Mindful Materials, Inc. - Event Information
Event Name:
Minnecon 2026
Event Type(s):
Partner Events
Description:
Minnecon 2026
Mark your calendars! Minnecon 2026 will be here before you know it. Join us Tuesday, September 22nd at the Royalston Square in Minneapolis for another unforgettable day.
New this year – IIDA Northland Minnecon Committee is asking for nominees. We need your input!
Minnecon celebrates a coming together of the A&D community and the industry partners that are an integral part of making the magic of a finished project come to life. Please nominate a product rep, furniture dealer executive, industry partner, or similar for the below categories. We will announce a winner at Minnecon and honor the industry partner with an award. Official voting of nominees will occur in early September.
Date: September 22, 2026
Location: Royalston Square
501 Royalston Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55405
Schedule:
CEU Information
1:00-2:00 PM – Designing with Healthy Impacts in Mind: Applying the Common Materials Framework for more intentional product choices
With hundreds of green product certifications on the market and persistent greenwashing, it can be difficult for designers to know what kind of impacts the materials they select for a project are having on the health of our climate, ecosystems, communities, and on individuals. But with the introduction of an industry-aligned framework for evaluating sustainable materials, more informed decision making is finally within reach. This course will present the current challenges to measuring holistic product impacts and present the Common Materials Framework: a groundbreaking common language for product sustainability – and how to apply it in your practice today.
Laurel Chadzynski, AIA, WELL AP serves as Mindful MATERIALS Forum Facilitator, where she leads engagement, alignment, and working group efforts within mM’s Forums. The Forums consist of industry leaders representing various stakeholders in the built environment: large-scale property owners, architects and designers, manufacturers, and even eco labels and standards, building rating systems, and technology partners. These stakeholders advance healthy materials action as they gather for annual in-person summits, quarterly virtual meetings, and regular ongoing working groups that tackle key issues to create deliverables for the industry that help expand, advance, and spread adoption of the Common Materials Framework.
2:30-3:30 PM – Hospitality in Higher Education
In this course, you will learn about the origins of hospitality, the guest-host relationship, and considerations for supporting hospitality in higher education environments.
Colleges and universities are dealing with rising student mental health needs, faculty and staff burnout, increasing competition from alternative learning programs, and commuter students who feel disconnected. One way to address these problems is by applying the concept of hospitality to campus design. Research into the cultural origins of hospitality show that hosts can fill fundamental human needs by extending psychological and physical security, belonging, and wellbeing to their guests. Designing spaces that offer protection, intellectual welcome, and open table fellowship can help faculty, staff, and students develop a sense of belonging to their campus communities.
4:00-5:00 PM – Transparency in Practice
Sustainable design includes the informed selection of materials and products to reduce product‐cycle environmental impacts, improve performance, and optimize occupant health and comfort. Material transparency allows building professionals to research hidden product impacts like embodied carbon, toxic ingredients or byproducts, and social responsibility in the supply chain.
Presenters: Todd Miller, Forbo Flooring Systems Regional Business Development Manager
Mark your calendars! Minnecon 2026 will be here before you know it. Join us Tuesday, September 22nd at the Royalston Square in Minneapolis for another unforgettable day.
New this year – IIDA Northland Minnecon Committee is asking for nominees. We need your input!
Minnecon celebrates a coming together of the A&D community and the industry partners that are an integral part of making the magic of a finished project come to life. Please nominate a product rep, furniture dealer executive, industry partner, or similar for the below categories. We will announce a winner at Minnecon and honor the industry partner with an award. Official voting of nominees will occur in early September.
Date: September 22, 2026
Location: Royalston Square
501 Royalston Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55405
Schedule:
- 12–5 PM: Trade Show in Exhibit Hall
- 3–5 PM: Happy Hour
- 1:00-2:00 PM: Stewardship – Designing with Healthy Impacts in Mind
- 2:30-3:30 PM: Hospitality in Higher Education
- 4:00-5:00 PM: Transparency in Practice
CEU Information
1:00-2:00 PM – Designing with Healthy Impacts in Mind: Applying the Common Materials Framework for more intentional product choices
With hundreds of green product certifications on the market and persistent greenwashing, it can be difficult for designers to know what kind of impacts the materials they select for a project are having on the health of our climate, ecosystems, communities, and on individuals. But with the introduction of an industry-aligned framework for evaluating sustainable materials, more informed decision making is finally within reach. This course will present the current challenges to measuring holistic product impacts and present the Common Materials Framework: a groundbreaking common language for product sustainability – and how to apply it in your practice today.
Laurel Chadzynski, AIA, WELL AP serves as Mindful MATERIALS Forum Facilitator, where she leads engagement, alignment, and working group efforts within mM’s Forums. The Forums consist of industry leaders representing various stakeholders in the built environment: large-scale property owners, architects and designers, manufacturers, and even eco labels and standards, building rating systems, and technology partners. These stakeholders advance healthy materials action as they gather for annual in-person summits, quarterly virtual meetings, and regular ongoing working groups that tackle key issues to create deliverables for the industry that help expand, advance, and spread adoption of the Common Materials Framework.
2:30-3:30 PM – Hospitality in Higher Education
In this course, you will learn about the origins of hospitality, the guest-host relationship, and considerations for supporting hospitality in higher education environments.
Colleges and universities are dealing with rising student mental health needs, faculty and staff burnout, increasing competition from alternative learning programs, and commuter students who feel disconnected. One way to address these problems is by applying the concept of hospitality to campus design. Research into the cultural origins of hospitality show that hosts can fill fundamental human needs by extending psychological and physical security, belonging, and wellbeing to their guests. Designing spaces that offer protection, intellectual welcome, and open table fellowship can help faculty, staff, and students develop a sense of belonging to their campus communities.
4:00-5:00 PM – Transparency in Practice
Sustainable design includes the informed selection of materials and products to reduce product‐cycle environmental impacts, improve performance, and optimize occupant health and comfort. Material transparency allows building professionals to research hidden product impacts like embodied carbon, toxic ingredients or byproducts, and social responsibility in the supply chain.
Presenters: Todd Miller, Forbo Flooring Systems Regional Business Development Manager
Event Date:
9/22/2026
Event Time:
All day
Location:
Links:
Email Reminder: