Comprising a conference program, innovative design installations, and an exhibition of cutting-edge products specifically aimed at well-designed hotels, Sleep—Europe’s hotel design and development event—attracts influential speakers, creative talent, and leading contract brands from around the world to London’s Business Design Centre. As a special focus at this year’s event, taking place November 22nd and 23rd, the science behind understanding today’s diverse hotel guests will be explored through conference sessions and built concept guestrooms by international design companies.
The Sleep Set design competition is an event highlight that attracts international design companies and is widely recognized for challenging convention. For this year’s theme, the Science of Tribes, Sleep is partnering with scientists from social science research consultancy the SINUS-Institute to look at how different groups of people across the world can be identified by their shared values, tastes, and attitudes—and how this can be applied to our understanding of today’s hotel guests. The London offices of Aukett Swanke and Gensler, Singapore-based WOW Architects, Toykyo-based Mitsui Designtec, and London-based Studio PROOF are each creating a guestroom for a different “tribe.” Following an introductory presentation by SINUS, the designers will have an opportunity to explain their concepts before a panel of judges in front of a conference audience, with the winner announced at the installations.
The complimentary conference sessions also reflect a global perspective and speaker lineup, attracting the likes of design legend Adam D. Tihany, who will participate in a panel discussion on cruise hotels along with Rick Meadows, president of Seabourn Cruise Line and Cunard North America, and Christian Schönrock of Costa Group—looking at what it takes to bring innovative design to life on a new vessel.
A panel of curators, including Alex Toledano of Los Angeles-based Visto Images and Sune Nordgren, curator at Nordic Hotels & Resorts, will reveal how thoughtfully curated art can strengthen a hotel’s brand narrative. A discussion on the future of wellness looks at how successful hotel spas are in meeting new consumer aspirations and how good design can support mind and body in all our built environments—with views from Sue Harmsworth, CEO of ESPA; Clodagh, founder of New York-based Clodagh Designs and designer of award-winning Six Senses Douro Valley in Portugal; Kevin Underwood, principal at HKS; and Aiden Walker, author of Ecology of the Soul.
Two popular roundtable sessions will include one hosted by professionals from the hotel development, owner, investor, and operator sectors, while the other will offer practical tips from experts on a range of specialties including lighting design, trends in materials, F&B concepts, and curating music for a memorable hotel stay. In a penultimate session on day two, Vince Stroop, principal at New York-based Stonehill & Taylor, joins Nick van Marken, head of hospitality at Deloitte UK and Matthias Arnold from the SINUS-Institute to analyze the hopes and fears for the industry in a globalized and less certain world.
Additional offerings at Sleep include an Immersive Reality Lounge featuring the recently launched HTC Vive—the newest Oculus Rift headset—and the latest Sublime Portal, a shared immersion experience for visitors. This fast-evolving technology is set to transform the design process, providing a critical stage between the drawing board and built space, enabling stakeholders to explore concepts and solutions at one-to-one scale.
For more information about the Sleep conference, exhibition, Sleep Set, and how to register, visit thesleepevent.com.
