Event Review 2011
The 3rd HI DESIGN ASIA took place on the 10th – 12th November 2011 at the Sheraton Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 210 senior position delegates attended HI DESIGN ASIA 2011 – 24% growth on 2010.
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.
96 buyer delegates representing 73 companies from 12 countries attended HI DESIGN ASIA 2011.
Suppliers
Manufacturers of a wide spectrum of products and services applicable for hospitality interior specification across more than 42 product categories.
114 supplier delegates representing 73 companies from 23 countries attended HI DESIGN ASIA 2011
Results
Meetings
This year a record 1558 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 first 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.
Focused meetings that have the full attention of both parties with no distractions.Sam Hall - Director Interior Design Middle East/Asia
Fairmont Hotels
Direct impact on the decision makersNatassha Liao - Kimball
Seminars
The 2011 programme consisted of two sessions on both days and was hosted by Guy Dittrich.
The Asia Pacific Hotel Performance & Pipeline Report
JONAS ÖGREN - AREA DIRECTOR ASIA, STR GLOBAL.
Jonas once again presented the traditional HI-Design 'scene setter' by putting some flesh on the bones of STR Global's latest Asia Pacific pipeline report. This year’s regional overview was followed by a closer look at our host country, Vietnam.
A Chat with HBA's Michael Bedner
MICHAEL BEDNER, CHAIRMAN & CEO, HIRSCH BEDNER ASSOCIATES
A rare opportunity to get personal with one of the biggest names in the industry. Michael Bedner shared with us his life experiences within the design industry, how things have changed since he first started, his style of management and a few personal moments since his recovery. The audience responded by a standing ovation and a few wet eyes in the crowd!
The Sustainability Session
PROF. MICHAEL BRAUNGART, UNIVERSITY OF LÜNEBURG.
RAEFER WALLIS, FOUNDER OF GIGA AND A00 ARCHITECTURE
HI-DESIGN ASIA is committed to spotlighting sustainability issues in the Hospitality Design arena. Following strong delegate feedback from last year's event we were delighted to welcome back Raefer Wallis who updated us on the progress and vision of the GIGA Foundation and its resource database of environmentally friendly suppliers. A key tenet of GIGA's raison d'etre is the 'Cradle to Cradle' design paradigm. Exploring this topic was the founder of the 'Cradle to Cradle' philosophy, Dr Michael Braungart, who explained how we could all celebrate the human footprint on earth.
The Discussion Panel – Specialists v Generalists
PANELISTS DISCUSSION
A lively debate ended the Seminar programme with two specialists and two generalists battling it out on stage! Both parties fought their corner with Guy Dittrich as the referee, the result…a draw!
There is room for both and a demand for both Generalist & Specialist. In the end it all comes down to what the owner wants.
Specialists:-
- Adria W. Lake, Founder and Managing Director, A.W.Lake Spa Concepts Pte. Ltd
- Hernan Zanghellini, Managing Director, Zanghellini & Holt Architects (F&B specialists)
Generalists:-
- Stephanie Clift, Director, Interior Design, DESIGN Duncan Miller Ullmann
- Jose Olivares, Principal & Studio Director, DiLeonardo Hong Kong
Supplier Showcase
Available throughout the event and in two dedicated sessions each of the 73 supplier delegate companies had tabletop space to present more of their products. The showcase allowed buyers to further browse and experience products, as well as providing an opportunity for additional meetings outside of the pre-scheduled programme.
The Showcase allowed me to catch up with suppliers on my meetings schedule, but also to see new & other suppliers which were not on my schedule, but had very good productsBudi Sjafii - Senior Projects Manager - Gettys
The Showcase allows a catch up with buyers who you don't get a one to one meeting with- I always spend time to actively seek out buyers I want to meet with and are not on my schedule to get them to come and see me in the showcase sessionAndrew Wetton - Vice President -
Business Development Asia - Altro Flooring & Walling
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 Bin Quoi Gardens, 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.
I met new friends, and some old friends who I had lost touch for 20 years! Competitors who are now buddies, operators who are new clients, and suppliers who have a connection that helps us both do business more personably. Most important, it was great fun had by allBarbara Alllen - Design Director -
Hospitality & Leisure Asia (HLA)
Great relationships formed with some key people... Reinforced existing relationships. Many potential projects to follow upFelicia Seignor - International Sales Manager - Apaiser
Pre-event excursion
An informal group outing around the city stopping at various museums and temples, and a market took place with 36 delegates who attended on the afternoon of the first day. With a good balance of buyers and suppliers it was a really useful and enjoyable networking warm up for the event.
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.
94.4% of buyer delegates either strongly agree or agree that HI DESIGN ASIA is an excellent investment of their time.
91.5% of buyer delegates agree that HI DESIGN really helps designers with confirmed hospitality projects to develop relationships with the right partners.
96.2% of all delegates rated the meetings as either excellent or very good.
85.3% of buyers said they are definitely or likely to be specifying some of the suppliers they met.
70.2% of suppliers said they are definitely or likely to be specified for future projects.
95.9% of delegates thought the organisation and operations of the event was excellent or very good.
96.2% of supplier delegates would recommend HI DESIGN ASIA as an effective alternative to a traditional trade show.
89.7% of supplier delegates agree that HI DESIGN ASIA provides a really effective platform for doing business.
96.6% of delegates said HI DESIGN ASIA either exceeded their expectation or met their expectation.
