Judging

Brian Lum leads the Design Services team at Hyatt Hotels’ Regional Office in Hong Kong, overseeing new projects and renovations for the group’s portfolio of hotels and resorts including Park Hyatt, Andaz, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt Regency and the Unbound Collection.

With over twenty years of experience in the hospitality industry, Lum is a believer in the value of differentiation by design, and has built Hyatt’s reputation in Food and Beverage. His recent accomplishments at Hyatt include Park Hyatt Bangkok and Andaz Singapore, as well as renovations at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong and Grand Hyatt Seoul.

Prior to joining Hyatt, he worked with The Peninsula Hotels and was involved in notable projects such as The Peninsula Paris, The Peninsula Shanghai and The Peninsula Hong Kong. Lum has also worked with Design firms Hirsch Bedner & Associates and LTW Designworks.

Normal . creates spaces and experiences that shake us out of the routine, raise consciousness of the moment and deliver belonging to a greater purpose. Normal . uses materials that are real and lasting, develops products and services that are modern, elegant and gives peace.

Jinou Park is the founder of Normal . , a hospitality and lifestyle expert in trends forecast, creative concepts and direction and brand development. Jinou brings 20+ years of experience in leading global brands from Disney, Hilton and InterContinenal Hotels. Immediately prior to launching Normal . , Jinou was Asia Pacific leader of Design Hotels AG, hand-selected curation of 300+ privately owned and operated hotels globally.

Jinou was born in Seoul, Korea and has Master's of Management in Hospitality from Cornell Hotel School, Ithaca, New York.

Andre Fu became known for his design of the world-renowned Upper House hotel in Hong Kong, and has since gone on to create forward-thinking interiors for other leading brands.

Born in Hong Kong and educated in England from the age of 14, André Fu holds a Bachelor of Arts at Cambridge University, and a Masters in Architecture from the University of Cambridge. Fu credits his idiosyncratic design style, a carefully considered yet analytical approach marked by a highly refined aesthetic, to his peripatetic cultural upbringing.

In 2015, he launched the André Fu Living lifestyle brand, with a series of products including a collection of original urban-inspired handmade carpets for Tai Ping; an artisanal room scent formulated by the cult perfumer Julian Bedel in collaboration with Fu; and modernist Tac/Tile lighting in collaboration with Czech lighting manufacturer Lasvit.

Fu was also named Designer of the Year for Maison & Objet Asia in 2016, and was honoured in Wallpaper’s list of Top 20 Interior Designers.

Dean Winter is a hotelier and restaurateur, with over 20 years of experience in London, Hong Kong and Singapore.  As Director of Operations at Swire Hotels, Dean oversees the strategic positioning and daily operation of all properties under the brand. He joined Swire Hotels in October 2006, to manage operations and pre-opening preparations for The Opposite House in Beijing, The Upper House and East in Hong Kong.

In 1999, Dean served as General Manager of leading restaurant group, Conran Restaurants, for 2 years. He previously held roles as Director of Food and Beverage at The Excelsior, Hong Kong and The Oriental, Singapore.

Prior to joining Swire Hotels, Dean held the position of Executive Assistant Manager at Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong for five years from 2001 where he was responsible for overseeing the renovation and re-opening of the hotel in 2006.

Dean is English, married with three daughters and, after residing several years in Hong Kong, now calls it home.

Bill Bensley, was born a stones throw from Disneyland in Orange California at a time when orange groves actually thrived mile after mile.  Of English parentage, Bensley, a tail end baby boomer, enjoyed his childhood tending the local farms and fruit orchards, as one did in those good days. Bill’s English sister, Ann, remains best friends and often vacation together.

Bill the youngest of three siblings, made the best of the then wonderful California school system. By way of scholarships made his way through Cal Poly Pomona’s Landscape Architectural program, and in doing so won the "ASLA top student in the USA Award”  and thus parlayed that into a full ride at Harvard University. He studied Urban Design (a bit of architecture and landscape architecture mixed) under the famed architect Moshe Safdie, but the most influential person he met was Lek Bunnag, the National Treasure and thought evoking architect of Thailand. Graciously Lek invited his classmate, Bill to come to work in Asia. “I had a great degree, and a burning desire for adventure, so I left the day after graduation!” says Bill. He never looked back.

