Judging
2018 Judging
AHEAD Americas is adjudicated by an independent panel of experts, comprising leading hospitality architects, designers, owners, operators, developers and industry commentators.
The judging process for AHEAD Americas has been carefully developed to ensure a rigorous, robust and balanced procedure is followed to select the final winners in each category.
The judges for AHEAD Americas are acknowledged industry leaders, who represent a wide spectrum of the disciplines involved in delivering new hotel projects across the region.
Larry Traxler - Chair
Senior Vice President, Global Design Services - Hilton WorldwideLarry Traxler serves as Global Head of Design Services at Hilton Worldwide, overseeing the design of all of Hilton’s luxury, full and focused service hotel brands. Traxler and his global design team work closely with developers, architects, and designers to ensure that the unique style of each Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand is reflected across the properties within its global portfolio.
Traxler has amassed more than 20 years of international hospitality design experience working across luxury, boutique, full-service and focused-service hotel segments. Most recently he ran the Architecture & Design department for Hyatt Hotels North America & Caribbean, and prior to this served as the Design Director for Ian Schrager Hotels, Wilson & Associates, and Hirsch Bedner & Associates, focusing on hotel design and development operations.
His career began at the experimental architectural design office of Jordan Mozer & Associates, and Traxler holds a six-year professional Bachelor of Architecture degree with a minor Professional Practice award from the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art & Planning.
Andrew Fay
President - The Gettys GroupCo-Founder and President Andrew Fay offers a diverse background in design, development, branding, finance and hotel operations that has helped propel The Gettys Group to the 30-year success story it is today.
By leveraging Fay’s breadth of experience, the firm has established a worldwide reputation for instituting a pragmatic and creative approach to hotel design and development. Championing innovations such as The Gettys Group’s leading-edge Integrated Solutions FF&E procurement model, as well as the exclusive Fast Forward Symposium, a think-tank driving futurism and thought leadership in the hospitality industry, Fay has maintained The Gettys Group’s focus on innovation, collaboration and delivering enduring projects with measurable investment return.
An honours graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Fay is a sought-after industry leader who is frequently engaged to share his expertise and insights on hospitality industry trends and development.
Matthew Goodrich
Founder - GoodrichMatthew Goodrich is an award-winning interior designer and strategist known for projects that feature rich narrative content and foster interaction and human connection. In 2017, he began building a new design practice to create hospitality projects which fuse conscious, meaningful design with operational innovation.
Prior to founding his own studio, Matthew was Chief Creative Officer at AvroKO, where he led the design process for hospitality and retail projects, and provided creative leadership for the internal branding agency Brand Bureau. Before that, he was Senior Associate at Rockwell Group, where he developed a wide range of project types, including hospitality, exhibitions, and scenic design. Matthew’s projects have included designs for established hotel brands such as Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton, brand creation for the new Arlo hotels, restaurants for clients including Garces Group and Boka Restaurant Group, food halls such as Gotham West Market, and innovative casual dining experiences for Dean and Deluca, Barnes & Noble, and Panera Bread.
Before working in design, Matthew worked in museums, galleries, and artists’ studios, helping them to fabricate works of art and assemble exhibitions. He draws on that experience in the work he does today, infusing art and artisan-made elements into the spaces he designs.
Ira Imerlishvili
Senior Director, Interior Design - Marriott InternationalIra’s adventure with design started with creating set designs for theatres and opera houses. Theatrical story-telling through design is visible in his award-winning work and he believes it is critical to hotel delivering unique and immersive guest experiences.
As the Senior Director of Interior Design for Marriott’s luxury brands Ira is managing a difficult balance between interiors reflecting hotel’s unique story and the local context while staying true to global brand standards. He is responsible for design of The Ritz-Carlton Reserve, St. Regis, The Ritz-Carlton, Luxury Collection and JW Marriott across Americas.
