PHILADELPHIA, PA — “The future of architecture is not one of any dominant style, but rather a world of constant innovation and experimentation,” visionary architect and Architizer co-founder, Marc Kushner, observed. Similarly addressing the active and evolving nature of effective built solutions, celebrated industrial designer Ayse Birsel once remarked, “To say that something is designed means it has intentions that go beyond its function. Otherwise it’s just planning.” These two powerful industry thought leaders will keynote this year’s NeoCon East, which will be held from November 9 to 10. The northeast edition of NeoCon, North America’s premier commercial interiors conference and tradeshow, will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.
“Our keynotes Marc Kushner and Ayse Birsel will set the tone for an exceptional NeoCon East this year,” said Monica DeBartolo, director of programming. “Their talks are sure to inspire, enlighten and energize.” In detail, the keynote schedule includes:
Marc Kushner
Wednesday, November 9 at 11 a.m.
Marc Kushner, AIA is an architect with just one agenda: he wants you to love architecture. As co-founder and CEO of Architizer and partner of New York architecture firm, HWKN (Hollwich Kushner), Kushner is both a celebrated designer and a digital media pioneer. In his NeoCon East keynote, Kushner will delve into how online communication has the power to revolutionize the specification process and shape the future of the A&D industry. “By value of products chosen, design professionals like the attendees of NeoCon East, are amongst the nation’s biggest shoppers,” said Kushner. “Where traditional consumers are lavished with new tools like Kayak for travel, Fresh Direct for food and Amazon for everything else, commercial designers are left searching Google and calling sales people. We need to move specification out of the fax age and into the Uber era.”
Attendees will learn how Architizer’s new Source program is addressing this market need, and how it is changing the landscape for interior designers and architects. Kushner recently presented a TED talk. His book The Future of Architecture in 100 Buildings was published with TED and Simon & Schuster. He has taught architecture at Columbia University’s GSAPP and also serves on the board of Plus Pool.
Ayse Birsel
Thursday, November 10 at 11 a.m.
Design the Life You Love
Ayse Birsel is an award-winning product designer and co-founder of Birsel + Seck, an innovative design studio in New York, NY. With a user-centered and humanistic design approach, Birsel takes the principles she uses in her work, and now applies them to life in her book and acclaimed workshop series, “Design the Life You Love.” According to Birsel, “Life is like a design problem. It’s full of constraints — time, money, age, location and circumstances.” In her Neocon East keynote speech, Birsel will discuss how to turn constraints into opportunities with optimism and holistic thinking using a simple process called Deconstruction: Reconstruction™. Attendees will learn how to apply design principles to their own life in order to build the joyful inspirational lives they’ve always dreamed of. Called affectionately by the press as the “Queen of Toilets” and “Queen Bee” for her bathroom designs and office systems, respectively, she brings new solutions to old problems by thinking differently. Birsel teaches at SVA and has taught at the Pratt Institute. Her work is in the permanent collections of the MoMA and Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum. She has received numerous design awards.
Keynotes are free for all registered attendees. For exhibitor news, images and real-time information, follow NeoCon Shows on the following social media channels: Facebook (@NeoCon Shows), Twitter (@NeoCon_Shows), Instagram (@NeoCon_Shows), LinkedIn (NeoCon Shows), Pinterest (@NeoCon Shows) and Snapchat (@NeoConShows).
