Chicago—The Best of NeoCon Awards competition—the industry’s premier awards program recognizing innovation in commercial design across 40-plus categories—will officially open for submissions March 1.
A hallmark of NeoCon since 1990, the juried awards program recognizes outstanding new products across key sectors such as workplace, healthcare, hospitality and education. Each year, hundreds of entries compete for top honors, including Gold, Silver,and Best of Competition, alongside special accolades for Innovation, Sustainability and Business Impact. New for 2025, NeoCon attendees will have the opportunity to make their voices heard through the inaugural People’s Choice Awards, allowing them to vote on-site for their favorite Best of NeoCon-winning products.
“Best of NeoCon is the mark of true design excellence for manufacturers and designers—the pinnacle of specifier validation, signaling a product’s impact and market potential,” said Eileen McMorrow, director of the Best of NeoCon program. “And, like the groundbreaking products it celebrates, Best of NeoCon continues to evolve with the addition of the People’s Choice Awards. This year, we’re thrilled to give NeoCon attendees a voice alongside our expert jury, further embracing a reflection of the industry’s best and brightest minds—both in the products submitted and in those evaluating them.”
The Best of NeoCon Awards ceremony will take place on the morning of June 9, at The Mart in Chicago, kicking off the 56th edition of NeoCon. A longstanding symbol of defining achievement, the program spotlights products shaping the future of the built environment. This year’s winners will join an esteemed roster of past honorees, including leaders like Haworth, Andreu World, Momentum Textiles & Wallcovering, and Davis Furniture.
A panel of approximately 50 leading architects, designers, facility managers and industry decision makers will evaluate all entries in person in the days leading up to NeoCon, which runs June 9-11. These expert jurors, to be announced in April, will conduct rigorous hands-on assessments of each new product, upholding the Best of NeoCon’s reputation as the industry’s leading awards program.
The return of the Business Impact Awards
The Business Impact Awards, first introduced in 2022, will return to recognize products with the greatest potential to impact business effectiveness and success. Entrants may opt into an initial review by facility managers, end-users, real estate planners and specifiers. Finalists will undergo a second round of evaluation by a panel of top-tier business journalists on-site. Previous jurors have represented notable publications such as Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Crain’s, MSN, Forbes, HR Executive, The Economist and more.
New for 2025: The People’s Choice Awards
For the first time, attendees will have a chance to participate in the People’s Choice Awards, voting for their favorite Best of NeoCon-winning products. Following the June 9 awards ceremony, winning products will receive a QR code for public voting. Attendees can visit the winning booths and showrooms and cast their votes online via the Best of NeoCon Winners Gallery. Five winners will be announced across social media platforms on June 11.
Submission rules, deadlines, fees
NeoCon exhibitors are encouraged to submit entries through the Best of NeoCon online portal. Eligible products must have entered the U.S. market since June 2024 and be on display at NeoCon 2025. Products previously entered in Best of NeoCon 2024 are ineligible. Entrants must be NeoCon 2025 exhibitors.
Submission deadlines and entry fees:
- Early entry March 1-31: $900 per entry
- Standard entry April 1-30: $1,000 per entry
- Late entry May 1-20: $1,100 per entry
- Business Impact Opt-In: $250 per entry