HI Design is one of the leading international formats for networking and business development in hospitality interior design.
Since 2006, HI Design has helped bring quality, method and vision to events dedicated to hospitality design, opening the way to a new model for connecting designers, buyers and suppliers on a global scale.
The format brings together hotel groups, interior designers, procurement specialists, developers and selected suppliers through events dedicated to key international markets, with the aim of creating qualified meetings and meaningful professional relationships.
Italian Contract 4HD supports Italian companies interested in evaluating HI Design as part of an international growth strategy in the hospitality sector.
HI Design at a glance
HI Design is an international networking and business development format for hospitality interior design.
The events bring together qualified buyers, designers, procurement specialists, hotel groups, developers and selected suppliers through:
- pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings
- supplier showcase
- qualified networking
- seminars and industry content
- relationship-building opportunities in selected settings
The main appointments cover Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa, with a format designed to encourage direct relationships between companies and professionals involved in active hospitality projects.
Why HI Design is a distinctive format
HI Design stands out for three main reasons:
- a long-established format, active since 2006 in hospitality interior design;
- carefully selected participants, with buyers invited based on confirmed hospitality projects;
- a limited number of suppliers per category, designed to reduce competitive overlap and create more focused meeting opportunities.
Everything revolves around who takes part.
HI Design welcomes key hospitality professionals: designers, developers, procurement specialists and design decision-makers with the real ability to select partners and suppliers for active projects.
The value of the format lies in the quality of participants and in the opportunity to create targeted meetings between companies and professionals involved in concrete projects.
How HI Design works
HI Design is based on a structured relationship and business matching model, designed to create qualified meetings between selected suppliers and professionals involved in active hospitality projects.
Pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings
Participating companies meet selected buyers and professionals through a personalized agenda of individual appointments.
Meetings are prepared according to participant profiles, active projects and the company’s development objectives.
Qualified Networking
The program includes informal relationship-building and networking moments, useful for strengthening contacts, developing conversations beyond scheduled meetings and building stronger professional relationships.
Supplier showcase
Companies have the opportunity to present products, materials and solutions in a selected context, designed to facilitate evaluation by designers and buyers.
Seminars and industry content
HI Design events also include sessions dedicated to trends, projects and the evolution of the hospitality design sector.
Who are the buyers?
Buyers invited to HI Design include Senior Interior Designers from architecture and interior design firms, Corporate Directors of Architecture & Design from leading hotel groups, procurement specialists, developers and professionals involved in the development of hospitality projects.
Invitations are reserved for professionals with at least four confirmed hospitality interior design projects in the relevant region.
This selection criterion helps ensure meetings with professionals who are truly involved in decision-making processes, project specifications and the selection of partners and suppliers.
Who are the suppliers?
HI Design suppliers are carefully selected companies, just like the buyers.
Each edition welcomes a limited number of manufacturers and suppliers, with controlled category management. This approach helps reduce direct competition and ensures greater attention from buyers.
Supplier categories may include:
- furniture and accessories
- bathroom and wellness
- contract solutions
- doors, windows and hardware
- fabrics and coverings
- flooring and surfaces
- indoor and outdoor furniture
- lighting
- linen and textiles
- technology
- tiles, stone and concrete
- wall coverings and wall systems
Participation is subject to availability and selection. Because places are limited and categories are controlled, the most requested editions may sell out.
Why HI Design is relevant for Italian companies
HI Design represents a concrete opportunity for Italian companies looking to develop qualified relationships in international hospitality markets.
The format allows companies to:
- meet professionals involved in active hospitality projects
- connect with qualified specifiers and decision-makers
- present products and solutions to selected buyers
- reduce the time needed to access relevant contacts
- build professional relationships in strategic markets
- strengthen brand positioning in the hospitality design sector
For companies already active in contract and hospitality, HI Design can represent a targeted business development tool, complementary to other international relationship and market development activities.
Key strengths of the HI Design format
The format presents several distinctive elements, particularly relevant for companies looking to develop commercial relationships in international hospitality markets.
