Neocon Conference Announces 2016 Presenters

Furniture World News Desk on 2/15/2016

The 48th edition of NeoCon, announced recently that it will once again provide an immersive and multi-faceted experience for the international commercial interiors industry. This year’s overarching theme, “Design That Works,” speaks to the power and vitality of good design. This message will be carried throughout the many aspects of the show, from new and game-changing products across the vertical markets to its rich educational programming.

This year’s keynote speakers include: David Rockwell, Founder and President of the award-winning architecture and design firm Rockwell Group; Oana Stanescu, Partner of Family, the visionary architecture studio behind buzzed-about projects including + POOL; and Paul Scialla, Founder/CEO of Delos, and of the International WELL Building Institute® (IWBI), an influential public benefit corporation whose mission is to improve human health and well-being through the built environment.

Monica DeBartolo, Director of Programming, comments, “As the premier platform and forum for the commercial interiors business, NeoCon has enjoyed hosting the industry’s top thought leaders and movers-and-shakers. We are excited to welcome David Rockwell, Oana Stanescu, and Paul Scialla to the NeoCon stage this year, as we highlight all the things that good design can help people and organizations achieve. NeoCon is the place where good design comes together.”

The 2016 keynote presenters are:

• Paul Scialla
  Monday, June 13 at 8am, Holiday Inn Mart Plaza, 14th Floor, Sauganash Ballroom
  
  After 18 years on Wall Street, including 10 at Goldman Sachs as a Partner, Paul Scialla’s interest in altruistic capitalism and sustainability led him to establish the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), which administers the WELL Building Standard® globally to improve human health and wellbeing through the built environment. Since IWBI’s inception, Scialla has become a leading voice in the sustainability movement, serving as a keynote speaker at prominent green building, real estate, and technology forums and conferences around the world. In his presentation, Scialla will share emerging innovations and evidence-based research about how we can design buildings specifically to support the health and wellness of the people who live, work and learn in them. Topics will include an introduction to the WELL Building Standard, costs and benefits, early examples of WELL buildings, and performance-based metrics for health and wellness in the built environment. The event will help design professionals who are interested in incorporating health into the design of the built environment.

• David Rockwell
Tuesday, June 14 at 8am, Holiday Inn Mart Plaza, 14th Floor, Sauganash Ballroom

David Rockwell, FAIA, is the founder and President of Rockwell Group, an interdisciplinary architecture and design firm that emphasizes innovation and thought leadership in every project. Based in New York with offices in Madrid and Shanghai, Rockwell Group merges architecture, theater, craftsmanship, and technology to create unique narratives for their work, including hospitality, cultural institutions, offices, transportation, residential, set design, products, exhibitions and festivals. Projects include Nobu restaurants and hotels worldwide; The New York EDITION; NeueHouse (New York, Los Angeles and London); W Hotels worldwide; Virgin Hotels Chicago; TED Theater (Vancouver, BC); Travelle at the Langham (Chicago); Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho Hotel; 15 Hudson Yards and Culture Shed in collaboration with Diller Scofidio + Renfro; set designs for On Your Feet, Kinky Boots and Hairspray; and product collections for Stellar Works, The Rug Company, Jim Thompson and Shaw Hospitality Group. Honors and recognition include the AIA New York Chapter President’s Award, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award, and the Presidential Design Award.

• Oana Stanescu
  Wednesday, June 15 at 9am, Holiday Inn Mart Plaza, 14th Floor, Sauganash Ballroom
  
  Oana Stanescu is a partner of Family and has used her vast international experience to lead the office’s European projects. Prior to joining Family, Oana worked at a diverse array of award-winning offices around the world including Herzog and De Meuron, OMA and SANAA. She has also contributed to numerous architectural publications such as Domus, MARK and Abitare and co-taught a seminar at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University. She currently is involved in the +Pool project in New York, a Kickstarter-backed endeavor that involves installing a cross-shaped floating swimming pool in the East River, and has also worked with Kanye West on both tour sets and personal residential projects.

The keynote presentations are free and set the stage for what promises to be a dynamic, engaging and empowering show experience. Show and keynote registration is now open at www.neocon.com.