March 12, 2026 — The commercial design industry’s premier awards program, Best of NeoCon, is open for product submissions. During NeoCon, since 1990, the competition has served as a cornerstone of design excellence, honoring holistic, leading-edge solutions that advance performance, sustainability, innovation and user experience within the built environment. Adding to its roster of 46 categories across the workplace, healthcare, hospitality and education sectors, this year’s competition will feature expanded lighting categories aligned with the debut of Illuminate at NeoCon — a show-within-a-show that’s dedicated to lighting innovation.
Eileen McMorrow, Director of the Best of NeoCon program, shares her enthusiasm for this year’s competition:
Rooted in design advancement, Best of NeoCon convenes a jury of industry leaders and visionary entrants who are actively defining the future of commercial landscapes. Each year, the breadth and depth of submissions continue to reflect an industry that’s evolving quickly, underscoring design’s essential role in spatial experience, wellness, efficiency, and artistic expression.
Jury is seeking more facility managers right now
Before NeoCon, all entries are reviewed in person at The Mart by a multidisciplinary jury composed of approximately 45 architects, designers, facility managers, and industry decision-makers. Jurors are selected for their expertise in specification, design leadership, and operational performance across commercial design sectors. The hands-on evaluation process directly encourages meaningful dialogue between jurors and manufacturers. If you are interested in serving as a juror, please email: NeoConJury@TheMart.com. A juror profile link will be sent, and we will review your qualifications. All jurors for the 2026 program will be announced in April.
Awards ceremony and winner recognition
The Best of NeoCon Awards Ceremony takes place on the morning of Monday, June 8, at The Mart in Chicago and officially kicks off NeoCon 2026, which runs June 8-10 (with a new Preview Day on June 7). Competing for Gold, Silver, and Best of Competition honors, alongside distinctions for Innovation, Sustainability and Business Impact, 2026 winners will join an esteemed lineup of past honorees, including leaders such as Andreu World, Davis Furniture, HALCON, Haworth, Momentum, Stinson and many more.
Business Impact Awards continue
Entrants may also opt into the prestigious Business Impact Awards, which recognize products with the potential to drive measurable business outcomes — enhancing workflows, reducing costs, and/or optimizing space. Submissions are vetted by facility managers, end users, real estate planners and specifiers, and the finalists are evaluated on-site by a panel of leading business journalists. Previous jurors have represented notable publications including Fast Company, Bloomberg CityLab, Crain’s Chicago Business, Forbes, Newsweek, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, among others.
The return of the People’s Choice Awards
For the second year, the People’s Choice Awards will give the design community a voice. Following the June 8 awards ceremony, attendees will vote online or on-site via QR codes for their favorite Best of NeoCon honorees. Five People’s Choice winners will be announced at the BIFMA breakfast and across NeoCon’s social media channels on Wednesday, June 10.
Submission entry rules, deadlines and fees
Submissions are open exclusively to NeoCon 2026 exhibitors via the online awards portal. Eligible products must have entered the U.S. market since June 2025, must be on display at NeoCon 2026, and must not have been submitted to Best of NeoCon 2025. Entry submission deadlines and fees per entry are as follows:
March 1-31 (early): $900 / April 1-30 (standard): $1,000 / May 1-20 (final): $1,100 / Business Impact opt-in: $500.
More information on categories, criteria and the submission process is available via the links on the Best of NeoCon portal home page.
Send questions to: BestofNeoCon@TheMart.com
NeoCon is open to trade, C-Suite executives and other industry-related professionals, and registration is free for all attendees.
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