Since 1984, Bensley has been designing resorts throughout Asia and the world. From 1984 to ‘89 Bensley was the lead designer and MD for an American company and was happily based in Singapore and Hong Kong. He then, at the young age of 30, hung up his own signboard in a parking lot in Bangkok and Bensley Design Studios was born. 1989 was a great year as he also met Jirachai, his long term guiding light.The Bali Branch of Bensley Design Studios opened shortly afterwards in 1990.

25 years have passed since then, and BDS has since designed some 180 resorts and hotels. BDS has slowly grown to 150 talented architects, interior designers, landscape architects and fine artists and has never once experience slow times. “For 25 years we have consistently been very busy doing just the projects that are both fun and challenging” said Bensley.  At last count BDS has worked in some 30+ countries spanning the globe. They have gleaned more than their share of awards; AD100, Spa Asia Magazines #1 spa designer, Conde Nast’s #1 hotel in the world for three years running… Four Seasons Tented Camp, Time Magazine; Most Creative Hotel Designer, Fast Magazine World Most Creative etc. Despite the notion that Bensley and team now considered firm leaders in the field of hospitality design, Bill still believes that nothing they have done is that good and that their best work is yet to appear!

Zdenek Kastenek is a cocktail competition veteran who has trained thousands of bartenders across four continents. He has twice represented the United Kingdom in cocktail world cups and has been a shortlisted finalist for the International Bartender of the Year four times. Prior to joining Proof & Company, he managed the bar program at Quo Vadis in London, and was a member of Coca-Cola’s international flavour development team.

In addition to leading the Proof & Company team, Kastenek also maintains a bartender residency at Singapore’s 28 Hong Kong Street. He works closely with clients around Asia including private islands, super yachts, a debut craft cocktail program in Burma, five star hotels and numerous respected local and international chefs in Singapore. These assignments span concept and menu development, bar design, spirits curation, staff training and education, and high profile event bartending.

Christine McGinnis is the Vice President of Property Development - Asia TSA & Design for Standard International. Ms. McGinnis is responsible for the design strategy and overall technical excellence of Standard International’s projects within the Asia Pacific region.

Prior to joining Standard International, she was an Associate Vice President at WATG. As Studio Director leading the Wimberly Interiors studio in Singapore, she lead projects including: Aloft Seminyak, Four Seasons Hanoi F&B Strategy and Interiors, Belmond Eastern & Oriental Presidential Suites & Spa, Marriott Kolkata, Crimson Resort & Spa Boracay, and Swissotel Xiangtan.

While Managing Director of AvroKO’s Bangkok office, Ms. McGinnis was responsible for the development, strategic and overall performance of AvroKO projects within the Asia Pacific region. She lead an integrated team, charged with the launch of the division and successful development of the business which included Interior Design, Custom Lighting & Manufacturing, as well as Branding & Strategy.

Prior to joining AvroKO, she was with Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. where she began as a member of the Westin design team, translating new brand positioning around

“Renewal” into memorable design expressions and global guidelines. Ms. McGinnis progressed to guide the design efforts in the launch of Starwood’s first eco-friendly brand Element Hotels. Successfully advancing to the Global Brand team for Select Serve brands, she shaped the creative direction for both Aloft and Element Hotels. Rounding out her tenure at Starwood, she returned to the Global Brand Design group providing direction for luxury brands St. Regis and The Luxury Collection.

She began her career in Hong Kong working with 0 1- a boutique architecture firm, and is thrilled to return to the region to expand Standard International’s design influence and global reach.

Ms. McGinnis received her BA (Interior Design) from Ryerson University, and became professionally accredited in 2003. She has served as a Committee Chair of the International Interior Design Association, New York Chapter, and is a frequent juror on international panels for design and global culinary arts.

