Humanscale Explores Wellness and Sustainability at NeoCon 2017

Every June, the design world descends on Chicago for NeoCon, the most recognized and attended trade show in the industry.

Now in its 49th year, NeoCon attracts design professionals from all sectors, including retail, corporate, hospitality, healthcare, and government, as well as commercial and residential interiors. They attend to explore the latest design innovations and workplace trends — which are displayed throughout more than 700 showrooms.

Since 1969, NeoCon has taken place at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart — an iconic building so large that it had its own ZIP code until 2008. Humanscale's Chicago showroom can be found on the third floor, # 351. From our latest seating and sit/stand creations to our unique technology and lighting solutions, this year we presented our most advanced and dynamic ergonomic offerings to date. With a focus on the health and wellness of our products, we invited guests to learn about our commitment to making a net positive impact and our beyond sustainability initiatives (see more below!).

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This Year’s Highlights
 

To kick-off NeoCon 2017, Humanscale Founder and CEO Robert King introduced keynote speaker Arianna Huffington, presented by Humanscale, Thrive Global and IIDA. You can read more about Arianna’s talk, and her advice on how to create a healthier and happier work-life balance, here.

“There are no tradeoffs between success and taking care of ourselves. It’s like on the plane when they tell you to put your oxygen mask on first before you take care of others. If you run out of oxygen, you will be of no help to [others].”
— Arianna Huffington at NeoCon 2017

Robert King, Humanscale Founder and CEO, with Arianna Huffington, Founder and CEO of Thrive Global

Humanscale also presented two key showroom events focused on wellness and sustainability. On June 13, Lodro Rinzler, Award Winning Author & Founder of M N D F L, led a rejuvenating morning meditation in the Humanscale showroom.

Did you know: The Harvard Business School and INSEAD, Europe’s leading business school, found that the two most effective business tools for 21^st century executives are meditation and intuition! Their research concluded that the benefits of meditation in the workplace are cumulative and can positively influence not only the person, but the business as a whole.

We also hosted a panel discussion with the founders of Bureo. This innovative company collects and recycles plastic fishing nets (10% of the ocean’s plastic pollution) and transforms them into pellets that can be used to create products such as sunglasses and skateboards — and chairs (see below for more on that)! Humanscale is proud to partner with Bureo and support their mission to keep plastic fishing nets out of our oceans — protecting wildlife and supporting local fishing communities in the process.

Bureo’s founders, Kevin Ahearn, Ben Kneppers and David Stover spoke with Humanscale's Director of Workplace Strategies, Jon Strassner (left), about material transparency and their recycling program based in Chile, “Net Positiva”

Humanscale’s showroom featured a Diffrient World chair manufactured by using 13 lbs. of reclaimed fishing nets from Bureo

In addition to these exciting events, we released our annual Corporate Social Responsibility report and gave insight into Humanscale’s unique sustainability philosophy.

To date, Humanscale has published more Healthy Product Declarations (HPDs) than anyone else in our industry. For more on this, read our annual report.

Last but not least, we gave visitors the chance to experience our latest ergonomic tools. Don’t forget to watch humanscale.com for updates on these exciting new products!

QuickStand Eco — This height-adjustable work surface features simple setup, portability and near effortless adjustability, transforming ordinary desktops into active workspaces.

QuickStand Under Desk — An understated workspace wellness solution that blends into any environment, this sit/stand tool offers effortless functionality and a sleek, modern aesthetic. The counterbalance mechanism is hidden beneath the desk surface!

Infinity — A Red Dot Award-winner, the Infinity LED task light combines superior performance with timeless beauty. At NeoCon 2017, Infinity took home Contract Magazine’s Best of NeoCon Silver award as well as a Metropolis Likes award!

Vessel — Designed by Todd Bracher, Vessel’s fusion of cutting-edge functionality and beauty places it into a class of its own, beyond any other decorative and architectural lighting category that exists today.

Summa — A conference chair designed to facilitate movement without the need for extraneous knobs and levers. Summa offers the highest level of sophistication and ultimate comfort. This unique executive seating option perfectly complements any space and will be available in three luxurious finishes. Keep following Humanscale on social media and at #DesignForHumans. For information on a showroom near you, click here.