Event Review 2012
The 4th HI DESIGN ASIA took place on the 9th - 11th November 2012 at the Grand Hyatt Bali, Indonesia. 234 senior position delegates attended HI DESIGN ASIA 2012 – the largest HI Design ASIA ever!
Attendee Profile
Buyers
Interior Architects, Interior Designers and Hotel project leaders responsible for hospitality interior design developments across the Asia.They are drawn from architect and interior design practices, hotel owners and operators, and procurement companies operating in the region.
111 buyer delegates representing 76 companies from 10 countries attended HI DESIGN ASIA 2012.
Suppliers
Manufacturers of a wide spectrum of products and services applicable for hospitality interior specification across more than 45 product categories.
123 supplier delegates representing 80 companies from 22 countries attended HI DESIGN ASIA 2012
Results
Meetings
This year a record 1592 private, face-to-face meetings took place. These were conducted between the buyer and supplier delegates who had pre-selected in advance of the event whom they wished to meet. For the second time this year we swapped the tables and the suppliers were the ones who got to sit at a table while the buyers came to them according to their schedules. Both buyers and suppliers welcomed this swap around. They also met each other informally through the many networking sessions over the duration of the three days.
The Meetings provided an excellent opportunity to establish relationships with suppliers with representation in the region.Michael Mitchell - Senior Designer YWS Asia
Direct impact on the decision makersNatassha Liao - Kimball
Seminars
The 2012 programme consisted of two sessions on both days and was hosted by Guy Dittrich.
The Hotel Construction Pipeline in Asia Pacific
Rolf Schmidt, Managing Director, TOPHOTELPROJECTS
This is where it starts: our Event Partners have the project information at their fingertips to deliver a detailed, bang up-to-date overview of the confirmed major new build and refurb' projects in the region over the next 12 months and beyond.
The Last Resort? A Discussion Panel focusing on ‘responsible’ resort design in Asia Pacific
PANELISTS DISCUSSION
With many of the most luxurious resorts in the world, the Asia Pacific is also home to a number of notable eco-friendly properties, which have arguably set the template for responsible resort design in environmentally sensitive areas. In the quest of developing ever more ‘exclusive’ resorts, is this eco-friendly responsibility being paid lip service? A debate was held with various views from the panel to what criteria they have to observe as a minimum when planning and designing a ‘responsible’ resort. It was concluded that there is still a long road ahead but each step is in the right direction.
PANELISTS:
- Guy Heywood, Chief Operating Officer, Alila Hotels & Resorts
- Karlyn Cerdena, Director, ara Design Asia
- Michael Duggan, General Manager, Sustainability, EC3 Global Pty. Ltd.
- Michael Kwee, Co-ordinating Director, Banyan Tree Global Foundation Limited
'Clint on the Blink'
Clint Nagata, BLINK design group
An hour with one of Asia's most prolific hospitality interior designers. Since founding BLINK design group in Bangkok in 2006 after a decade and a half in the industry, Clint Nagata has taken his company to the forefront of the Asia Pacific Hospitality Design scene. Now with offices in Singapore and New Delhi, Clint shared his clear vision of the future for the first half of this session, and then Guy Dittrich interviewed him for the second half.
India – Hot and Spicy! A Discussion Panel shedding some light on what is happening in this rapidly growing economy
PANELISTS DISCUSSION
Second only to China in the new hotel supply pipeline in Asia Pacific, India offers potentially lucrative returns but comes complete with challenges that can sometimes prove insurmountable to investors, operators, architects and designers.
These are a few of the topics that were approached by our feisty panel. At times controversial, the panel spoke openly and honestly with regards to their experiences of working and being in such a cultural diverse country.
The audience was left with a taste of the spice India has to offer.
PANELISTS:
- Kingsley Amose, Senior Vice President Construction - Design & Technical Services, Accor Asia Pacific
- Bobby Mukherji, Principal Architect and Founder, Bobby Mukherji & Associates
- Carl Almeida, Partner, P49 Deesign
- Prachi Suri, Assistant Vice President - Interior Design Project Development, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts
View the 2013 Seminar Programme
Supplier Showcase
For the first time there was a 90 minute one-off Supplier Showcase session. Each of the 80 supplier delegate companies had tabletop space to present their products. The showcase allowed buyers to touch and feel products, as well as providing an opportunity for additional meetings outside of the pre-scheduled programme.
An opportunity to meet suppliers not on my meeting list. Suppliers that were not known to my company that were supplying interesting products were very visible and gave me the opportunity to not only speak with them but to contact the specific people in the company.Heather Boldy - Divisional Director &
Head of Hospitality - Benoy
The Supplier Showcase is excellent! We had buyers with specific projects come and visit us, that we did not have scheduled meetings withKim Monrad - Sales - Verpan
Networking
Breakfasts, lunches, evening functions, excursions and free time periods provided abundant opportunities to network for the benefit of the delegatesʼ business. All delegates attend the Welcome dinner, Cocktail reception and a Farewell dinner. The Farewell Dinner was an opportunity for all the delegates to step outside the hotel after two intense days of meetings, and enjoy dinner at The Warisan Café in Kuta, a beautiful setting for the final dinner. This allowed everyone to relax and enjoy networking with their peers in a way simply not possible at traditional trade shows.
From a designer's point of view this is a great opportunity to meet both suppliers and hoteliers in one place and to forge stronger relationships for future projects.Caroline Cundall - Associate GA Design
Access to people who are otherwise difficult to get hold ofNishant Grover - Vice President, International
Key Accounts - Grohe
Pre-event excursion
An informal trip was offered to provide a rare opportunity for delegates to see the most beautiful rural views of Bali from the river, with the added distraction of maneuvering a raft downstream in some of Bali’s faster rainwater runoff from the mountainside. 25 delegates experienced the thrill of white water rafting for an exhilarating 2 hours followed by a lovely lunch in a stunning setting.
Facts & Figures
Every year we ask all delegates to tell us about their experience at HI DESIGN ASIA to ensure that we continue to provide a quality, successful event for all those who attend.
97.7% of buyer delegates either strongly agree or agree that HI DESIGN ASIA is an excellent investment of their time.
93.1% of buyer delegates agree that HI DESIGN really helps designers with confirmed hospitality projects to develop relationships with the right partners.
86.4% of buyers said they are definitely or likely to be specifying some of the suppliers they met.
93.4% of delegates thought the organisation and operations of the event was excellent or very good.
95.3% of supplier delegates would recommend HI DESIGN ASIA as an effective alternative to a traditional trade show.
95.3% of supplier delegates agree that HI DESIGN ASIA provides a really effective platform for doing business.
97.4% of delegates said HI DESIGN ASIA either exceeded their expectation or met their expectation.