Michael Goodman has a unique set of qualifications as a Restaurant Owner, an Interior Designer, a Brand Strategist and a former Executive Chef.

With nearly 25 years food and beverage experience in both operations and design, Michael approaches projects from a unique angle. As a partner at EDG he brings a strong culinary and operational focus to his work. Also the owner of three restaurants (Singapore’s Neon Pigeon, Fat Prince and Firangi Superstar), he is consistent in bringing a commitment to pushing the envelope creatively, and connecting with guests emotionally. Michael is a driving force in hospitality concepts throughout Asia and Australia, successfully integrating food and beverage concepts into public spaces and back of house.

Michael has lived in Asia and the Middle East for the better part of the past 20 years, with time spent in Bali, Dubai and Singapore. Having lived in Singapore for most of the last 11 years, he now calls the city home.

Julia Monk, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP, is a senior vice president and global director of hospitality interiors based in HOK’s Shanghai office.  Julia serves on HOK’s board of directors and the firm’s marketing board.

Prior to joining HOK in 2013, Julia was a managing partner of BBG-BBGM, an architectural and interior design practice she helped found in 1984.Julie earned her architectural degree from Ball State University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and was named the AIA Outstanding Senior and the Alpha Rho Chi Recipient. She has been an industry leader in the field of hospitality design since 1978 and recipient of industry’s highest honours, including 1992 Distinguished Contributor IDLNY, 1994 Crain’s 40-Under-40, 1999 BSU Distinguished Alumni Award, 2002 Platinum Circle Award and 2008 Top Woman in Real Estate.

Her projects and ideas are often published in leading hospitality and design journals, such as Interior Design, Hospitality Design, Boutique Design, Sleeper, Hotel and Motel Management, Forbes.com, Contract and Crain’s New York Business.In 1992, Beverly Russell published the book “Women in Design,”and Julie was featured as one of 32 notable female designers of contemporary interiors.

A licensed architect and interior designer, Julie is a member of the AIA, IIDA, ULI, NEWH. She co-founded the New York chapter of the AIA Architecture of Hospitality Committee and is a member of the ULI Asia Pacific Hospitality Committee. She teaches an annual course at Harvard University on the Design and Development of Hotels and is a renowned keynote speaker and panelist at premier hospitality events, such as the NYU Hotel Investment Conference, Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP), China Hotel Investment Conference (CHIC) and China Hotels and Tourism (CHAT). Julie has also participated in events for organisations such as the AIA National Convention and The Smithsonian and was selected as a juror for the distinguished AIA Interior Design Awards, Hospitality Design’s Gold Key Awards and Sleeper‘s inaugural Asia Hotel Design Awards.

Julie has focused on defining luxury guest experiences, starting with the historic renovation of the St. Regis New York that created the brand as we know it today. She has designed for prestigious hotel brands such as Conrad, Four Seasons, JW Marriott, Mandarin Oriental, Park Hyatt, Peninsula, Ritz Carlton, Shangri-La, W and Westin. Julie has also created or defined brands for Sheraton Suites, Renaissance, InterContinental, Radisson Blu and Tryp. Her designs circle the globe from New York, Puerto Rico, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Chengdu, Sanya, Shenzhen, Bangkok, Sydney to San Diego.

An avid adventurer, Julie loves travelling for work and fun. A recent vacation started with a climb to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro followed by a week in a luxury tented safari camp in Central Africa. A previous vacation was spent building homes in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina with Habitat for Humanity.

John previously held positions as Group Head of Technical Service for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Vice President, Technical Services for Grand Hyatt International Hong Kong Regional Office. He has worked on new and renovated hotel projects in over 25 countries involving more than 90 hotels.

Designer, traveller, and writer, Paul Matthew Wiste is one of Asia's foremost luxury hospitality design experts.

