Photos courtesy IIDEX/NeoCon Canada 2009

Enrique Penalosa, former mayor of Bogota, Colombia, discusses urban design with Lisa Rochon, Globe and Mail columnist, at the 2009 IIDEX/NeoCon Canada show.

Last month, IIDEX/NeoCon Canada brought thousands of interior designers, architects, and facility management to Toronto's Direct Energy Centre.

The show, owned by the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO), celebrated its 25^th year by launching the Green Building Festival, along with the usual mix of exhibitors, keynote speakers, technical tours, and seminars. This year's educational program was diverse, ranging in topics from light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and audiovisual equipment to sustainable hotel room design.

More than 15,743 registered attendees (3000 specifically for the conference program) took part in the four-day event, which also included the Light Canada Expo hosted by the Toronto Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES).

At the show, ARIDO announced its Project of the Year—Maureen Donohue's restorative adaptation that changed a St. Louis, Missouri, power station into an office building (Cannon Design).

With 375 exhibitors, the show's products hall afforded design professionals a chance to see cutting edge interior finishes and building materials.