The TOPHOTELPROJECTS World Tour London Event brought a host of key industry stakeholders together for a day that included everything from networking to panel discussions to a peek into upcoming design trends that will soon sweep through the industry.
The event took place Tuesday, June 13 at The Montcalm Royal London House, and it included four expert speakers from the hospitality industry, a panel discussion about how to understand the modern traveler, the results of the Creative Spark hotel design contest, and a cocktail hour rife with networking on an impressive rooftop bar with impressive views of London’s world-class skyline.
It’s tough to pinpoint which aspect of this event was the most engaging, but the speakers certainly left indelible impressions. The first was Heather White of Smarter Networking Limited. White has been a brand expert for the past 17 years, training thousands on how to meet the right people while also personally making hundreds of valuable introductions. White’s tips were practical, and she also led attendees through real exercises that taught them how to network in better and smarter ways.
The “Creative Spark” portion of the event involved three distinguished projects. The Curtain, which is the newest addition to hotelier Michael Achenbaum’s famous New York-based Gansvoort collection of exclusive hotels—is a London property, the first of its kind to appeal to forward-thinking technology and media creatives, complete with art curated by street artist Banksy’s agent, Steve Lazarides, and rock n’ roll photographer, Mick Rock. The Four Seasons Trinity Square is a complex redevelopment project that takes much care to honor the historic building it is located within. The Royal Lancaster Hoel, meanwhile yhe panel discussion was also an interesting portion of the day, revolving primarily around the challenges of understanding the modern customer, who has become a more refined guest with an increased number of needs. Participants in this panel include Federico Toresi of 1508 London, Afroditi Krassa, Luciano Mazza of HKS, and Ursula Fuss of c.f. Architekten. These panelists agreed that the changing nature of customers is rapidly dictating the future of the industry, as designers and operators work diligently to understand and satisfy their needs. Moderation was done by Cate Murden, Founder and Managing Director of PUSH Mind and Body.
After lunch, Rolf W. Schmidt of TOPHOTELPROJECTS used his own 30 years of experience in the international hotel and hotel supplier industries to give a unique presentation about notable brands and projects in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe. Schmidt, who is a frequent and highly-sought speaker at hospitality industry events, noted that while London is the European city with the most projects in its construction pipeline, Germany ranks as the top country for industry growth.
Corinna Kretschmar-Joehnk was also on hand as a speaker to share her perspective as the author of many design reference books, a university lecturer and the co-managing director of JOI-Design, a leading European hospitality interior architecture and design studio that has recently launched a product design division. Kretschmar-Joehnk highlighted the immense benefits of crafting disruptive hotel designs. She suggested that remaining creative—and not overly serious—throughout the design process is a great means of innovating and leaving room for exploration.
The last keynote speaker was Patrick Angwin, senior director with Horwath HTL, one of the world’s leading hotel, tourism and leisure consultancies. Angwin’s remarks were especially relevant given the location: he shared useful figures about the present and future reality in the United Kingdom after the Brexit, discussing the inherent challenges as well as the coming impact on the hospitality industry.
Finally,Of the three projects, The Curtain captured first prize. It was designed by Zoe Tallon of Dexter Moren Associates, while the Royal Lancaster Hotel was done by David Morris of Studio Proof London, and Four Seasons Trinity Square was done by Suzette Vela Burkett of Aukett Swanke.
The event concluded with a round of networking and drinks on the venue’s impressive rooftop bar, which was complete with a stunning view of London’s skyscrapers.
The next TOPHOTELPROJECTS World Tour event will be held in Dubai on September 19th in The Dukes Hotel, followed by New York on November 15th and Zurich on December 5th.
Building on the momentum of the London event, this is sure to be a day to remember, so don’t miss out on tickets!
Find out more at: www.thpworldtour.com or contact Head of Global Events & Conferences Kayley van der Velde (k.vandervelde@tophotelprojects.com).
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