A new show-within-a-show dedicated to architectural, technical, and decorative lighting, Illuminate recognizes lighting as a fundamental architectural driver. Through immersive real-world applications, the platform will feature global leaders like ALW (Architectural Lighting Works), Axis Lighting, Axolight, Barn Light Electric, Estiluz, Focal Point, Juniper, lightly, Marset, PureEdge Lighting, and USAI. Educational programming, special events, and networking opportunities will further support collaboration between lighting manufacturers and designers and the broader A&D community.
  • "Illuminate signals a meaningful new chapter for NeoCon, one that places lighting design at the center of the conversation,” says Adrian Howitt, Vice President + General Manager, Fluxwerx Illumination.
  • “There is an unmatched energy that takes over The Mart during NeoCon,” adds Teresa Navarro, Sales Manager, Estiluz. “This is a new experience for us, and we are incredibly excited to be a part of it."

Propelled by strong leasing activity and new debuts, NeoCon 2026 is set to unite 50,000 design professionals with more than 450 brands, world-class programming, special events, tours, and workshops.

NeoCon is open to trade, C-Suite executives, and other industry-related professionals, and registration is free for all attendees. For registration, please click HERE.