Prior to joining Marriott’s global design team, Ira has held design and leadership roles with Hirsch Bedner Associates, Aedas and HOK. Most recently, he spent a few years in Hong Kong leading hospitality design teams on projects across Asia-Pacific. In addition to a number of hotels and restaurants, he has developed award-winning new store design concepts for Starbucks in Korea.
Throughout 20 years of his career Ira has been a design lead for some iconic properties: St. Regis Abu Dhabi, St. Regis Saadiyat Island, The Peninsula residencies Yangon, and St. Regis Belgrade.
Ira has graduated from Academy of Fine Arts in Tbilisi, Georgia and from Georgia State University with a Master’s degree in Fine Arts, Interior Design.
Matoula Karagiannis
Vice President of Design - Sydell GroupMatoula Karagiannis currently serves as the Vice President of Design at Sydell Group, a developer and manager of a diverse portfolio of award winning hotel brands including The NoMad, The Line, and Freehand. Karagiannis holds over 20 years of experience in hospitality design and is currently focused on the creation of the Park MGM hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, a $550 million transformation of the former Monte Carlo Resort.
Prior to joining Sydell Group, she held design and leadership roles with Wyndham Worldwide, Wilson & Associates (Singapore), Champalimaud Design, and Hirsch Bedner Associates.
Karagiannis brings sharp design direction and branding expertise to her work, having completed a number of high profile national and international hotel projects including the Hotel Bel-Air, Four Seasons in Chicago and Sydney, and Rooftop Suites at The Dorchester, London. Her degree in Industrial Design from Université de Montréal and studies abroad at the Ecole National Supérieure de Creation Industrielle in Paris have further inspired her unique design career path, which also includes stints in industrial and textile design as well.
Aliya Khan
Vice President of Design Strategies - Marriott InternationalAliya Khan is Vice President of Design Strategies at Marriott International. Focusing on AC Hotels, Aloft, Element and Moxy projects, she drives the efforts to define the design strategy for these brands and positions each with a distinct personality. Prior to joining Marriott International, Khan worked in numerous roles with Starwood Hotels & Resorts. She holds degrees in both architecture and industrial design.
She was responsible for several award-winning projects, including the opening of the W Montreal, renovations at the W Mexico City, and the Le Meridien properties in French Polynesia. She also lead the renovation of the iconic St. Regis New York and oversaw the design partnership efforts between St. Regis Hotels and Bentley Motors.
Most recently, before joining Marriot, Khan took a break from the hotel industry to lead Design and Development for NeueHouse, and was responsible for the opening of their award‐winning Hollywood location.
Margaret McMahon
Senior Vice President - Wimberly InteriorsMargaret McMahon leads and manages Wimberly, Alison, Tong & Goo’s (WATG) interior design practice, with her 30 years in the design industry producing an impressive portfolio of projects and an equally impressive list of clients. Under her leadership Wimberly Interiors has launched studios in New York, Miami, Dubai, Shanghai and Los Angeles.
Prior to joining WATG, McMahon was Managing Director of Wilson Associates’ New York office, and former President of the Network of Executive Women in Hospitality’s (NEWH) New York chapter. McMahon was recently promoted to WATG’s first female Senior Vice President, and then elected to the Board of Directors of the employee-owned firm.
Margaret’s natural talent lies in pinpointing details, analysing conceptual designs, and integrating reality with emotion.
Anwar Mekhayech
Co-founder - DesignAgencyAnwar Mekhayech is co-founder of DesignAgency, a multi-disciplinary global design firm. He developed first-hand knowledge of the hospitality industry through his family business and later as a restaurateur.
Thriving on collaborations with clients and other designers, Mekhayech has helped to develop environments that reflect each unique brand he works with and from 2014-2016 acted as Global Creative Director for Generator Hostels, assisting the brand’s growth.
Anwar is also a partner at the Toronto-based Arthouse, a boutique photography agency and production house, where he has taken a behind-the-scenes role overseeing business development and strategy.
