BALTIMORE, MD -- NeoCon East, the premier design exposition for commercial interiors, has secured two high-profile keynote speakers for this year’s show. More than 7,000 industry professionals who are responsible for the repair, retrofit and green building modernization of city, county, state and federal buildings, will attend the show November 2-3 at the Baltimore Convention Center. For two exciting days, new products, special events and educational offerings will be available to show attendees, making NeoCon East the conference for the Mid-Atlantic design community.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

Victor Olgyay

11 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2.

A principal architect directing Rocky Mountain Institute’s buildings practice, Olgyay leads an initiative to encourage the widespread adoption of comprehensive building energy retrofits resulting in energy savings of at least 50 percent. Prior to RMI, he was an associate professor and director of research at UH School of Architecture and has overseen numerous energy, environmental and lighting research projects under contract to various state and federal agencies.

He serves as a member of various organizations including the American Solar Energy Association and the National Academy of Environmental Design Research committee. Olgyay is currently researching ecological restoration and ecosystem services as criteria for green building assessment. Olgyay's keynote presentation titled, “Unlocking Energy Efficiency in Existing Buildings Using Whole Systems Thinking,” addresses both the scale of the effort required to reshape building stocks, as well as the strategy and tactics required. His keynote also details the process and technique, the benefits to businesses, the method for selecting suitable buildings, the key players that must be involved, and the tools and skills required to retrofit existing commercial building stock comprehensively and cost-effectively.

 Jhane Barnes

11 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 3

Jhane Barnes is a men’s fashion designer, and an innovator in contract and interior textiles, carpeting, eyewear, and office furniture. Her carpets,upholstery, and furniture appear in the offices of high-profile companies including Google, Delta Air Lines, and SONY. After winning a COTY award for her menswear designs at the age of 25, Knoll approached Barnes to design a collection of contract textiles. Her achievements in design opened the door for collaborations with such companies as Bernhardt, Tandus and Jofco, where she melded her design sensibility with efforts to maintain environmentally sensitive practices. Barnes has owned her own fashion company for 35 years. During her keynote, titled “Changing with the Times” she will talk about all of the other projects and products she's involved in that balance her life as a designer.

CEU SEMINARS

More than 50 speakers will address a range of important topics in the 12 tracks including: Office Design, Facilities Management, Facilities Construction/Renovation, Green Design, Government Interiors and Services, Healthcare & Senior Housing, Health, Safety & Welfare, Hospitality, Institutional, Lighting, Professional Development and Residential.  

Visit NeoConEast.com for a complete listing of association forums and special events.

In addition to CEU programs and keynote speakers, NeoCon East will host more than 250 exhibitors and 7,000 attendees in two days. NeoCon East sets the pace for the Mid-Atlantic contract furnishings industry and focuses on the Federal Design Community.

Source: NeoCon East