Lost in the shuffle of product launches, trend forecasts and the ongoing tug-of-war between NeoCon and Fulton Market was one of the most quietly groundbreaking moments of this year’s show season: the debut of Turf’s new Design Experience Center on the 10th floor of THE MART. We highlight the Turf showroom in the most recent edition of Converge magazine, a quarterly publication we produce in conjunction with THE MART that ran in the July 28^th edition of officeinsight.

Converge is a publication within a publication. We work with THE MART to highlight happenings at the building and to show all the activity that occurs the other 362 days a year that are not NeoCon. It is published in officeinsight and then is sent to THE MART’s extensive mailing list (giving a double boost to our advertisers in the issue).

The Turf story is important. While NeoCon has long been about what’s new and next, the opening of this hybrid showroom-office might be one of the most important long-term developments at THE MART in years. It’s more than a showroom. It’s more than an office. It’s an immersive, sensory-rich environment that signals a shift in how companies can and should use space at THE MART. And maybe even what it means to “show” something at all.

The space is massive — taking over the former Teknion showroom — and includes not only a fully built-out experiential showroom, but office space for roughly 60 Turf employees who work there full time. That scale alone makes it one of the most ambitious permanent footprints within THE MART. But the deeper story is what it represents: a bold investment in Chicago, in the design industry, and in the power of physical presence.

Like everyone in the industry, OI Publications, the parent company of both officeinsight and Converge (and viewpoint), has a stake in Chicago Design Week. And like many of you non-manufacturers, we simply want everyone to get along by bringing NeoCon and Fulton Market Design Days together in a meaningful way. Our idea? Have NeoCon run as it traditionally has — Monday through a half day Wednesday. Fulton Market Design Days would be held half-day Wednesday through Friday.

Regardless, for all the praise of Fulton Market Design Days, the manufacturers there need NeoCon to succeed as well. And with more companies choosing Fulton Market, NeoCon needs the manufacturers who moved to the neighborhood to be on board as well.

To THE MART’s credit, the Turf showroom proves it is committed to the industry and its companies and it is willing to do something different.

“This is a new way to think about a showroom,” said Byron Morton, vice president of leasing at THE MART. And he’s right. Plenty of manufacturers lease space in the building and keep a few sales reps or a showroom manager on site. But Turf is doing something different: housing core departments like sales, marketing, product development and product management under the same roof as its showroom.

The result is a living, breathing space where creativity, client interaction and culture intersect in real time. It’s not just a space for display; it’s a place for discovery.

In short, it works.

So what is Turf’s space at THE MART? A showroom? Yes. An office? Definitely. A product lab? Absolutely. A brand experience? Without a doubt. And it’s exactly the kind of multidimensional space that THE MART needs as it defines its future beyond NeoCon, beyond product launches, and into something more lasting: community, creativity and culture.

All of these changes are being highlighted in Converge magazine. Whether you are receiving it as part of your subscription to officeinsight or directly from THE MART, we invite you to learn about what’s happening at the industry’s unofficial hub in Chicago. From listings that include all the upcoming events to features that help you understand changes in the building, Converge has you covered.