Food for Thought: Exploring Sustainability at NeoCon

Authored by Adam Overell, COO and Chief Sustainability Officer  

As someone who's been in the business of remanufacturing high-end office furniture for corporate tenants, I'd heard plenty about NeoCon over the years. But nothing quite prepared me for the experience of walking into Chicago's The Mart for the first time this past June. 

What is NeoCon? 

For those who might not be familiar, NeoCon is essentially the Super Bowl of commercial design. NeoCon has served as the world's leading platform and most important event of the year for the commercial design industry since 1969. Think of it as the perfect assembly of industry leaders in design for furniture and office interiors – the place where everyone who's anyone comes to stay on top of trends and tackle the issues shaping our industry. 

This three-day event brings together manufacturers, suppliers, designers, architects, and service providers all under one massive roof. It's where the future of commercial interiors literally takes shape. 

The Scale Blew Me Away 

Walking into The Mart for the first time was honestly overwhelming – but in the best possible way. The three-day exhibition covers 1 million square feet (about the area of Chicago's Millennium Park) and features a wide range of vendors, including manufacturers of furniture, flooring, textiles, lighting, and technology products. 

The sheer volume of people was incredible. Thousands upon thousands of attendees from every corner of the industry – interior designers with keen eyes for the next big trend, architects sketching ideas on napkins and taking away ideas for elements of their next build out, facility managers looking for practical solutions, and yes, even recruiters hunting for top talent. The energy was palpable, with everyone genuinely excited to be there and eager to connect. 

What struck me most was the diversity of the supplier ecosystem. You had your heavyweight furniture manufacturers displaying their latest collections alongside scrappy startups showing off innovative materials. There were flooring specialists, lighting gurus, technology integrators, and service providers I'd never even heard of. It really drove home how interconnected our industry is and how many different pieces need to come together to create great commercial spaces. 

The Sustainability Puzzle 

Here's where things got interesting from my perspective. Given that The Furniture X-Change is built around sustainable practices and the circular economy, I was naturally curious to see how the broader industry was approaching these topics. 

I have to be honest – I was initially a bit puzzled. Here you have this incredible collection of suppliers covering every imaginable aspect of furniture and office design, but the sustainability discussion at first seemed to have a limited scope.  Sure, there were mentions of "eco-friendly" this and "sustainable" that, in the manufacturing of new furniture. But the message of circularity didn’t seem core to many brands’ value propositions.   

Don't get me wrong – there were definitely companies talking about sustainability. Sustainability was a major focus at NeoCon 2025, reflecting the industry's ongoing commitment to reducing environmental impact, with exhibitors showcasing recycled materials used in their products (new products that is) and renewable resources driving manufacturing processes. But for an industry that's increasingly being pushed toward sustainable practices by both clients and regulations, I expected to see more companies making circularity and reuse central to their story. 

The Real Education Happened on the 11th Floor 

Things changed when I got to the 11th floor. Visitors were invited to the Circular Design Panel Discussion on June 10th at 4 pm, hosted at the Metropolis Sustainability Lab which was totally awesome! This is where NeoCon really delivered on providing truly educational opportunities for attendees who wanted to cut through the marketing hype and really understand sustainable practices.  This is where the principles of the circular economy and reuse were explored and championed. 

The METROPOLIS Sustainability Lab at NeoCon was an immersive exhibit and dynamic hub designed to inspire and empower attendees to drive positive change for people and the planet. Finally, a space where you could have real conversations about the circular economy – the very principles that are at the core of our mission and values at The Furniture X-Change. Literally a plaque on the wall announced the Lab’s purpose:   

“This space has been curated to bring circular principles to life.  From rethinking design processes and innovating materials, to enabling reuse and second lives, each item and installation showcases the ideas reshaping a circular built environment.”  

It was refreshing to dig into the nuts and bolts of what the circularity component of sustainability actually means in practice. How do you design for disassembly? What does it really take to create a circular supply chain? How do you measure and communicate the environmental impact of your choices to buy new versus previously owned and responsibly remanufactured furniture? These are the conversations that need to be happening more widely across the industry and NeoCon reinforced the role that companies like TFX play in realizing circular goals.   

Looking Forward 

My first NeoCon experience left me both inspired and hungry for more. The scale, the energy, the innovation – it's all there. But there's also a huge opportunity for more companies to embrace the business case for sustainability (and its critical component of circularity) and really make it part of their DNA. 

That's where companies like ours come in. While the industry figures out how to build sustainability into their processes from the ground up, there are immediate opportunities to make a positive impact through the circular economy. Every piece of high-quality office furniture that gets remanufactured instead of heading to a landfill is a win for everyone involved. 

Ready to Make a Difference? 

If you're planning office moves, renovations, or expansions, I'd love to chat about how we can help you achieve your sustainability goals while delivering the high-end furniture solutions your teams deserve. Whether you need sustainable decommissioning and liquidation services for your current space, or you're looking for reliable partners who can provide remanufactured high-end office furniture items for your locations nationwide, we're here to help. 

The circular economy isn't just a buzzword – it's a practical approach that can save you money while reducing your environmental footprint. Let's talk about how we can make it work for your organization. 

Ready to explore sustainable furniture solutions?

Reach out to The Furniture X-Change today, and let's discuss how we can support your next project with high-quality, remanufactured office furniture that aligns with your values and your budget. Give us a shout at inquiry@tfxfurniture.com