Bonus Episode: Stacy Shoemaker Rauen, Hospitality Design

Adam Kubryk: Hi, I’m Adam Kubryck with global allies, and I’m here with Stacy Shoemaker Rauen for a very special bonus episode of HD’s “What I’ve Learned” podcast. Stacy and I have been friends for over 15 years and I’m super excited to ask her about all things hospitality. As everyone listening to this podcast knows, Stacy is the editor in chief of HD Magazine and the senior vice president of the design group. She’s the founder of HD CityScene events as well as the NextGen forum and many other fantastic happenings in hospitality. I’m super excited to turn the tables on her so to speak. But first, this podcast is sponsored by Global Allies. Stacy, tell the people something they might not know about Global Allies.

Stacy Shoemaker Rauen: I actually use Global Allies, task chairs around my dining room table at home.

AK: Global Allies: task chairs and banquet chairs for hotels and Stacy’s house.

So Stacy, thank you so much for doing this bonus episode with me. You’ve had so many interesting guests so far on the podcast and the feedback’s been so great. I know people are excited to hear your answers to these questions for a change, so thank you.

SSR: Thank you. I hope so.

AK: So let me ask, it seems that at every level in hospitality, design has gotten better and whether it’s branded hotels or independent select service or luxury, what are some of the bigger shifts that you’ve seen over the past 10 to 15 years?

SSR: I’ve been with HD for 17 years, which is crazy to even think. We even look back at some of the features that we published way back when and it was just, like, what were we thinking? But it definitely shows how far this industry has come. I think it’s been really interesting the past five or six years to see how hospitality is having its moment, that it’s actually affecting so many other disciplines rather than just our own. You see it in workplace, you see it in coworking.

AK: Even consumer brands.

SSR: Especially in retail, wellness, and healthcare and hospitals. Hospitality is really more than just hotels or restaurants. It’s providing an overall amazing experience and something that people are going to remember. The biggest shift that I’ve seen is hotels are no longer [one thing]. Lobbies aren’t just pass-throughs, guestrooms are more residential and better than home. You have great dining, great hangout spaces all in one place and you really don’t need to leave a hotel anymore.

AK: Right. And I think that design has definitely created a more memorable experience for those properties, especially recently.

SSR: And if you don’t then you’re not going to have a successful venue. It’s kind of cliché to say but people are more educated, more informed than ever before just because of technology and social media. They expect more than they ever have. If you don’t deliver that for guests, they’re not going to come back. There’s service and food and other things that go along, that makeup hospitality, but design is such a major aspect of it anymore. Spaces that don’t work, that don’t function well, you feel it, you know it. The ones that sing, that have that perfect feeling when you come in a room, which isn’t easy to do by any means, but those that are successful there are the most successful.

AK: So as much as the demands of the consumer, the guests have changed recently. It seems like one of the bigger change has been on the business end and a lot of the larger hotels are now owned by REITs or private equity firms. The design firms that we work with are often now dealing with an asset manager as opposed to a hotelier or an owner directly. Have you seen this shift? Do you think that it’s had a big impact on design and how design is viewed at some of these properties?

SSR: I think it’s creeping in a little bit and it’s starting to … I don’t want to say it worries me because it’s great whoever’s owning and operating hotels for the industry. But there used to be that one hotelier, right? That was opening up one property and then it became big boxes and then there’s almost that backlash to big boxes and now it’s come back to being more about the individualism and the property. I just hope that it doesn’t affect how hotels are viewed when they’re creating them, and it’s less of an asset and more of something to give back to the community or give back to the city or as a place to experience.

I’m not sure that because of the shift is happening that will happen. But I think it’s an interesting aspect for designers that now they’re having to deal with these larger corporations, these people that are driven not only by the experience and what they’re creating, but also by bottom lines. I just hope that doesn’t affect things down the road.

AK: And it seems like there can be a good marriage between the two, between the bottom line and also designing a space that is for that community. Because the big box hotel that’s just a place to stay really isn’t enough anymore.

SSR: No, not at all. The best thing about our industry is that good design does not have to be expensive anymore. I think there’s a lot of creative people out there. There’s a lot of creative outlets. I think manufacturers have upped their game. You look at even some of the hostels that are being reinvented, some of the roadside motels that are being reinvented, they’re not costing an arm and a leg to redo, but they have a really great impact on the traveler with the experience that they’re providing.

AK: I’ve seen that as well. When the limited-service brands pay more attention to design obviously that cycles up the food chain and everyone else needs to pay even more attention.

SSR: You said what has been one of the biggest shifts and I think it has been that trickle down effect that it’s not just the big hotels or the luxury hotels that have paid attention to design. It’s everywhere and you see it in fine dining to fast casual. And I think that’s been really exciting to see too. Food service has changed dramatically, not just the hotels.

AK: So where are you looking these days for inspiration? What catches your eye and what’s differentiating good design versus just more commercial, needs-to-be-done type design.

SSR: We, at HD, look everywhere. I mean I look everywhere. We get a lot of leads from Instagram, which I hate to say, but you can follow us at @hospitalitydesign. In all sincerity, we are always looking for that next idea. And we comb through many different media outlets. We are always talking to different people about what they’re working on. Our good friends, Liubasha Rose and Kane [Sarhan]  just opened up the Well, here in New York, which is the one of the first ever all-encompassing spaces where it’s a one-stop shop for wellness and people like that are taking an idea and really just turning it on its head. It’s hard and there’s not really a science to it, but it’s just that one next iteration of what somebody else has done before is what really kind of catches our eyes.

We also are looking outside the industry a lot for other inspiration, and we’re putting that in the magazine. So we’re looking at: airports are upping their game and what do those look like, and we’re looking at cultural institutions, from museums to different conferences and fairs that are doing really cool and immersive installations. We just basically are looking for anything that we think that can not only educate our readers but also inspire them at the same time. We view HD as not just only the bible for the industry, hopefully, but also to provide education or inspiration or ideas from outside the industry that can help spark a new idea within.

AK: That’s one thing I think you guys have always been so great about, particularly the educational aspect and especially now some of the newer events really focusing on things that we can learn, whether it’s in hospitality or outside of hospitality. And one of the awards I’ve always loved that HD gives out is the Wave of the Future award because obviously so much of our industry is powered by young people. And so many young people take this huge leap of faith and start their own design firms, which is so wonderful. What’s the best advice you have to that next generation of designers, whether it’s those who are starting their own firm or those currently working in a bigger company? What advice can you give them?

SSR: Ask a lot of questions and don’t be afraid to ask them. I feel like there’s a generation right now that goes into technology or media to find answers instead of asking the person next to them. I think especially if somebody wants to learn how to survive in this business, you need to learn the business, you need to understand all the different people that touch a hotel, from the management company to the developer to the brand. How does that all work? Because there are many different levels. How to write a proposal. What fees are involved? What are the business aspects that if you were to one day decide to open up your own design firm, you know how to do that. And you know those foundations.

I think creativity is what drives this industry. But there is that business element that you need to be aware of. I think the other thing is, get out, get outside, go see things, go try things, travel, stay in different hotels. I think the only way you get better at what you do is if you experience what others are doing. I think that is almost lost. There’s one firm that I’m a big fan of. Every month they shut down all technology, all computers, and tell them to go find something outside in their city and it’s fun to hear that they’re making people get out there and touch and feel and know fabrics.

AK: It’s a lost art.

SSR: Yeah, exactly.

AK: That’s something we’re constantly trying to help young designers with is how do we educate about product, whether it’s our category or lessons we’ve learned over the thousands of installations. It’s amazing because you quickly forget how little we all knew when we first started in the industry.

SSR: I think that’s another thing too that, too, education in general. Be inquisitive, try to learn as much as you can from someone like you who’s been in the industry for 15 years and can tell you everything you need to know about speccing certain product and use the resources that you have at your fingertips to really ask the right questions.

AK: I was listening back on some of the previous wonderful podcasts, sponsored by Global Allies of course. A while ago you were talking to the guys from Homage Hotels and they were looking to tap into this underserved market that they estimated at $70 billion. So as properties and brands get more and more segmented, are there any specific niches you can see succeeding from a design focus?

SSR: We’ve been spending a lot of time focusing on the wellness industry and looking into what that means. It’s a $4 trillion-plus industry, which is just insane. I think those that can really understand what that means for hotels, for hospitality, and we’ve been allowing ourselves to expand what that definition means and looking at everything from a dental clinic to a coworking space that has a focus on wellness. I think people are, for whatever reason now … that mental health, physical health, spiritual health are very, very important and top of mind. And again, I think it’s almost a backlash to how much technology is out there that people are looking within a bit. A night out doesn’t need to mean a ton of cocktails, even though that’s a good night out as well, but how can you take that idea of wellness and translate that? I think there’s a lot of legs there and there’s a lot of different meaning behind it.

AK: Yeah, absolutely. Especially with that much potential market and the trillions of dollars.

SSR: I know, it’s mind blowing.

AK: We all sort of have our own little travel idiosyncrasies and Bashar Wali said that he packs a wrench in his suitcase so that he can change the shower head if he needs to, which I loved. I bring a desk chair with me so in case the designer forgot to put one in the room, I have it. Do you have any peculiar must-haves that you bring with you when you travel?

SSR: I’m pretty boring. I travel so much though. It’s super efficient that I bring one bag. I never check a bag. I can thank my husband for that. He even made me travel for 10 days without checking a bag once.

AK: That’s impressive.

SSR: Yes. He has taught me well.

AK: How do you do that with the three kids?

SSR: Well, three kids is different. When we travel with our children, Jon and I, my husband and I, are in one bag and the three children are in one bag and that’s how we travel. I’ve learned that less is more and that if I have less choices, then getting dressed every day is easier. The one thing that I’ve become very, very keen on doing when I travel alone is when hotels have roomservice, I always put it out at the end of the night now because I realized that getting up and starting to work quickly before we do an event or before I run to the airport. I’ve learned myself after all these years that I need some coffee and I need a little bit of food, otherwise I’m not going to enjoy the rest of my day.

AK: All right, I like it. So one of my other favorite podcast moments was listening to Andrew Zoebler. He’s talking about how he found himself between Bono and Mick Jagger in the lobby of the Ace Hotel for the opening party, which sounded like a pretty cool moment. I know this job has taken you to some pretty cool places over the years. So what amazing experiences stand out for you?

SSR: Oh, there are a couple, I mean Ian Schrager as our guests editor for last year’s November issue and getting to talk with him on a daily basis and sit in his office for a couple hours and just hear his story and see how he looked at different things. He also gave us access to people that we might not have ever had access to like Herzog & de Meuron and John Pawson and the list goes on. Ole Scheeren who was a surprise, BIG’s Bjarke Ingels we got to interview. So that was really, really special. Oh, that was actually with Neil Jacobs. But it was a really special experience.

I’ve been at a couple of nightclub openings with some celebrities all around, but the real one that still sticks with me is a couple of years ago, Trevor Horwell of Nobu Hospitality put me in a room with chef Nobu and Robert De Niro. And I got to sit there and interview them for an afternoon. Still to this day it is one of those special moments. When we honored chef Nobu at our Platinum Circle event, Mr. De Niro came as well. I remember running out to meet him from his car and bringing him in and we had his exact martini ready to go with the waiter standing behind. Having that kind of access and time. I think everyone that knows me is probably sick of me saying it, how much I love what we do here, but just to sit in a room or just to be able to sit on the other end of a phone and ask these amazing people about their lives and what they’re doing. It’s really a privilege. It’s something that we don’t take for granted.

AK: Yeah, I totally understand. It is such a fun industry because it affects so many different areas and there’s so many fascinating, interesting people and outside people who’ve come into the industry, like Robert De Niro, Lenny Kravitz, Leonardo DiCaprio, or all people who sort of want to be in hospitality in some form or fashion. I imagine I too would have been fairly starstruck in that moment. That’s pretty cool.

So back to business. I know a not too long ago, Emerald Expositions, the parent company for Hospitality Design purchased Boutique Design, which was very exciting. Can you talk a little bit about the future plans for BDNY?

