June 29, 2026 — For education facility managers, the NeoCon commercial interiors show has a wealth of solutions for student-based and corporate training environments. Earlier in June, NeoCon 2026 attracted 55,000 design, facility and industry professionals, representing a 9% increase in traffic from 2025.
Across nearly one million square feet of exhibition space, attendees encountered 450 brands with design-forward solutions spanning workplace, healthcare, hospitality, education, public space, materials, technology, lighting, acoustics and furnishings.
Pathmaker Table Series by Haskell Education
Haskell Education’s Pathmaker Table Series garnered attention for breakthrough in inclusive design as the first truly ADA-compliant table collection purpose-built for hands-on learning and training environments. Guided by universal design principles, it seamlessly integrates accessibility and equity into a large-format table without the need for special modifications or separate seating. Pathmaker won multiple awards in two categories: Education Solutions: Silver, Business Impact, and People’s Choice Awards; and Tables: Height-Adjustable: Silver and Innovation Awards.
Haskell Education explained that in a classroom or training setting, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and most local building codes require that a certain percentage of tables be wheelchair accessible. Specifically, at least 5% of training tables must meet this standard. For hands-on learning environments, this requirement is particularly challenging, as most large- format tables are not height adjustable.
Tables that are height-adjustable typically require an able-bodied individual (or two) to adjust the height. Often, these table solutions don’t match the rest of the furniture in the classroom, so they are placed in the corner of the room. This can leave individuals feeling isolated and singled out in a corner and away from materials. Imagine a space where every individual — regardless of mobility or sensory or learning needs — is fully included, without exception. The Pathmaker Table is the new height adjustable standard for environments where access is assumed—not requested—and all students are truly welcome.
Aaron Buehring, principal, Buehring Studios, designed the table by engineering a completely cordless, battery-powered mobile system with an intuitive 29” to 42” ergonomic range to eliminate the physical barriers that often isolate individuals. It replaces specialized, segregating accommodations with a single, elegant solution with three fully ADA compliant zones that provide personal dignity and seamless collaboration.
The Best of NeoCon jurors commented:
- “The research behind the Pathmaker Table addresses real challenges faced in educational environments. I appreciate the thoughtful approach taken to recognize these needs and to design a solution that promotes accessibility, inclusion, and equitable participation for all students. We’re seeing more maker space and flex labs in education, and this is a great product to specify. Additionally, this table is accommodating to schools that do not have budget to add in floor boxes but still want powered furniture features.”
- “We really liked the versatility with this table and the three height options. The powered battery back was a unique feature that helps with ultimate flexibility within the educational environment. I really appreciate how inclusive this product is and how it’s been designed for everyone.”
- “This is a great accessible table with a wide variety of standard options rather than added features. It can be used in many settings and supports users of all abilities. The product feels well thought out, inclusive, and designed with everyone in mind. Fantastic solution for inclusive design. Everyone is welcome at the table. Love that it is a power-adjustable height that is not tethered to a power cord. A mobile adjustable height table!”
Newton modular furniture system collection by SurfaceWorks
The Gold and a People’s Choice Award-winner in Education was SurfaceWorks for the Newton Collection, a modular furniture system designed by Joey Ruiter in collaboration with the brand. Newton was created for learning and training environments, where flexibility, mobility and intuitive interaction are essential.
Sustainability is embedded throughout Newton’s design, materials, and lifecycle strategy. Manufactured in the USA, the collection prioritizes long-term durability, material efficiency, and adaptability to reduce environmental impact over time. Its modular construction supports high reuse across core structural and functional components, minimizing material redundancy while allowing spaces to evolve without furniture replacement.
Best of NeoCon juror comments included:
- “It’s refreshing to see a furniture line that plays with the juxtaposition of organic and straight lines, making it suitable for a wider range of interiors. I would default to only providing the more durable edge banding as that option sets SurfaceWorks apart from other manufacturers. Once these tables can be height adjustable, this can be a top contender product.