Cristian Rubio
Principal - HBA MiamiCristian Rubio is an architect, interior designer and Principal of Hirsch Bedner Associates, Miami. He obtained his degree at the High Technical School of Architecture in Madrid, and won his first competition at 25. Rubio co-founded his own studio in 2002, named Rubio+Pozuelo, and served as Principal for a decade until joining HBA.
Since the beginning of his career Rubio has carried out numerous hospitality, interior design, residential and educational projects, taking responsibility for all phases of the development, from the initial sketch to its completion.
Since joining HBA Rubio has worked in the firm’s Singapore and London offices, developing projects for clients including Four Seasons, Hyatt, Hilton and IHG Hotels. HBA has now tasked Rubio with spearheading growth in Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America, and with producing a unique and sensitive response to each project.
Markus Schreyer
Vice President, The Americas - Design HotelsMarkus Schreyer is part of the senior leadership team at Design Hotels, a handpicked collection of over 300 design-driven luxury hotels across the globe. As Vice President, The Americas, he is responsible for developing the collection’s hotel portfolio, the business support of all member hotels, media and other potential partners, as well as expanding and building brand awareness and reach in North and South America.
Schreyer holds over 15 years of experience in global hospitality, including seven with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, where he held several senior roles in Sales & Marketing. Before joining Design Hotels he was the Starwood’s Regional Director of Marketing, East & Central Europe, responsible for brand, digital, Loyalty and partnership marketing. He holds a Master of Business Administration and a PHD in Innovation Management, and is a regular contributor to industry and innovation publications.
Allan Shulman
Founder - Shulman + AssociatesAllan T. Shulman is the Director of Graduate Programs in Architecture and associate professor at the University of Miami School of Architecture. An author, editor, lecturer and curator, he is also founder of the award-winning Miami-based architecture and design firm Shulman + Associates. His work has been featured in major architectural reviews and national publications.
Vince Stroop
Principal - Stonehill & Taylor ArchitectsVince Stroop joined Stonehill & Taylor as Principal in 2014, bringing with him over 20 years of experience leading the design of prominent public and private spaces including hotels, libraries, luxury residences, wineries, and restaurants. He specialises in New York hospitality, but has worked in countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Moscow, Hong Kong and England.
His projects include work for prominent hospitality brands including Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Intercontinental Hotel Group, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Marriott International, MGM Resorts International, Kerzner International Resorts, and the Las Vegas Sands Corp. He believes that design is a highly interactive and collaborative process, and that the best projects are those that embrace a collaborative approach to every challenge. His work extends beyond the art and science of architecture, covering elements such as urban planning, graphic identity, website design, and education, having served as studio instructor at the School of Architecture at Woodbury University.
Stroop was the founding partner of A2 Studios, a multidisciplinary architecture firm in California. He then oversaw the architecture and interiors department as Principal at BBG-BBGM, and was later a Studio Leader at Jeffrey Beers International.
Randa Tukan
Senior Vice President and Global Director of Hospitality - HOK TorontoRanda Tukan is a Senior Vice President and Global Director of hospitality, based in HOK’s Toronto Office. With over 25 years of experience in interior architecture and design, both in Canada and around the world, her expertise extends far beyond the world of interiors, encompassing architecture, urban planning, landscape, and branding.
Tukan holds a Master of Liberal Arts degree in Fine Arts from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art. She is a member of the advisory board for Humber College’s interior design program, and a site visitor for the Council of Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).
With a strong focus on innovative design, Tukan’s projects have included work for hotel brands including Intercontinental, Marriott, Shangri-La, and Hyatt. Her visionary hotel of the future concept, Driftscape, was the winner of the Radical Innovation Award for 2016.
Kenneth Villamil
Global VP: Product & Brand Development - Park Hyatt, Andaz, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Centric & The Unbound Collection HotelsKenneth Allen Villamil is Global Vice President: Product & Brand Development, Park Hyatt, Andaz, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Centric, & The Unbound Collection Hotels.