Paul currently leads a boutique Hospitality Design Consultancy providing bespoke solutions to discerning private owners and operators. He has previously worked for IHG as Head of Design and Engineering SEA+K and the Jumeirah Group as Vice President Development Design Asia Pacific. He was first professionally employed in the Asia Pacific region in 1996; and had his introduction to hotel design on Ian Schrager's Sanderson Hotel in London in 1998.

Paul has presented keynote speeches and. participated in panel discussions at various Hospitality and Architecture conferences within the Asia Pacific region. He is active in researching and publishing future trends and theory in design, drawing upon the professional experience he has accumulated across the globe. A true citizen of the world, his passion for design and the built environment is constantly being applied to the Asia Pacific portfolio of projects he leads.

Global leader in Hospitality Design with a proven track record inspiring and delivering successful and memorable hospitality projects around the world.

An architect from the Charles Rennie Mackintosh School of Architecture with many years of experience in the sector - both from a consultant, investor and operator perspective. She brings extensive experience collaborating with some of the world's leading hotel operating groups and design consultants delivering in Latin America, Europe, India, Middle East, Africa, Australia and Asia.

Passionate about design, Khirstie has been chairperson for the Asia Hotel Design Awards since 2014, their inaugural year in Singapore. She also enjoys contributing to various design forums around the globe as well as visiting lecturer to design and hospitality schools in Europe and Asia.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland - Khirstie is an enthusiastic global citizen who has enjoyed living and working on all of the habitable continents.

Patrick James Waring is co-owner and Partner at Silverfox Studios, and has worked in hospitality interior design since his first role with Richmond Design. Leaving London for Singapore in 1992, Waring joined Wilson Associates and assisted the growth of the office as Deputy Managing Director, before leaving in 2007 to set up Silverfox with Susan Heng.

Waring’s experience with F&B design includes partnerships with restaurateurs, operators, chefs, manufacturers, and developers, on projects including Park Hyatt Dubai, W Dubai, and Mandarin Oriental Singapore.

With an extensive knowledge of the inter-disciplinary design and building systems, Waring’s approach combines interior, exterior and landscape design with master planning and architecture.

Brian Lum leads the Design Services team at Hyatt Hotels’ Regional Office in Hong Kong, overseeing new projects and renovations for the group’s portfolio of hotels and resorts including Park Hyatt, Andaz, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt Regency and the Unbound Collection.

With over twenty years of experience in the hospitality industry, Lum is a believer in the value of differentiation by design, and has built Hyatt’s reputation in Food and Beverage. His recent accomplishments at Hyatt include Park Hyatt Bangkok and Andaz Singapore, as well as renovations at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong and Grand Hyatt Seoul.

Prior to joining Hyatt, he worked with The Peninsula Hotels and was involved in notable projects such as The Peninsula Paris, The Peninsula Shanghai and The Peninsula Hong Kong. Lum has also worked with Design firms Hirsch Bedner & Associates and LTW Designworks.

Normal . creates spaces and experiences that shake us out of the routine, raise consciousness of the moment and deliver belonging to a greater purpose. Normal . uses materials that are real and lasting, develops products and services that are modern, elegant and gives peace.

Jinou Park is the founder of Normal . , a hospitality and lifestyle expert in trends forecast, creative concepts and direction and brand development. Jinou brings 20+ years of experience in leading global brands from Disney, Hilton and InterContinenal Hotels. Immediately prior to launching Normal . , Jinou was Asia Pacific leader of Design Hotels AG, hand-selected curation of 300+ privately owned and operated hotels globally.

Jinou was born in Seoul, Korea and has Master's of Management in Hospitality from Cornell Hotel School, Ithaca, New York.

Andre Fu became known for his design of the world-renowned Upper House hotel in Hong Kong, and has since gone on to create forward-thinking interiors for other leading brands.

Born in Hong Kong and educated in England from the age of 14, André Fu holds a Bachelor of Arts at Cambridge University, and a Masters in Architecture from the University of Cambridge. Fu credits his idiosyncratic design style, a carefully considered yet analytical approach marked by a highly refined aesthetic, to his peripatetic cultural upbringing.

