HD Expo + Conference 2022 kicked off on Tuesday, April 26th at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas with thousands of attendees experiencing a bustling show floor. Opening day included engaging conversations and panels all hosted at three activation spaces on the show floor: The HD Park (sponsored by Williams-Sonoma Business to Business and Shaw Contract), the DesignWell Pavilion (designed by INC Architecture & Design), and the Social Hub (conceived by 21c Museum Hotels).
Highlights included the HDAC Series: Culture as Catalyst, which featured Openbox’s Marquise Stillwell discussing culture as a community-building tool. Community was also a key component of Making Design More Democratic, where panelists Victor Body-Lawson, Body Lawson Associates; Jenesis LaForcarde, Jenesis House; and Sequoyah Hunter-Cuyjet, Determined by Design talked about expanding inclusivity and accessibility in design. Sustainability, Environment, Future found Adam Rolston, INC Architecture & Design; Sarah Klymson, Hyatt; Heather Holdridge, Lake|Flato; and Gary Golla, SERA Architects in conversation on evolving sustainability practices.
At the HD Park, panels included Lifestyle Leaders, where Jay Stein, Dream Hotel Group; Rafael Micha, Grupo Habita; Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, Flag Luxury Group; and Blake Danner, Proper Hospitality discussed the ever-evolving lifestyle segment. Additionally, the Concepts We Love: Projects Through the Editors’ Lens highlighted a handful of projects that are influencing design, including the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York from Matthew Goodrich, Goodrich; Pater Noster Lighthouse from Erik Nissen Johansen, Stylt Trampoli; Bond Collective’s latest coworking space in Downtown Los Angeles, presented by Elide Grabowski Rathbone, Bond Collective; and Fotografiska | NeueHouse’s pipeline of new community-oriented projects, led by Adriana Marianella.
Aaron Anderson, the 26 Co.; Selena Durbin, Las Vegas Sands Corp.; and Kavitha Iyer, IHG Hotels & Resorts led the jury selecting the Best Booth Winners for this year’s show, with Quality & Company taking home the top prize. Booths from Williams-Sonoma Business to Business, Bryan Ashley, and Valley Forge Fabrics were also among the winners across nearly a dozen categories.
The day closed out with bang courtesy of an opening show celebration, sponsored by Mercato Place, that included a lively drag show performance. See more day one highlights on Instagram.