Combining his background in brand strategy and interior architecture, Villamil is responsible for the comprehensive global design strategy for Hyatt Hotel's luxury, premium, and lifestyle brands. He provides leadership and creative direction to advance each brand, ensuring they translate into memorable guest experiences around the world.
Prior to his role at Hyatt, Villami specialised in creative solutions and strategies for retail, hospitality and luxury lifestyle brands. He has spent the last 16 years honing his skills at a number of branding and architecture firms, including Gensler's Lifestyle Design Studio and most recently with Starwood Hotel's Luxury Brands Studio; overseeing St Regis, W Hotels Worldwide, Le Meridien and The Luxury Collection Hotels. Kenneth has been recognised for his accomplishments in both Interiors and Architecture winning numerous awards including the Gold Key.
Brad Wilson (Chair)
CEO & Co-Partner - Ace Hotel Group & Atelier AceBrad Wilson is CEO and Co-Partner of Ace Hotel Group and the brand’s in-house creative agency Atelier
Ace, where he oversees growth and operations, develops new hotels and collaborative projects, and
leads operational and creative teams. After attending Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration,
Brad first honed his skills at major hospitality brands like Hilton International, Park Hyatt and Westin. He
launched the first W Hotel and helped to guide the Starwood brand’s early days, rising to Vice President
of Operations for W Worldwide. Directly prior to helming Ace Hotel, Brad helped build James Hotels from
the ground up, serving as CEO.
The application of design and architecture to deliver great guest experiences are at the heart of AHEAD.
The criteria for success are based not only on creative excellence, but also on commercial viability.
As well as projects that are aesthetically impressive, the judges will be looking for evidence that winning designs have also met the needs of client and customers alike.
The judges will be looking for submissions showing rigorous and appropriate design, demonstrating a sensible use of budget to contribute to the guest experience as well as the 'theatre' of hotel life while satisfying the client brief.
Submitted material should demonstrate clearly why the project is thought to be worth an award in its chosen category and how the design sets the project at an award winning level.
Click here to see our AHEAD Checklist, which guides you through the entry process.
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RH
Global Headline SponsorRH Contract provides a business-to-business partnership like no other in the industry. With our multi-category product assortment, unparalleled product design and curation capabilities, uniquely integrated interior design approach, the benefits of RH’s purchasing power, and our global supply chain and logistics scale, RH Contract has proven to be a unique, valuable project partner.
Visit siteSleeper
Organised ByLasvit
Trophy SponsorThe brand Lasvit, founded in 2007 by Leon Jakimič, sheds new light on Bohemian glass and takes it into the next millennium. Lasvit combines the authenticity of glass craft with innovative technologies and creative craftsmanship. In a few short years, Lasvit has established itself as the authority delivering bespoke lighting sculptures and art installations made from hand-blown glass.
Collaborations with renowned designers and artists produce also unique glass collections. Nendo, Ross Lovegrove, Daniel Libeskind, Maarten Baas, Czech legends René Roubíček and Bořek Šípek are among those who choose Lasvit in order to embody their unconventional artistic vision, endow it with the precision and mastery of our glassmakers, and produce impressive creative oeuvre. This is a manifesto of Lasvit’s uncompromising mission: To transform glass into breathtaking light and design experiences.
Visit siteTop Hotel Projects
Powered ByTOPHOTELPROJECTS is the heart of a global community of suppliers and decision-makers which initiates and supports the communication relating to building, design, furnishing, and operation of hotels.
We are a German research firm covering global hotel constructions, that over a decade branched out into hospitality events, media, and hotel design.
No other company comes close in supporting the hotel industry by efficiently combining different business areas into one integrated solution.
Ever since the hotel industry veteran Rolf W. Schmidt founded the company in 2009, our core activity is building the world’s most comprehensive directory of:
We took the complex, ever-evolving global hospitality industry and introduced it to our German sense of efficiency and sheer hard work.
Our research team of some 25 experienced professionals spends 1,800 hours a month researching hotel projects around the world.
