HD Expo + Conference 2023 kicked off on Tuesday, May 2nd at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas with thousands of attendees engaged across a bustling show floor. Opening day featured invigorating sessions hosted at three activation spaces: HD Park (a collaboration between Williams-Sonoma Business to Business and Tarkett Hospitality), the DesignWell Pavilion (crafted by Highgate Hotels and Crème), and the Social Hub (conceived by Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants).
Highlights included HDAC | The Shift Toward Inclusion, Investment, Impact, which saw Aaron Anderson, founder of the 26. Co, in dialogue with DEI Advisors founder and principal David Kong; Business Sense | What Owners Want, a panel led by HD’s Stacy Shoemaker Rauen that comprised Helen Jorgensen of Host Hotels & Resorts, Peter Reardon of White Lodging Services Corporation, Gonzalo Bustamante of MGM Resorts International, Brenda Rauch of Park Hotels & Resorts, and Michael Everett of NuovoRE; and On the Menu | Exploring Trends in F+B, where insights were offered by Hannah Collins of ROY Design, Dala Al-Fuwaires of House of Form, Christian Schulz of Studio Collective, Angela Bankhead of Marcus Samuelsson Group, and Daniel Scovill of Arcsine. The HD Keynote | Iconic Influencers and Trends featured DesignAgency partners Anwar Mekhayech, Allen Chan, and Matthew Davis in conversation with Shoemaker Rauen as well.
Alexandra Cole, DesignAgency; Suzanne Couture, MGM Resorts Design & Development; Nicole Dalton, Bergman Walls & Associates; and Archit Sawhney, Harken Interiors spearheaded the jury selecting the Best Booth Winners for this year’s show. Williams-Sonoma Business to Business took home Best in Show, while Bryan Ashley and Concretti Designs nabbed Best Large Both and Best Small Booth, respectively.
Another highlight of the day was a happy hour held by the Hospitality Diversity Action Council (HDAC) in collaboration with Valley Forge Fabrics, where the board welcomed prospective members and mentors to join its mission of expanding inclusivity and equity across hospitality and design industries.
