CHICAGO -– Merchandise Mart Properties reported that 41,000 industry personnel attended NeoCon last month, a 10 percent increase from 2009.

NeoCon, an exhibition of contract and office furnishings and components, featured more than 700 showrooms and temporary exhibits in more than 1ne million square feet of space. The 2010 Best of NeoCon competition had more than 340 entries and thousands of new products were presented at the show.

“Innovation and design are what drive this industry," said Bernard Tuohy, vice president of marketing and design for Touhy Furniture Corp. "Regardless of economic conditions – and perhaps because of them – clients face daunting challenges and seek real and inspired solutions. NeoCon Chicago is the de facto destination in North America for people involved with workplace furnishings to discover innovation.”

Read Merchandise Mart Properties' press release.