Rumors of its death have been greatly exaggerated, as NeoCon® World's Trade Fair returns to Chicago's Merchandise Mart this year from June 15 to 17. And despite the economic downturn, exhibitors have delivered on high-design, high-quality, and, especially crucial this year, value-oriented product introductions.

Making its debut alongside NeoCon® is Light!, the expo and conference introducing cutting-edge lighting products, specifically developed for the hospitality, commercial, and healthcare industries. It will include 14 seminars and one keynote address. For more information please see the 2009 Ideabook or visit www.lightingdesignexpo.com.

Besides some new events, old favorites will also be present, such as the Best of NeoCon® Awards competition, honoring the latest introductions in commercial interior products across 45 categories. Coinciding with the launch of Light!, five new lighting categories are introduced: decorative, task/desktop, track, fluorescent troffers, and specialty. Winners will be honored at the 2009 Best of NeoCon® Winners' Breakfast on June 15 at 7:30 a.m. at the Renaissance Chicago. Later that day, at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza in the Steamboat Room, the Behind the Scenes of the Best of NeoCon® panel discussion will take place at 3:30 p.m. among select members of the Best of NeoCon® jury and moderated by Eileen McMorrow, director of the Best of NeoCon®, and AnnMarie Marano, associate editor of Contract. Jurors will reveal their "must see" product picks and comment on this year's competition.

NeoCon® keynote speakers will focus on inspiring the industry to get up and get moving. On June 15 at 8:00 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza in the Sauganash Ballroom, Daniel Pink—best-selling author of A Whole New Mind—will present "Creativity, Motivation and You," exploring the science of human motivation. Paola Antonelli, a senior curator in the architecture and design department at The Museum of Modern Art, will present "The Future of Design" on June 16 at 8:00 a.m. at the same location. Antonelli will focus on how designers have the ability to grasp momentous changes in technology, science and society, and convert them into objects and ideas that people can understand and use.

A variety of special events are also scheduled, including the 21st Annual DIFFA/Chicago Gala, which will kick off the fair on June 13 at The Field Museum. "Believe," this year's theme, will inspire the industry to imagine a world free of the AIDS pandemic.

And be sure to stop by the Contract-Connection Lounge between 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 2–5 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, June 15–16, to wish Contract a happy 50th anniversary. Your greeting may be used in a video that will be part of the upcoming celebration in January 2010. Look for the special anniversary issue in March 2010. The Contract-Connection Lounge is located on the 8th floor, suite 8-8118.

For more information on these and other events, please visit www.neocon.com.