Our database has been 10 years in the making, during which we gathered information on over 24,000 hotel projects and 120,000 related companies. Currently, our database has information on more than 6,500 ongoing hotel projects worldwide – important details included.
TOPHOTELPROJECTS today represents an exhaustive, ever-growing network of professionals from all major sectors of the hospitality industry: owners, developers, investors, brands, operators, architects, designers, and suppliers.
In 2019, TOPHOTELPROJECTS and Sleeper Media signed a strategic partnership with mutual co-investment. This partnership combines digital expertise and in-depth data of TOPHOTELPROJECTS with Sleeper Media’s leading hospitality offerings. It is all about synergy and a win for all sectors of the industry.
Visit siteAkula
Global SponsorAkula, a leading manufacturer of marine-grade outdoor furniture has established itself as a trusted partner for the world’s leading hospitality and cruise operators, offering an extensive range of solutions designed to meet the unique needs of these demanding environments.
With a unique dual focus on custom manufacturing and quick-ship capabilities, Akula stands out. This approach allows them to provide personalised solutions that cater to specific design and functionality requirements while running a quick-ship program that ensures timely delivery to meet tight project timelines. This makes Akula a preferred choice for clients who require bespoke designs and efficiency.
Engineered to withstand the rigors of outdoor environments, Akula's products are built to last. Every piece is manufactured to endure extreme conditions, including UV exposure, seawater, chlorinated water, and fluctuating temperatures, with minimal maintenance required. This commitment to durability ensures that Akula’s furniture not only enhances outdoor spaces but also offers long-term value.
Akula's global footprint, with offices in the UK, USA, UAE, and Hong Kong, underscores its worldwide reach and ability to serve clients across the globe. This international presence facilitates a deep understanding of market needs and ensures that Akula is not just a name but a global standard in outdoor furniture.
Akula’s success is rooted in its dedication to quality, innovation, and customer service. By continuously pushing the boundaries of design and technology, Akula remains at the forefront of the outdoor furniture industry, delivering solutions that are as robust as they are elegant.
Visit siteKaldewei
Global SponsorKALDEWEI – your worldwide partner for iconic bathroom solutions shaped from superior steel enamel. KALDEWEI’s extensive range of bathtubs, shower surfaces, and washbasins are ideally suited to the demands of the hospitality industry delivering an increased level of health and wellbeing awareness for your hotel. The smooth, non-porous glass surface not only gives you security against germs and dirt but is also the material of the future. KALDEWEI steel enamel is made of 100% natural materials and is 100% recyclable, so it’s good for your guests and the planet too.
To learn more visit KALDEWEI.com
Visit siteLaufen
Global SponsorFounded in 1892 in Switzerland, LAUFEN has become one of the world's leading companies for sanitary ceramics. Today LAUFEN Bathrooms provided integrated bathroom concepts with high-quality products, ranging from sanitary ceramics to bathtubs and shower trays, furniture, faucets, and accessories.
Visit siteMaison & Objet Paris
Global SponsorMaison&Objet (SAFI, a joint subsidiary of Ateliers d'Art de France and RX France) has been leading and bringing together the international decoration, design, and lifestyle community since 1994.
Its trademark is its ability to elicit productive international meetings, to drive the visibility of the brands that join its exhibitions and its digital platform, but also its singular instinct for highlighting the trends that will set the heart of the interior design planet racing. Maison&Objet's mission is to reveal talent, to offer opportunities for discussion and inspiration both online and offline, and to facilitate the development of businesses.
With two annual exhibitions and Paris Design Week in September, Maison&Objet serves as an indispensable barometer for the entire sector. Online since 2016, MOM (Maison&Objet and More) allows buyers and brands to continue their exchanges, launch new collections, and make contacts beyond physical meetings. Weekly launches of new products provide an ongoing boost to the industry. In 2023, Maison&Objet rolled out new digital services, and MOM also became a marketplace.