SSR: Yeah. October 16th last year we purchased a BDNY, all the events that went with it and the magazine. It’s been a really exciting time for us for the past year. Everyone had so many questions, we’re, like, ‘let’s give it a minute to think about what we should do.’ BDNY we purchased it for a reason. It’s an amazing show. It’s in New York in November. HD Expo is in May in Las Vegas. It’s a wonderful complement throughout the year to what we think the premier shows are for the hospitality industry. We’ve been looking at them both. Our plan is to keep everything that makes BDNY special and continue to elevate it for what it is. Keep those design spaces, keep that interaction on the show floor, really tap into the energy and spirit of New York and the people that come.

At the same time, we’re really taking that time to look at what HD Expo is and what it’s become and how do we continue to differentiate them and make HD Expo the big bold show that it is even better in its own realm. So we’re going through a makeover of our look and feel. We’re going to have some really special things on the show floor this year in May 2020. From a strategy point of view, it’s been a lot of fun to work with the BD team and HD team and really make sure that we don’t mesh them into one and let them each sing in their own lane.

At the same time, I’ve taken on the entire design group here at Emerald. Now I get to see across ICFF, Healthcare Design, and Environments for Aging on top of HD and BD. It’s cool to look at design as a whole and what’s happening in each of these markets. To take what could work from one market to the next market and what probably would never work. Our goal here is just to continue to bring this amazing community together in hospitality or in healthcare or with ICFF. Now we have a partnership with our sister magazine Contract. So what does that all look like from a holistic vision or viewpoint, if you will?

AK: Right. Well, I know for us as a manufacturer, both HD Expo and BDNY are so critical to what we do as a company and over the years, how we capture someone’s attention at an event like that has changed. What have you seen as some of the more effective strategies for the manufacturers and vendors at these shows and what catches the designer’s eyes these days?

SSR: Besides you bringing a sumo wrestler to HD Expo?

AK: Anyone that large and that in charge is usually eye-catching. But yes, besides a mostly naked sumo wrestler.

SSR: There’s two things: There’s so much email and there’s so many things sent to designers these days that I think really one creating an experience on the show floor that they’re going to remember. Like the sumo wrestler or an art company that has Instagrammable moments that we were talking about before we started recording. Something that they go into your booth and they’re like, wow, that there’s something special; it’s something they’re going to remember. Or a campaign in the magazine that kind of teases it out throughout the year in terms of ads or just something that, as you’re going through, same, same, same, oh! And it just kind of stops. In saying that, it’s something authentic, and I hate using that word, but it means something or true to your brand. It feels [like you] or has a personality, it makes a statement. Have a point of view. Have something that people are going to be like, ‘Oh, that makes sense.’ We’re wild and crazy, or we are going to showcase something that you’ve never seen before. You were just talking about how you’re shifting money and doing kind of more experiential things throughout the year. Something that makes people remember you above the crowd.

AK: The name of this podcast is HD’s “What I’ve Learned” podcast. So I have to ask you, in your 17 years, if you had to boil it all down, what have you taken most from what you’ve built here?

SSR: There’s so much. I think first you’re only good as the team behind you and to make sure you surround yourself with people that not only inspire and push you but also support you. I was lucky early in my career that I didn’t have a typical editor job, or at least I didn’t let myself have a typical editor job. I got to create and I got to think outside the box so they let me come up with ideas on how to continue to advance HD. I think one of the things that I was really struck with was the amazing community that is behind hospitality and what I wanted to do was bring those people together more and more and to foster that. Through CitySCENE and NextGen, I think what we’ve done here at HD is bring the hospitality community together in many different ways. So there’s something for everyone. What I’ve learned is that there’s a real power in that community and there’s something really special when it all comes together. I don’t know if it’s what I’ve learned, but it’s what I’ve enjoyed the most doing here. As I said before, it’s been a real privilege and I can’t wait to continue to figure out how to continue to elevate this industry that is kind of like home [for me].

AK: Well it is a great industry and you guys have done an outstanding job at building a huge community of wonderful and interesting people in it. We all certainly thank you for that. And I thank you for this bonus podcast today. This was so fun. So thank you for sitting down with me, Stacy. I appreciate it.

SSR: I appreciate you, Adam.

AK: Today’s very special HD’s “What I’ve Learned” podcast was sponsored by Global Allies. You can find all of our super awesome chairs at globalallies.com.