- “We love the steel with urethane edges, recycled particle board wood, and urethane made with rapidly renewable materials, along with soy bean oil to seal the core! “
Best of NeoCon Awards program
Since 1990, the Best of NeoCon Awards program has served as a definitive benchmark for commercial design excellence, commending solutions that advance how people work, learn, heal, connect and experience space. This year’s edition received 274 entries from 97 NeoCon exhibitors. A total of 71 products earned awards across 42 categories, including expanded lighting classifications introduced in conjunction with the debut of Illuminate at NeoCon. Honors were awarded for Gold, Silver, Innovation, Sustainability and Business Impact, with the competition’s highest distinction — Best of Competition — presented to KI for Cognetic Technology.
Best of Competition: Cognetic Technology by KI
The Best of Competition-winning Cognetic Technology by KI stood out for its intuitive, human-centered design. The patented seating innovation was developed to fundamentally rethink how the body interacts with seating. The gravity-powered, multi-axis motion system continuously responds to subtle natural body movement, supporting posture variability, fluid movement, and effortless balance without requiring constant conscious adjustment. Unlike conventional seating systems built around levers, tilt mechanisms and static positioning, Cognetic Technology creates an intuitive, frictionless, more responsive seated experience.
Jurors praised the solution for its ability to encourage natural movement and adapt seamlessly to the user, noting that it “moves with your body and how you want to move,” and is “intuitive and effortless to use,” creating a more dynamic and comfortable sitting experience. Other jurors noted that the technology “effectively encourages movement in the workplace,” providing an “added feature of calm, as it functions a lot like a rocking chair,” and pointed out the neurodiversity features and health benefits, noting that “hip flexibility helps those with a plethora of health issues and back problems.” One juror remarked that the unique technology “will be a game changer in the market,” concluding, “We loved sitting in this chair and didn’t want to get up. We are very excited to see this technology get specified on projects.”
A multidisciplinary jury of approximately 45 leading architects, designers, facility managers, end-users, and industry decision-makers — including leaders from CannonDesign, Gensler, HDR, HKS, HOK, Marmon Mok, Northwestern Mutual, Shepley Bulfinch, State Farm, and Walgreens — convened on-site at The Mart the weekend before the show to evaluate submissions throughout the NeoCon show floors. An additional panel of business journalists and facility management (FM) professionals determined the Business Impact Awards. See the full jury list here.
Mohawk Group’s Hero Rubber made with Nike Grind
Mohawk Group’s Hero Rubber made with Nike Grind (left), a new favorite solution for school gymnasiums, is a high-performance resilient flooring collection that transforms recycled athletic footwear into a surfacing solution. It’s the only flooring to incorporate Nike Grind—a specialized material composed of rubber, foam, fiber, and leather sourced from end-of-life athletic shoes.
The portfolio features three distinct styles, each offering 17 design-forward colorways ranging from classic neutrals to vibrant tones:
- Original: The signature style with a 30% Nike Grind composition, providing a uniform, granular visual;
- Vitality: A mid-scale aesthetic utilizing two sizes of granules and 20% Nike Grind; and
- Axis: A bold, large-scale visual with 20% Nike Grind content.
Most-awarded companies
Competition-wide, the most-awarded companies were KI (7), Andreu World (6), Davis Furniture (6), HALCON Furniture (4), Haworth (5), and Keilhauer (4), each earning recognition in multiple categories.
Other note-worthy winners
Additional winners of note include:
- Mirage with SpinFix by Momentum: Gold and Business Impact Award in the Acoustic Solutions category
- Assembled Threads by Mohawk Group: Silver in Carpeting
- Within Walls by Patcraft: Gold in Carpeting (right)
- Hero Rubber made with Nike Grind by Mohawk: Gold in Healthcare Hard-Surface Flooring (shown above)
- Wanderwood by Patcraft: Silver in Healthcare Hard-Surface Flooring
- Muro by B+N Industries – A Momentum Company: Silver in Architectural Products
View the full list of Best of NeoCon 2026 winners and images at Best of NeoCon.
See other related Best of NeoCon and NeoCon articles at these links:
- “FMs and designers appointed the Best of NeoCon 2026 winners and found solutions for their next projects”
- “KI takes top honors in 2026 Best of NeoCon. Winners reveal design breakthroughs in sustainability, innovation, business impact, lighting”
- “KI, Stinson, Mohawk, Patcraft among the winners with healthcare market products in 2026 Best of NeoCon”
