HD Expo celebrated its 25th anniversary in Las Vegas last month with 10,670 guests from around the world, breaking previous attendance records. The 4 percent increase in attendees from the previous year indicates consistent growth for the world’s leading hospitality design-focused tradeshow and conference, produced by Emerald Expositions and presented by Hospitality Design (HD) magazine. This year’s 868 international exhibitors over more than 260,000 square feet at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center also represented an increase over 2015. The show, dubbed “A Higher Degree of Hospitality,” featured some 30 conference sessions, on and off the show floor, with some of the most prominent names in the industry.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see HD Expo remain the industry’s most valued and forward-thinking tradeshow after 25 years,” says HD Expo’s group show director Liz Sommerville. “We have worked very hard to create and maintain the idea environment to connect some of the world’s top buyers and sellers. The interior designers, architects, operators, developers, and purchasers who attend our show are the creative leaders and risk-takers shaping the future of the industry. For exhibitors, both emerging and established companies, the opportunity to debut a new line, collection, or service directly translates to profitable business opportunities and significant brand exposure.”
Highlights from HD Expo 2016 included an opening session with industry icons Michael Bedner, HBA; Adam D. Tihany, Tihany Design; David Beer, BBG-BBGM (now HOK); and Tony Chi, tonychi. The keynote address was provided by Commune Hotels + Resorts CEO Niki Leondakis, who discussed brand identity, passion and innovation, and defining company culture. The 15th annual HD/ISHP Town Hall: Owners’ Roundtable session was another high point, bringing attendees face to face to meet with 35 top global hotel brand executives and owners. The informal, 30-minute HD Conversations featured industry leaders in conversation with HD editors on an array of topics from social media to the future of luxury at the HD Social Hub, located at the heart of the show floor and designed by Andrew Alford of Graduate Hotels.
Attendees also had the opportunity to experience on the show floor one of the newest concepts in mobile hotel rooms, the Rollick Hotel, which features rooms that can be temporarily constructed depending on the need and event.
“For our 25th anniversary, we tried to raise the bar on our conference programming, bringing in the true visionaries of our industry. From exploring new hotel brands and the hottest in technology, to featuring interesting chef-designer collaborations and concepts that are pushing the definition of hospitality, the sessions were meant to inspire and inform. As a result, many of the panels were standing room only thanks to a record number of conference attendees,” says HD magazine editor in chief Stacy Shoemaker Rauen.
HD Expo is presented in association with the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID); the International Interior Design Association (IIDA); the International Society of Hospitality Purchasers (ISHP); the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ); the Boutique Hotel Member Association (BLLA); and NEWH, Inc.—the Hospitality Industry Network.
HD Expo 2017 will take place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, May 3-5th, 2017.
