At NeoCon, attendees expect to leave with inspiration, new connections, and maybe a few fun giveaways. While it’s easy for a manufacturer to focus on only the new products we launched, we know you stopped by our showroom for more than whiteboards.
Many of you left with one of our colorful glass cocktail recipe coasters in hand.
And while we hope those little samples inspired a few creative cocktail nights of your own, they were designed to do more than sit under a drink.
At first glance, it may have looked like a simple giveaway (and we’ll admit, a pretty fun one). But behind each glass coaster was the same philosophy that shaped our entire showroom: understanding the why behind design.
Every material selection starts with a purpose. Designers don't choose a color simply because it looks good; they choose it because of the feeling it creates. Color influences how people interact with space long before they consciously recognize it.
We wanted our NeoCon giveaway to explore that idea in a unique way.
What if a color could inspire more than a design? What if it could inspire an experience?
As we developed our giveaway, we wanted to do something that you would remember beyond NeoCon itself. Taking our standard Ghent Color Library of colors into account, we looked beyond the technical characteristics of each glass color and focused on the emotions and associations they evoke. Some colors felt bright and energetic. Others felt calming, sophisticated, or playful. Those emotions became the inspiration behind each recipe.
The result was a collection of glass coasters that encouraged visitors to experience color through sight, touch, and even taste. Instead of viewing a glass sample solely as a specification tool, they could connect it to a mood, a memory, or a moment shared with friends and colleagues.
In many ways, that's exactly what great design does.
The most successful spaces go beyond aesthetics. They are intentional environments that influence the way we interact with our surroundings and the work we do within them. The materials we choose become part of those moments, often in subtle but meaningful ways.
Our NeoCon showroom was built around this idea. Every design choice was selected with intention. The glass sample giveaways became an extension of that story—a reminder that design is never just about what we see. It's about what we experience.
As we reflect on NeoCon, we're grateful for the conversations sparked by a simple glass sample and recipe card. They reminded us that inspiration can come from unexpected places and that even the smallest details can tell a larger story.
Because behind every color, material, and space is a reason. And that “why” is what continues to inspire the way we design.
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