In anticipation of the Sleep, London’s hotel design conference in November, “Light Sleep”-a series of free, trade-only seminars-will be offered during the May Design Series at ExCeL London on Monday, May 19th. 


The international furnishings fair will have five sectors: The Furniture Show, Lighting, Decor, Kitchen + Bathroom, and DX. As part of show’s Conversation Series, three sessions will explore the newest ideas in hospitality design with panelists drawn from top leaders in the industry.
Kicking off the series, Chris Webb, senior director of interior design at Hilton Worldwide; Anita Rosato, principal of Anita Rosato Interior Design; and Paul Bevis, director of Bevis Design Associates will speak at “Trending Hotel Design.” The panel will investigate the notion of hotels as a laboratory for design and will look at the latest trends within hospitality design.
“Hotels, the Design Catalyst” then will examine the crossovers between the retail, restaurant, bar, cultural, educational, and hospital design sectors. The discussion will be led by Fiona Thompson, principal of Richmond International; Rab Bennetts, principal of Bennetts Associates; Rachel Johnson, associate vice president and studio director of Wimberly Interiors; and Ken Mackay, senior partner of Mackay and Partners.
Wrapping up will be a keynote presentation entitled “The Value of Design,” during which Marco Nijhof, CEO of yoo Hotels, will discuss the real impact that results from the massive investment hoteliers and hotel owners make in good design.