In 2015, he launched the André Fu Living lifestyle brand, with a series of products including a collection of original urban-inspired handmade carpets for Tai Ping; an artisanal room scent formulated by the cult perfumer Julian Bedel in collaboration with Fu; and modernist Tac/Tile lighting in collaboration with Czech lighting manufacturer Lasvit.

Fu was also named Designer of the Year for Maison & Objet Asia in 2016, and was honoured in Wallpaper’s list of Top 20 Interior Designers.

Dean Winter is a hotelier and restaurateur, with over 20 years of experience in London, Hong Kong and Singapore.  As Director of Operations at Swire Hotels, Dean oversees the strategic positioning and daily operation of all properties under the brand. He joined Swire Hotels in October 2006, to manage operations and pre-opening preparations for The Opposite House in Beijing, The Upper House and East in Hong Kong.

In 1999, Dean served as General Manager of leading restaurant group, Conran Restaurants, for 2 years. He previously held roles as Director of Food and Beverage at The Excelsior, Hong Kong and The Oriental, Singapore.

Prior to joining Swire Hotels, Dean held the position of Executive Assistant Manager at Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong for five years from 2001 where he was responsible for overseeing the renovation and re-opening of the hotel in 2006.

Dean is English, married with three daughters and, after residing several years in Hong Kong, now calls it home.

Bill Bensley, was born a stones throw from Disneyland in Orange California at a time when orange groves actually thrived mile after mile.  Of English parentage, Bensley, a tail end baby boomer, enjoyed his childhood tending the local farms and fruit orchards, as one did in those good days. Bill’s English sister, Ann, remains best friends and often vacation together.

Bill the youngest of three siblings, made the best of the then wonderful California school system. By way of scholarships made his way through Cal Poly Pomona’s Landscape Architectural program, and in doing so won the "ASLA top student in the USA Award”  and thus parlayed that into a full ride at Harvard University. He studied Urban Design (a bit of architecture and landscape architecture mixed) under the famed architect Moshe Safdie, but the most influential person he met was Lek Bunnag, the National Treasure and thought evoking architect of Thailand. Graciously Lek invited his classmate, Bill to come to work in Asia. “I had a great degree, and a burning desire for adventure, so I left the day after graduation!” says Bill. He never looked back.

Since 1984, Bensley has been designing resorts throughout Asia and the world. From 1984 to ‘89 Bensley was the lead designer and MD for an American company and was happily based in Singapore and Hong Kong. He then, at the young age of 30, hung up his own signboard in a parking lot in Bangkok and Bensley Design Studios was born. 1989 was a great year as he also met Jirachai, his long term guiding light.The Bali Branch of Bensley Design Studios opened shortly afterwards in 1990.

25 years have passed since then, and BDS has since designed some 180 resorts and hotels. BDS has slowly grown to 150 talented architects, interior designers, landscape architects and fine artists and has never once experience slow times. “For 25 years we have consistently been very busy doing just the projects that are both fun and challenging” said Bensley.  At last count BDS has worked in some 30+ countries spanning the globe. They have gleaned more than their share of awards; AD100, Spa Asia Magazines #1 spa designer, Conde Nast’s #1 hotel in the world for three years running… Four Seasons Tented Camp, Time Magazine; Most Creative Hotel Designer, Fast Magazine World Most Creative etc. Despite the notion that Bensley and team now considered firm leaders in the field of hospitality design, Bill still believes that nothing they have done is that good and that their best work is yet to appear!

Zdenek Kastenek is a cocktail competition veteran who has trained thousands of bartenders across four continents. He has twice represented the United Kingdom in cocktail world cups and has been a shortlisted finalist for the International Bartender of the Year four times. Prior to joining Proof & Company, he managed the bar program at Quo Vadis in London, and was a member of Coca-Cola’s international flavour development team.

