Hospitality Design Expo

Stacy Shoemaker Rauen

IC4HD interviews: Stacy Shoemaker Rauen, Hospitality Design Magazine

Stacy Shoemaker Rauen

Stacy Shoemaker Rauen, Editor-in-Chief at Hospitality Design Magazine, released an exclusive interview to IC4HD.

Hospitality Design magazine is the premier trade outlet and voice for the hospitality design industry. It serves owners, operators, brands, purchasing agents, interior designers, and architects involved in the design of hotels, resorts, restaurants, nightlife, spas, and all other hospitality-oriented projects. Hospitality Design continues its four-decade mission to connect and enrich the industry through innovative projects, inspiring products, the latest trends, development spotlights, and interesting interviews with the industry’s leading professionals.

What is your pulse on the hospitality design industry at the moment?

If you ask 10 people, you may get 10 different answers, but there are many bright spots amidst the doom and gloom. Some firms are still hurting, while many are busy. Some investors are halting for 2021, while others are growing, and many brands still have a robust pipeline: Hilton, for instance, as of December, has 2,600+ hotels in development. The good news is that there is pent up demand for travel (new studies report that 80 percent of Americans said they would travel in the next 6-12 months) and our industry is hoping to get back together soon.

 

In presence vs virtual events: what are your feelings about the opportunities of these different ways?

I think there is a place for virtual, but they can’t replace in person events. Our industry especially is dying to get back together. Events may start small, but that is how we rebuilt this industry after 2008 and 2009.

 

Can you identify any particular trend that has become increasingly important in hospitality projects due to Covid emergency?

Wellness, outdoor spaces, meaningful travel.

 

 

Italian Contract 4 Hospitality Design, besides coordinating the participation of Italian companies to Hospitality Design Expo + Conference, connects suppliers with professionals of the contract sector in the US. To read the series of IC4HD interviews, follow IC4HD interviews

Kevin Gaffney

IC4HD interviews: Kevin Gaffney, EmeraldX Group Show Director

Kevin Gaffney

Kevin Gaffney, Vice President and Group Show Director at EmeraldX, has a quite optimistic vision towards the Hospitality Design Expo+Conference to be held on August 24 and 25, 2021 at Mandalaty Bay, Las Vegas (NV). He has released an exclusive interview to IC4HD talking about his pulse on the industry.

What is your pulse on the hospitality design industry at the moment?

With the vaccine now rolling out there is a keen sense of optimism that we have not seen as strongly before now. It gives us great hope for staging a great HD Expo event in August.

 

In presence vs virtual events: what are your feelings about the opportunities of these different ways?

Our virtual focus has been on educational content delivery which has been well received, however our audience is eager to return to live opportunities. A virtual tradeshows is not something we would focus on for HD Expo and are planning for a return to a live tradeshow in August.

 

Are companies and architectural firms inclined to come back and meet to live expos and conferences for 2021?

Yes, our audience is very eager to come together. Each company will have to determine internally what works for them however we will have extensive health & safety protocols in place to ensure our attendees comfort and safety. EmeraldX is rolling out a comprehensive safety plan for each show and we will work in concert with Las Vegas and Mandalay Bay Convention Center to make sure it’s safe to allow our exhibitors and audience to focus on getting back to business.

 

Is there any common point between hospitality and healthcare industry new trends?

There is definitely a crossover between hospitality and healthcare. Hotels have had to implement new levels of cleaning and air filtration that they never had before, and as a result, many hotels looked to healthcare protocols for inspiration (and Hilton even partnered with the Mayo Clinic). Many healthcare facilities are looking to hospitality designers to make hospitals more hospitable, in terms of lounges, restaurants, public spaces. And at the same time, many new wellness clubs and concepts are popping up across the country, which bridge the gap between preventive medicine and spas.

 

 

Italian Contract 4 Hospitality Design coordinates the participation of Italian companies and institutions to international events for hospitality and contract design. Discover where to meet us and read the series of IC4HD interviews

Stacy Shoemaker Rauen

IC4HD intervista Stacy Shoemaker Rauen, Hospitality Design Magazine

Stacy Shoemaker Rauen

Stacy Shoemaker Rauen, Editor-in-Chief di Hospitality Design Magazine, ha risposto ad alcune nostre domande sullo stato del settore hospitality negli USA.

Hospitality Design Magazine è la voce dell’industria dell’hospitality design negli USA. Punto di riferimento per interior designer, architetti, catene alberghiere, specifiers coinvolti nella progettazione di hotel, resort, ristoranti, spa e tutti gli altri progetti di strutture per la collettività, da quattro decenni connette e arricchisce il settore attraverso il costante aggiornamento su progetti innovativi, novità di prodotto, ultime tendenze e interviste interessanti con i principali professionisti del settore.

Qual è il suo punto di vista sul settore hospitality al momento?

Se facessimo questa domanda a 10 persone, probabilmente otterremmo 10 risposte diverse, ma ci sono molti punti di luce che consentono di non vedere tutto nero. Alcuni studi di architettura e design sono ancora in sofferenza, mentre altri stanno ricominciando a lavorare a buoni ritmi. Alcuni investitori hanno una visione incerta sul 2021, mentre altri sono in crescita e molti brand hanno ancora pipeline robuste: solo per fare un esempio, Hilton ha oltre 2.600 hotel in fase di sviluppo (dato di dicembre 2020). La buona notizia è che c’è un grande desiderio di viaggiare, anche se ancora limitato dai divieti (nuovi studi dicono che circa l’80% degli Americani dichiara che viaggerebbe nei prossimi 6 / 12 mesi) e l’industria ha fiducia in una rapida ripresa.

 

Eventi in presenza vs eventi virtuali: quali sono le sfide e le opportunità di queste due possibilità?

Penso che il virtuale sia utile, ma che non possa sostituire gli eventi in presenza. Il nostro settore in particolare non vede l’ora di tornare a incontrarsi. Gli eventi ripartiranno magari ridimensionati, esattamente come è stato dopo la crisi del 2008 e 2009.

 

Intravede un trend che sta diventando particolarmente importante nei progetti hospitality a seguito dell’emergenza Covid?

Wellness, spazi all’aria aperta, viaggi che abbiano un senso.

 

 

Italian Contract 4 Hospitality Design mette in contatto le aziende italiane con i professionisti del settore contract USA, oltre a organizzare la partecipazione a Hospitality Design Expo+Conference (Las Vegas, NV, 24-25 agosto 2021), la più importante manifestazione sul mercato americano per il mondo dell’hospitality e il migliore evento dove stringere relazioni con architetti, designer, purchasing companies e specificatori. Per leggere le altre interviste, seguite IC4HD interviews