On social networks, discoveries are made on a daily basis by a community of almost 2 million active professionals on Facebook, Instagram (+1M followers), Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Xing, WeChat, and now TikTok.
Spearheading the Paris Capitale de la Création label, Maison&Objet is a catalyst for positioning Paris as a major magnet for international creative talents.
Visit siteRoca
Global SponsorDesigning and manufacturing everything in bathrooms.
Roca began life as a family business manufacturing cast iron radiators at a factory in Gavà, near Barcelona in 1917. Over the years, the portfolio gradually expanded and by 1929, Roca entered the bathroom environment for the first time. With an attentive focus on social changes, Roca has since been pioneering when tackling issues surrounding sustainability, design, and technology, and remains at the forefront of these innovations today. Today, Roca reaches over 170 countries, supplied by 76 production plants with more than 20,000 employees worldwide. After one hundred years, Roca is still proud to call itself a family business.
Visit siteVilleroy&Boch
Global SponsorVilleroy & Boch, formed in 1748, is a leading ceramics manufacturer steeped in European culture and history, and one of the biggest international premium brands in the areas of bathrooms and wellness.
Villeroy & Boch offers the finest and most innovative bathroom products and furnishing concepts for both private customers and property developers. The company is a pioneer in the realm of ceramic product design and innovation. Villeroy & Boch beautiful, high-quality products are hallmarks of French design flair and German engineering efficiency.
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Music ConsultantPreciosa
Event SponsorPreciosa Lighting elevates the heritage of Bohemian crystal through contemporary lighting designs since 1724. The company is built on centuries of tradition and the unique art of master glassmakers from Crystal Valley. We honour this heritage and craftsmanship by creating innovative lighting products that stand the test of time.
Our lighting styles range from individual luxury lighting to dynamic and interactive installations. As a global company, Preciosa cooperates with designers worldwide to create exclusive lights that reflect our spirit. Our historic chandeliers and contemporary projects can be found in hotels, resorts, fine restaurants, luxury residences, cultural institutions and on board yachts and cruise ships in locations as varied as New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Moscow or London.
Preciosa Lighting can create unrivaled emotional experiences by combining the traditional art form of chandelier craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. This knowledge is what drives our intention to unveil the symbolic as well as the aesthetic power of decorative lighting. It led us to create Preciosa’s Signature Designs which are highlighted by countless customization possibilities to perfectly fit the owner’s desires.
Signature Designs are authentic, timeless, and celebrate design. We are inspired by the allure of crystal combined with light. Creative craftsmanship is evident through the versatility of each light; customizable for space and its uses. Preciosa’s advanced use of technology is seen in every element of the design. They present contemporary styles with a timeless quality.
Visit siteSaatchi Art
Event SponsorFounded in 2011, Saatchi Art is a gallery and art consultancy that has disrupted the art-buying process by making art widely accessible to all kinds of buyers – from collectors to designers.
We strive to support historically excluded groups of artists and provide them with a platform to showcase their work. Since we started our gallery over 50% of sales each year are by women.
Saatchi Art represents artists in over 100 countries, providing our clients with an unparalleled selection of paintings, photography, sculpture, and works on paper, enabling us to support projects with both local and international artists. We also work with design studios and artisans internationally to create unique pieces, from ceramics to bas reliefs and woven textiles.
Our art advisory services are offered free of charge, and we curate bespoke art packages for hospitality, multifamily and residential, commercial, and healthcare projects. Currently, we are working on projects in the US, UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
We have recently curated art collections for Four Seasons New Orleans (Bill Rooney Studio), tommie Hollywood and tommie Austin (Studio Collective), Hotel Barriere Fouquet’s New York (Martin Brudnizki Design Studio), The Boca Raton (Rockwell Group), Dream Doha (Meyer Davis), Thompson Hollywood (Tara Bernerd & Partners), 1 Hotel Toronto (Rockwell Group and SH Hotels & Resorts), and Aria MGM (Rottet Studio).
