Conference

We are dedicated to bringing the most inspiring speakers to HD Asia. They’ll share ideas, discuss new concepts, and answer your important questions. Topics will include trending globally and in Asia. Speakers are local and international hospitality design leaders. All have been recognized as experts in their field and some are also past Wave of the Future and HD Awards winners. All events will take place at the beautiful Grand Hyatt Shanghai. 2014 conference schedule TBA. Click here for the full 2012 conference brochure.

If you would like to participate in this exciting forum and speak amongst your esteemed colleagues at this event, please contact Elizabeth Grimsley, conference director at Elizabeth.Grimsley@nielsen.com.

2012 Conference Schedule

Tuesday - June 19

8:00 am – 9:00 am
continental breakfast

9:00 am – 9:45 am
Welcome
Elizabeth Sommerville | group show director | The Hospitality Design Group

9:15 am – 9:45 am
Hotel Design in China: Past, Present and Future
Julia Monk | managing partner | BBG-BBGM (Shanghai)

Launched by the development of The Great Wall Sheraton Beijing, Ms. Monk will discuss the unprecedented momentum of hospitality design within China, what makes the China market visionary, and those trends that will place China as a global leader.

9:45 am – 10:30 am
Hospitality Development in China
Ricco deBlank | CEO, hotel division | Sun Hung Kai Properties (Hong Kong)
John H. Miller AIA | vice president, design & construction asia-pacific | MGM Hospitality (Hong Kong)
Andrew Jessop | vice president, development (worldwide) | Langham Hotels International (Hong Kong)
Moderator: Julie Monk | managing partner | BBG-BBGM (Shanghai)

Where are the places to watch for development? What are Chinese travelers and tourists looking for? What design aspects and amenities are imperative in China? Hear from a panel of hoteliers about how they are keeping up with and meeting the expectations of this new powerful and ever-changing consumer.

10:30 am – 11:15 am
Networking Break, sponsored by Neoteric Luxury

11:15 am – noon
East Meets West: The Value of Partnerships in the Successful Development of Hotel Design in China
David Cui | director | Beijing Victory Star Design Company (Beijing)
Bruno Viterbo | managing director | Champalimaud (New York)

Over the last four years, New York-based interior design firm Champalimaud has successfully completed the design of luxury hotels in China, notably the award-winning renovation of the historic Astor Hotel in Tianjin and the renovation of the St Regis Beijing. With an international footprint and projects covering North America, Europe and Asia, Champalimaud has developed its work in China through a partnership with a local design firm, Beijing Victory Star. With the Astor Hotel as the case-study, the session will focus on the discussion of how design partnerships can function effectively to serve the goals of the project, to respect the requirements of the Owner, to follow the local business culture, and to allow international design experience to contribute with the appropriate skills and competencies to the development of luxury hotels in the Chinese market.

noon – 1:30 pm
Lunch, sponsored by Kohler

1:30 pm – 2:15 pm
Tony Chi: Emerging Inspirations
Tony Chi | principal | tonychi (New York)

Designer and life style provocateur, Tony Chi will discuss new inspirations to meet our contemporary expectations of living, life and style. A design and lifestyle visionary who has always worked at the intersections of innovation and timeless heritage, Tony Chi will discuss his creative ideal of meeting and merging modern expectations while staying true to a sense of place and origin, the pure intent of authenticity. Attendees at this year’s keynote discussion will get to share in Tony Chi’s insight revealing new global inspirations that continue to propel Tony Chi’s unique design journey. Recently quoted in a leading design magazine, Tony Chi’s words directly describe his voyage, “It’s about the journey, not the beginning or the end, but what is in between. The journey for me has always been the most fascinating part of any project…and in life.”

Can Bali be replicated in other areas of Asia? Where are the best locations? Which operators are embracing this concept? Let’s explore the 6-Star Asian Resort and where it is going and being developed.

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Networking Break, sponsored by Neoteric Luxury

One crucial objective of any luxury hotel is to create a unique guest experience that will keep them coming back. In this respect, bringing that extraordinary design vision from renderings and specifications to reality is an art that requires a team of experienced hospitality consultants. They need to be clear about their roles, responsibilities and sharing the common budget/timeline goals in order to achieve successful design implementation. This panel will explore some of the key elements that would allow the owner, interior designer, operator and procurement consultant to work seamlessly together and navigate through the complexities typical in a hotel development project to bring that vision into reality.

