Taking place on 20th-21st November at London Olympia, the two-day Sleep Conference is promising once again to be packed with foremost influencers shaping the industry today.
The free-to-attend Sleep Conference at Sleep + Eat 2018 show will also be joined by a new Eat Conference.
Andrew Zobler – The Man behind The Ned
The Conference will open with a guest speaker from the USA – Andrew Zobler, hospitality pioneer and founder and CEO of the Sydell Group. Named one of the 50 Most Influential People in global business by Bloomberg Businessweek, Zobler has recently received the AHEAD Americas 2018 Award for Outstanding Contribution.
His company’s diverse portfolio of properties includes The Ned (London), NoMad (New York and Los Angeles) and The LINE (LA, DC, and Austin), and, appropriately for a man with such stellar achievements to his name, he will be considering the state of the industry today.
Local and international
The excitement around London’s hotel scene remains palpable with top billing hotels opening virtually every month. On Day One, the Sleep Conference will delve into the rise-and-rise of hotels in the UK capital from the perspective of operations, architecture and design.
This diverse panel will include Bruce Robertson, managing director of the Standard London, and Mark Bruce, director EPR Architects whose portfolio of London projects includes Great Scotland Yard, The Old War Office, and the Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel, among many others.
Designing from the global perspective will be discussed in a panel that will bring together Russian, Belgian and American talent. Geraldine Dohogne of Zannier Hotels, whose latest project includes 1898 The Post in Ghent – a historic post office building converted into an eclectic boutique hotel – will be joined by Therese Virserius, co-founder of the award-winning Virserius Studio, and Moscow-based Sundokovy sisters.
Sleep Talking – Design Duos
In the annual Design Duos series, it will be the turn of Muza Lab’s co-founders, Inge Moore and Nathan Hutchins, to share their thoughts on luxury hospitality design and what guests today want out of their travel experience. From Shanghai to Botswana, the range of work by this award-winning pair includes trains, luxury boats and yachts and lodges as well as hotels, all completed or nearing completion in just the two years since they established their studio.
“I believe in quiet luxury with its sustainable and ageless quality, authentic values and power of discovery which stimulate, comfort and engage,” says Nathan Hutchins.
Turnaround
Jamie Chappell, Global Business Director at Horwath HTL, will unpick the experience and knowledge of owners and investors in a panel session diving into the hotel turnaround game. Going full circle, this panel will focus on identifying opportunities, the elements of a successful turnaround (including design) and how an exit is achieved – the timing of when to hold and when to let go.
This will be followed by the development Round Tables, offering visitors the chance for conversations with leading industry names including Samantha Sugarman, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts’ director of development; Harry Harris, founder of SUSD; Felicity Black-Roberts, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts’ vice president; and Philip Camble, director of Whitebridge Hospitality.
Sleep and Dream
Day Two will start with a keynote presentation from leading neuroscientist, Dr. Alanna Hare, who will explore the science of sleep and its power to awaken creativity, increase our happiness, improve relationships and support our health and wellbeing.
The Sleep Sets, in which design firms are challenged to create a concept guestroom will be coming back this year as a quartet of installations looking at designing for a non-hotel brand, and in what has proved to be one of the most popular conference sessions over the years, each design team will reveal the thinking behind their set.
Yasmine Mahmoudieh will present her Penguin Books concept, AB Concept will share their ideas behind their Maison Pierre Hermé Paris set, Denton Corker Marshall will talk about their West Ham United Football Club concept, and HBA London will present their Natural History Museum’s vision.
See and Hear
Other sessions will include a discussion about the contribution of lighting and sound to the guest experience, which will include Sally Storey of Lighting Design International, Tom Middleton of Sonux, and Tom Hupe of Perkins+Will, and a look at the rapidly changing world of hospitality transport design.
Priya Paul, the chairperson of the Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels (The Park Hotels), recently garlanded with AHEAD Asia 2018 Award for Outstanding Contribution, will be sharing her approach to creativity and innovation.
“The Sleep Conference is a gem for anyone interested in emerging ideas, success stories and insights that are rarely aired at hotel industry conferences. It’s intimate in style, and that means there are also great meeting and networking opportunities to be had. It always reminds me how lucky we are to work in the hotel design and development sector,” says Guy Dittrich, Curator and Chair, the Sleep Conference.
In addition to the Sleep Conference, Sleep + Eat 2018 will comprise an international exhibition packed with innovative products, the Eat Conference, Eat Sets and the Sleeper Bar. The show will be open from 10am-8.30pm on Tuesday 20th November and from 10am-6pm on Wednesday 21st November. For more information and to register for a complimentary pass, please visit www.sleepanteatevent.com.
