Ready, Set, Show - NeoCon: The Press Day Preview, Part One

KI WALL MADE ITS MARK AT NEOCON 2024 WITH A SHOWING OF ITS ARCHITECTURAL PODS AND WALLS FOCUSING ON SEAMLESSLY INTEGRATING INTO CONTEMPORARY SPACES IN A FUNCTIONAL YET VISUALLY ENTICING WAY.

by Stefanie Schwalb

NeoCon is back in action, and this latest edition — which began with a press preview on Sunday, June 9 — offered plenty of new products and innovations to discover in the Mart (and outside of it).

From a wide variety of seating options and tables to a wealth of textiles and noise reduction solutions — plus a whole lot more — the tours we attended were just the beginning of what promised to be an inspiring week ahead.

Of course, we’ll be covering the entire experience in a series of stories over the next few weeks. But first, we’d be remiss not to acknowledge that the term “thoughtful design” — previously used without always being truly evident — has finally come into its own, and often in vibrant colors.

Designs created with multiple body types, work styles, and client needs are now being addressed in the best ways possible. If there’s one good thing to come out of the 2020 pandemic, it’s that many brands have evolved to be human-centric, taking careful consideration of what people want and need.

So let’s start with some of the showrooms and brand representatives we caught up with to discuss their latest innovations and future prospects.

KI, Pallas Textiles, and KI Wall

Starting on the 11th floor, we visited KI’s expansive space — which includes Pallas Textiles and KI Wall. Collectively, these brands continue to debut impressive products at every NeoCon.

Walking through the showroom and speaking with Regional A&D Manager Jason Lazarz provided some valuable insight into the company’s evolving direction.“We want to shift perceptions. A lot of people know us as a school brand, but we want people to understand all the capabilities that we have,” Lazarz said. “Of course, education spaces are also getting sophisticated themselves, so it’s all sort of blurring into one thing. ”He added that while the term resimercial is often used, there’s now a significant synergy between education and workplace design.“You have to make things comfortable and inviting,” Lazarz explained. “And you have to make it easier for people to do their work while they’re there. It can’t just be pleasant; it has to be purposeful.”

Lazarz emphasized that design must also be smart, noting that it’s really about refining KI’s aesthetic. When evaluating new concepts, the team looks at them through the lens of multiple functions and markets. The goal is to ensure that a product doesn’t just live in one place, but instead allows clients to maintain a consistent design language across multiple spaces.

To support this vision, KI unveiled several new products at NeoCon 2024. These included the Tributaire Table Collection, which earned a Best of NeoCon Silver Award for Conference Room Furniture and another Silver for Tables: Task. Other new introductions included the Sonrisa Lounge Furniture, Orenda Casegoods, the Zoetry Lounge with Tablet Arm, and the LimeLite Conference Seating with Enhanced Motion. Visitors were also treated to a look at the Nav & Cheevo Esports Chairs, along with a sneak peek of the Zeker Modular Seating and the Passel Workspace Collection.

Meanwhile, KI Wall made a strong showing at NeoCon 2024 with its architectural pods and wall systems, emphasizing seamless integration into today’s adaptable environments.

KI Wall integrates seamlessly into contemporary spaces in a way that is both functional and visually enticing. “KI Wall has been around for more than 30 years, but we were finding that a lot of people didn’t know that still, so we wanted to give it its own space and visibility,” Lazarz noted. “We created this experience here, we’ve given it a new website this year, and we’re really showcasing all of its capabilities.” A key highlight was the installation of its curved glass wall with the Lightline Low Profile Storefront using a one-inch base trim.

“This is traditionally what people think about when it comes to demountable walls, but really we’re doing a lot more with them these days, especially as they’re being used in different typologies like health care and higher education,” he continued. “We’re doing a lot of solid walls as well.” Visitors to the space could see firsthand KI Wall’s internal capabilities, including pre-installation of boxes for electrical or light switches — and even plumbing integration. “All of this can be figured out before it even goes up. It also just shows up already done, so it’s cutting out time for the contractor, and it goes in really clean,” Lazarz added. “We’re really excited about the capabilities, and I think they’re only going to continue.”

Over in the Pallas Textiles section, there was an exclusive preview of their purpose-driven collection, In Good Company, which is focused on sustainability. “Of hyper-absorbent textiles this year, we’re showing this collection of six wovens all incorporating Seaqual® Yarns made of upcycled plastic from the ocean, and we’re donating a portion of the proceeds to the Seaqual® Foundation to help their mission to remove plastic from the ocean and turn it into something else,” Lazarz concluded. “The samples we’re showing evoke a water element to them, and we’re really excited about it.”

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