Our team of art advisors is dedicated to contemporary art and design, and to working with the finest designers in the world to create elevated, sophisticated, and memorable experiences.
We look forward to working with you!
Rebecca Wilson
Chief Curator & VP, Art Advisory
rebecca@saatchiart.com
FOH
Event SponsorEstablished in 2002, FOH® is a women-owned global foodservice and hospitality company that manufactures smart, savvy, commercial-grade products including plateware, drinkware, flatware, hotel amenities, and more. Driven by innovation, FOH® is dedicated to delivering that WOW experience that restaurants and hotels crave, all while maintaining a competitive price. All products are fully customizable, and many are also created using sustainable, eco-friendly materials, such as straws and plates made from biodegradable paper and wood and BPA-free drinkware. FOH® has two established brands: Front of the House®, focused on tabletop and buffet solutions, and room360®, which offers hotel products. Check out our collections today at
Visit siteAXOR
Event SponsorWith its brands hansgrohe and AXOR, the Hansgrohe Group, based in Germany, enjoys a reputation as a leader in innovation, design and quality within the bath and kitchen industry. The 120-year plus history of the company is marked by innovations, such as the first hand-held shower with multiple spray types, the first pull-out kitchen faucet, and the first wall bar to hold a hand-held shower. Hansgrohe stands for long-lasting quality products and for responsibility towards people and the environment. Hansgrohe is a reliable partner to its customers worldwide, where countless projects show how hansgrohe showers turn the hotel bathroom into an oasis of wellness or how AXOR bathroom collections created in collaboration with international designers, complete the furnishing of a luxurious hotel, villa or high-end residential home. AXOR brand inspires, constructs and produces taps, showerheads and accessories for luxurious bathrooms and kitchens to perfection. While hansgrohe brand offers premium assortments in showers, faucets, washbasins, furniture and accessories. The company, its brands and products have collectively won more than 600 awards since 1974. Hansgrohe will continue to develop ground-breaking solutions that not only shape the flow of water but also enhance user’s daily interaction with it.
Visit siteHansgrohe
Event SponsorWith its brands hansgrohe and AXOR, the Hansgrohe Group, based in Germany, enjoys a reputation as a leader in innovation, design and quality within the bath and kitchen industry. The 120-year plus history of the company is marked by innovations, such as the first hand-held shower with multiple spray types, the first pull-out kitchen faucet, and the first wall bar to hold a hand-held shower. Hansgrohe stands for long-lasting quality products and for responsibility towards people and the environment. Hansgrohe is a reliable partner to its customers worldwide, where countless projects show how hansgrohe showers turn the hotel bathroom into an oasis of wellness or how AXOR bathroom collections created in collaboration with international designers, complete the furnishing of a luxurious hotel, villa or high-end residential home. AXOR brand inspires, constructs and produces taps, showerheads and accessories for luxurious bathrooms and kitchens to perfection. While hansgrohe brand offers premium assortments in showers, faucets, washbasins, furniture and accessories. The company, its brands and products have collectively won more than 600 awards since 1974. Hansgrohe will continue to develop ground-breaking solutions that not only shape the flow of water but also enhance user’s daily interaction with it.
Visit siteBellino Fine Linens
Event SponsorWelcome to Bellino!