Meet the right people
HI Design invites decision-makers with confirmed projects, creating the conditions for meetings with truly relevant professionals.
Save time and resources
In just a few days, companies can meet qualified professionals from a specific geographic area, optimizing time and resources.
Straight to the specifiers
The format allows companies to speak directly with professionals who influence or define project specifications.
Minimum risk
Meeting preparation, early access to buyer profiles and agenda organization help companies present themselves in a more targeted and structured way.
Limited competition
The number of suppliers per category is controlled, with the aim of reducing competitive overlap and increasing the quality of attention from buyers.
Figures and results from the format
Recent HI Design editions confirm the strength of a model based on qualified meetings, selected buyers and direct relationships.
Among the results from previous editions:
- HI Design Europe 2025 recorded 921 scheduled meetings in two days
- 97% of suppliers stated that HI Design Europe met or exceeded expectations
- 96% of suppliers indicated the possibility of being specified in future projects by the buyers they met
- HI Design MEA 2025 recorded 1,159 scheduled meetings in two days
- 96% of suppliers stated that HI Design MEA met expectations
- 99% of MEA suppliers indicated the possibility of being specified in future projects by the buyers they met
- HI Design APAC showed strong feedback from buyers and suppliers, with 97% of buyers considering the format useful for identifying new solutions or partners, 95% of suppliers considering it effective for doing business and 94% of suppliers considering it an effective use of time
These results confirm the value of HI Design as a qualified networking and business development platform for the hospitality sector.
HI Design Events
HI Design includes several international appointments, each dedicated to a strategic geographic area.
HI Design Europe
17–20 June 2026
Sun Gardens Dubrovnik, Croatia
HI Design Europe is dedicated to the European and Mediterranean hospitality market, bringing together buyers, designers, procurement specialists and operators active on projects in the region.
HI Design APAC
11–14 November 2026
Fairmont Hanoi, Vietnam
HI Design APAC is the appointment dedicated to the Asia-Pacific region, designed to create connections with professionals and stakeholders active in regional hospitality markets.
HI Design MEA
17–20 March 2027
United Arab Emirates
HI Design Middle East & Africa is dedicated to the Middle East & Africa markets and involves hotel groups, developers, interior designers and procurement specialists active in one of the most dynamic regions for international hospitality development.
How to prepare for HI Design
Participation in HI Design requires targeted preparation.
Before the event, companies select their package according to the number of delegates and one-to-one meetings they wish to have. During the preparation phase, they receive information about buyer profiles and can choose the meetings most aligned with their objectives.
To maximize the value of participation, it is important to:
- clearly define priority markets
- select buyers most aligned with the company’s positioning
- prepare targeted materials and presentations
- organize a follow-up strategy
- leverage the relationships created during the event
The role of Italian Contract 4HD
Italian Contract 4HD is the official marketing partner for Italy for HI Design events and supports Italian companies interested in evaluating the opportunities offered by the format.
Support may include:
- evaluation of the event most aligned with company objectives
- strategic guidance on target markets
- support in understanding the format
- preparation for participation
- business development activities
- guidance on how to maximize meetings and follow-up
The goal is to help Italian companies understand whether HI Design is aligned with their positioning and international growth strategy.
Hospitality networking and international growth beyond the U.S. market
Starting from 2026, Italian Contract 4HD expands its international activity beyond the U.S. market, integrating selected events, strategic networking and business development initiatives dedicated to international hospitality markets.
HI Design fits into this strategy as a qualified relationship platform connecting Italian companies with buyers, designers and decision-makers active in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.
This activity complements the work developed by Italian Contract 4HD in the United States through trade shows, buyer engagement and commercial expansion projects.
Would you like to understand whether HI Design could be relevant for your company?
Italian Contract 4HD supports Italian companies interested in evaluating HI Design events as part of an international development strategy in the hospitality sector.
Leave your email and the Italian Contract 4HD team will get back to you to discuss the most relevant opportunities for your company.
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