Sleep speakers announced
Sleep, the hotel design and development event, has announced its free-to-attend conference programme, which will feature a line-up of design names dissecting the topics that matter. The destination for big ideas, fresh perspectives, and, this year, a special focus on the science behind understanding today’s diverse hotel guests, visitors can expect lively debates from engaging personalities over the two days.
The two popular round table sessions will be hosted by leading names in the business, who will be on hand to offer their professional insight and advice to delegates. Hosting Benjamin West’s development round tables on day one will be: Felicity Black-Roberts from Hyatt; Erin Hoover from Starwood Hotels; development and asset management consultant Alex Slors; Harry Harris of creative real estate consultancy SUSD London; Patricia Holler of Marriott; Richard Fewings from Highgate Hotels; Fred Hines of Queensgate Investments; Rory Harte from Generator Hostels and Paul Rands of Bridge Street.
Debuting at last year’s conference, Sleep Essentials round tables are hosted by experts from a range of specialisms within the industry. This year, delegates will be able to seek advice from the likes of: the CEO of wayfinding solutions company Modulex, Eric Kirwin; Head of Hospitality at Perkins+Will, Tom Hupe; lighting designer Paul Nulty; and Tricon.
The conference programme will focus on the most talked-about topics affecting the industry, with contributions from a wide range of pundits including designers, developers, operators, social scientists and writers. Shining a light on the future of wellbeing and identifying opportunities in this growing market, Ed Garrod of Elementa will moderate a panel discussion with Sue Harmsworth, CEO of ESPA, designer Clodagh who recently completed Six Senses Douro Valley, author Aiden Walker and Kevin Underwood, Principal at HKS Hospitality. Elsewhere, James Chappell from Horwath HTL will lead a development panel entitled The Science of Attraction with David Keen of Asia-based hospitality branding consultancy QUO, Marloes Knippenberg of Kerten Capital and Robert Nadler from Nadler Hotels. Meanwhile, Designer Adam Tihany, President of Seabourn and Cunard, Rick Meadows, and Christian Schönrock from Costa Group, will discuss the realm of cruise ship design.
The science behind understanding today’s hotel guest will be under the spotlight on day two, when Matthias Arnold, senior market research manager at the SINUS-Institut will introduce The Science of Tribes, the theme for this year’s Sleep Set competition. This topic will explore the social and cultural changes that affect behaviours, and will unite different groups of people across the globe. Following this, each of the five design teams which has created a Sleep Set guestroom for a different socio-demographic tribe will present their concept to a panel of judges before the conference audience. The participating teams will be: WOW Architects, Mitsui Designtec, Studio PROOF, Gensler and Aukett Swanke. The winner will be announced at the room installations during lunchtime on day two.
Joanna Walsh, author of ‘Hotel’, will deliver a keynote speech that will explore the idea of hotels as sites of gathering and alienation, and GMs including Kieran Quinn from the newly refurbished Sheraton Grand London Park Lane and Michael Voigt from L’Oscar hotel will also discuss their experiences of living with design. Other topics that will be debated include art in hotels and virtual and augmented reality technology in design. The penultimate session will see a panel featuring Nick van Marken of Deloitte Hospitality and Vince Stroop of New York-based Stonehill & Taylor, amongst others, considering the big issues behind ‘Fear & Love’ in the hotel landscape today.