4:15 pm – 5:00 pm
Design Practices When East Meets West: RFP’s? Standards?
Anita Srisakulchawla | principal | ASC Interiors (Bangkok)
Eric Ullmann | president | Design DMU (Shanghai)
Moderator: Stephen Galbreath AIA, ISHC, LEED AP BD+C | vice president | RTKL International, Ltd (Texas)

With over 70% of all design work (in the world right now) being done for China’s projects, how are we all doing business in China? As the market matures, what will it be like doing work in China for the next few years? Will it be more of the same? Will there be any big changes? We will explore how the panelists make connections, find the right opportunities that make good fits for their expertise and that of their partnering design-team firms with their prospective clients, compete in design competitions and more…

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Evening Cocktail Mixer

Wednesday - June 20

8:00 am – 9:00 am
Continental Breakfast

9:00 am – 9:15 am
Welcome Back
Elizabeth Sommerville | group show director | The Hospitality Design Group

9:00 am – 9:45 am
Lighting that Creates Dramatic Design Interiors
Tino Kwan | principal | Tino Kwan Lighting Consultants Ltd (Hong Kong)

Everyone can do lighting design, but everyone is not necessarily capable of creating a dramatic lighting environment in an interior space. Tino Kwan always says that lighting design is a marriage between art and technology. Therefore, to do a successful lighting design, besides having an artistic sense, designers must get to know the technical aspects and characteristics of their lighting tools well, i.e. the light fittings and the light sources. Today, Tino Kwan will share with the audience the difference between how other people do their lighting design and how he creates his.

9:45 am – 10:30 am
Restaurant Design: From Fast Casual to Fine Dining, What Do Guests Want Today?
Ralph Dodd | creative director | Orbit Design Studio (Bangkok)
Joey Ho | creative director | Joey Ho Design (Hong Kong)
Robert Polacek |partner & chief creative officer | Puccini Group (California)
Moderator: Christine McGuinness IIDA | senior project director | AvroKO (Hong Kong)

Good interiors are no longer enough. A true unique experience is the entire experience, down to every touch aspect, especially in a restaurant, be it fine dining or a fast casual eatery. This session will help define what’s going on in the restaurant sector in terms of design trends, technology, and guest demands. Gain inspiration and ideas from viewing a range of restaurant case studies and solutions.

10:30 am – 11:15 am
Networking Break, sponsored by Neoteric Luxury

11:15 – noon
Andre Fu: AFSO's Distinctive Approach to Interior Architecture
Andre Fu | principal | AFSO (Hong Kong)

Andre Fu and his studio AFSO's distinctive approach to interior architecture combines the rigorous pursuit of new Asian sensitivities, with clarity in space planning and keen attention to details of everyday life. Its emotional spaces are created to inspire and indulge. Fu shall share his personal vision of design, from the fundamental qualities of space, proportion, light to his intricate use of materials.

noon – 1:30 pm
Lunch

1:30 pm – 2:15 pm
What is on the Horizon? China? India? Vietnam?
Greg Farrell | director of hospitality interiors | Aedas (Hong Kong)
Miguel Cuadros | design director | Buz Design (Hong Kong)
Martin Hawthornthwaite | associate vice president, studio director | Wimberly Interiors (Singapore)
Moderator: Stephen Galbreath AIA, ISHC, LEED AP BD+C | vice president | RTKL International, Ltd (Texas)

With the future of the raging China development up in the air, design firms are trying to diversifying all around Asia, If there wasn’t such a need for design in China tomorrow, where would we put all our regional resources to work within the market?.......India? Thailand? Vietnam? Malaysia? Singapore? Korea? Japan? This panel will explore the options and discuss the opportunities that could possibly be on the horizon.

2:15 pm – 3:00 pm
Hotel Economic and Developmental Trends in Asia: with Lodging Econometrics’ Bruce Ford
Bruce Ford | senior vice president | Lodging Econometrics (New Hampshire)

Look at the hotel market in two ways, first, from the perspective of Lodging Econometrics (LE). LE tracks the design and development pipeline for hotels, and hotel types, by Asian geographic regions and around the world, then secondly, by using that knowledge and pipeline tools to discern how to get more traction in terms of scouting and winning hotel projects by focusing on active sectors, brands, and regions.

COMPLIMENTARY NETWORKING EVENTS

Kohler Showroom Event/Kallista® Unveiling
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
18:30 – 20:30
1F, Dominion Centre, No. 59
Queen’s Road East
Wanchai, Hong Kong
www.kallista.com
Complimentary bus from Grand Hyatt Hong Kong.

Colourliving Showroom Cocktail Reception
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
17:00 - 20:00
333 Lockhart Road
Wanchai, Hong Kong
www.colourliving.com
Within walking distance from Grand Hyatt Hong Kong.

In association with:	presented by:	produced by: The Hospitality Design Group