We have provided exquisite linens for the bed, bath and table for over 30 years and are one of the most distinguished luxury brands in the industry
We offer an extensive product range to suit the needs of the most sophisticated buyer: from 200 to 600 TC percale and sateen, elegant jacquards, prints, cotton terry, matelasse’, cashmere blends
Our approach to hospitality is very dynamic and our mission is to supply the most exclusive luxury and boutique hotels, restaurants and cruise ships of North America with the finest quality products stocked in the US for quick deliveries at the most competitive prices
We recently launched our most sustainable product: COMO Cotton/Tencel bed linen blend
In addition to being very silky and soft, Tencel has an environmentally responsible, closed loop production process which transforms wood pulp into fibers with low ecological impact. 99% of the water and solvents used in the production are recycled, the fibers are USDA certified as compostable and biodegradable and can fully revert back to nature
Our technologically advanced and mills around the world allow us great flexibility and to offer a wide range of customizations and luxurious and durable fabrics especially manufactured for commercial use
We are proud to be sponsors of Ahead Awards, one of the top hospitality events in the world
Visit siteGessi
Event SponsorFor 30 years Gessi has been designing and creating concepts to enhance the use and benefits of water with the commitment to realise the aspirations of style, personalisation, physical and mental wellbeing of individuals in the most private of living spaces. Creating a new sector, the Private Wellness sector, Gessi has transformed places that were previously utilitarian into environments capable of exciting and regenerating those who live in them on a daily basis.
Created in a zero impact green park, the company's creations bring a message of beauty, love of nature, attention and safety for the user into the homes of those who choose them. The serenity and passion with which they are made, engraved in each object, give a positive vibration to whoever uses and enjoys them.
A global reference for lifestyle, innovation, design and sustainability, the Gessi collections furnish the world's most beautiful hotels, public spaces, yachts and private homes.
Visit siteBlue Badge Access Awards
Supporting PartnerThe Awards were first launched at the House of Lords in 2016 to recognise, celebrate and reward accessibility across hotels, restaurants and other public venues worldwide.
The judges focus on style, thoughtful design, innovation and liberty that delivers exceptional accessibility. The aim is to encourage hospitality industry bosses, architects and designers worldwide to consider ways in which they can address the current and future needs of disabled guests.
Visit siteMadera
Event SponsorMADERA is a design firm that utilizes the medium of wood for innovation and creative expression. We design and make the highest quality wood floors, millwork, and furniture with the intention to inspire and engage a modern audience. The MADERA aesthetic is rooted in contemporary design and seeks to highlight the beauty of natural materials. We aim for simple beauty in our products, and believe that clean, pure design can lead us to a greater understanding of the natural world and our relationship to it.
MADERA was born in Brooklyn, New York in 2012. In the years since, we have grown from local to global, executing projects all over the world, and opened our second showroom in Los Angeles in 2019. Along the way, we have collaborated on some truly inspiring projects and designs; from Restoration Hardware and Cartier to 1 Hotel and The Park Avenue Armory where we worked with Herzog & de Meuron to replace the entire space with historically accurate Reclaimed Heart Pine from the 1870s. We have always pushed the limits of wood in design. We balance moxie with hard work and have found that if you surround yourself with talent and passion, anything is possible. Quite simply, we love wood and channel this passion through thoughtful design, curiosity and craftsmanship.
Visit siteMaison & Objet Paris
Global SponsorMaison&Objet (SAFI, a joint subsidiary of Ateliers d'Art de France and RX France) has been leading and bringing together the international decoration, design, and lifestyle community since 1994.
Its trademark is its ability to elicit productive international meetings, to drive the visibility of the brands that join its exhibitions and its digital platform, but also its singular instinct for highlighting the trends that will set the heart of the interior design planet racing. Maison&Objet's mission is to reveal talent, to offer opportunities for discussion and inspiration both online and offline, and to facilitate the development of businesses.
With two annual exhibitions and Paris Design Week in September, Maison&Objet serves as an indispensable barometer for the entire sector. Online since 2016, MOM (Maison&Objet and More) allows buyers and brands to continue their exchanges, launch new collections, and make contacts beyond physical meetings. Weekly launches of new products provide an ongoing boost to the industry. In 2023, Maison&Objet rolled out new digital services, and MOM also became a marketplace.
On social networks, discoveries are made on a daily basis by a community of almost 2 million active professionals on Facebook, Instagram (+1M followers), Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Xing, WeChat, and now TikTok.
Spearheading the Paris Capitale de la Création label, Maison&Objet is a catalyst for positioning Paris as a major magnet for international creative talents.
Visit site