I’ve attended at least 25 NeoCons and if there is one mistake I make over and over again, it is not managing my time properly at the event. At most industry events, that’s not much of a problem since at a typical furniture show, you can see everything on the floor in a day, if you work quickly. That’s not the case when you get to Chicago for NeoCon and Design Days.

If you don’t properly schedule your time, you are bound to miss showrooms, keynote speakers and social events you will want to attend. So my first bit of advice is to make a list with three columns: must see, should see and would like to see. If there are specific people you need to see, schedule those visits first and work around them. Next, fill in those “should visits.” Finally, add the nice to visit locations and events — those that would be nice to visit, but if you miss, wouldn’t ruin your time in Chicago.

My biggest mistake at NeoCon and Design Days is adding too much to my schedule, so after you make your list, honestly assess if you can reasonably do all you’d like to do. I highly recommend leaving gaps in your schedule for breaks, wandering and discovery and time to eat (sorry Jill and Mark — I nearly starved my colleagues last year by not scheduling for lunch).

It’s getting to be a more difficult event to cover as brands move to Fulton Market, forcing us to split time between the two locations. Last year, I decided to see how long it would take during the height of NeoCon to get to Fulton Market. I waited 45 minutes for the shuttle coach to arrive and it took another 15 minutes to get from THE MART to Fulton Market. When you are scheduling your time, remember to factor in two hours round trip between NeoCon and Design Days. Hopefully transportation between the locations improves.

There’s a lot to see. In Fulton Market, there will be new showrooms from Steelcase, OFS and several other brands freshly in the area to explore. A number of MART tenants are expanding their showroom presence in the iconic building. Those expanding their showrooms for NeoCon 2025 are wall-coverings, textiles, and specialty surfaces company Wolf-Gordon (3-100); storied contemporary furniture manufacturer Davis Furniture (3-115); sustainable leather manufacturer Green Hides (1062); acoustics innovator Turf (1048), which will unveil the 20,000 square-foot Turf Design Experience Center; and B Corp and carbon neutral Spanish furniture leader Andreu World (300) which has doubled its size with a new 20,000 square-foot space. See all the latest changes in THE MART in the latest issue of Converge.

INDEAL, which opened the INDEAL Connection Hub last year on the 10th floor (1086), is expanding its presence with the new Education Pavilion by INDEAL on the 11th floor (1144). Educational furniture specialist, MooreCo, will anchor the space, which will include other education-focused manufacturers.

After all that, you’ll probably need a drink, so be sure to plan on attending the Happy Together happy hour in River Park in front of THE MART on Tuesday after the show closes. INDEAL is the sponsor for Happy Together Hour and officeinsight magazine the media sponsor. Drinks and entertainment are on us.

So get ready. NeoCon and Design Days are nearly upon us. With the proper planning, you’ll see everything you want and have a fantastic time. I can’t wait to see you in Chicago.