In addition to leading the Proof & Company team, Kastenek also maintains a bartender residency at Singapore’s 28 Hong Kong Street. He works closely with clients around Asia including private islands, super yachts, a debut craft cocktail program in Burma, five star hotels and numerous respected local and international chefs in Singapore. These assignments span concept and menu development, bar design, spirits curation, staff training and education, and high profile event bartending.

Christine McGinnis is the Vice President of Property Development - Asia TSA & Design for Standard International. Ms. McGinnis is responsible for the design strategy and overall technical excellence of Standard International’s projects within the Asia Pacific region.

Prior to joining Standard International, she was an Associate Vice President at WATG. As Studio Director leading the Wimberly Interiors studio in Singapore, she lead projects including: Aloft Seminyak, Four Seasons Hanoi F&B Strategy and Interiors, Belmond Eastern & Oriental Presidential Suites & Spa, Marriott Kolkata, Crimson Resort & Spa Boracay, and Swissotel Xiangtan.

While Managing Director of AvroKO’s Bangkok office, Ms. McGinnis was responsible for the development, strategic and overall performance of AvroKO projects within the Asia Pacific region. She lead an integrated team, charged with the launch of the division and successful development of the business which included Interior Design, Custom Lighting & Manufacturing, as well as Branding & Strategy.

Prior to joining AvroKO, she was with Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. where she began as a member of the Westin design team, translating new brand positioning around

“Renewal” into memorable design expressions and global guidelines. Ms. McGinnis progressed to guide the design efforts in the launch of Starwood’s first eco-friendly brand Element Hotels. Successfully advancing to the Global Brand team for Select Serve brands, she shaped the creative direction for both Aloft and Element Hotels. Rounding out her tenure at Starwood, she returned to the Global Brand Design group providing direction for luxury brands St. Regis and The Luxury Collection.

She began her career in Hong Kong working with 0 1- a boutique architecture firm, and is thrilled to return to the region to expand Standard International’s design influence and global reach.

Ms. McGinnis received her BA (Interior Design) from Ryerson University, and became professionally accredited in 2003. She has served as a Committee Chair of the International Interior Design Association, New York Chapter, and is a frequent juror on international panels for design and global culinary arts.

Michael Goodman has a unique set of qualifications as a Restaurant Owner, an Interior Designer, a Brand Strategist and a former Executive Chef.

With nearly 25 years food and beverage experience in both operations and design, Michael approaches projects from a unique angle. As a partner at EDG he brings a strong culinary and operational focus to his work. Also the owner of three restaurants (Singapore’s Neon Pigeon, Fat Prince and Firangi Superstar), he is consistent in bringing a commitment to pushing the envelope creatively, and connecting with guests emotionally. Michael is a driving force in hospitality concepts throughout Asia and Australia, successfully integrating food and beverage concepts into public spaces and back of house.

Michael has lived in Asia and the Middle East for the better part of the past 20 years, with time spent in Bali, Dubai and Singapore. Having lived in Singapore for most of the last 11 years, he now calls the city home.

Julia Monk, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP, is a senior vice president and global director of hospitality interiors based in HOK’s Shanghai office.  Julia serves on HOK’s board of directors and the firm’s marketing board.

Prior to joining HOK in 2013, Julia was a managing partner of BBG-BBGM, an architectural and interior design practice she helped found in 1984.Julie earned her architectural degree from Ball State University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and was named the AIA Outstanding Senior and the Alpha Rho Chi Recipient. She has been an industry leader in the field of hospitality design since 1978 and recipient of industry’s highest honours, including 1992 Distinguished Contributor IDLNY, 1994 Crain’s 40-Under-40, 1999 BSU Distinguished Alumni Award, 2002 Platinum Circle Award and 2008 Top Woman in Real Estate.

Her projects and ideas are often published in leading hospitality and design journals, such as Interior Design, Hospitality Design, Boutique Design, Sleeper, Hotel and Motel Management, Forbes.com, Contract and Crain’s New York Business.In 1992, Beverly Russell published the book “Women in Design,”and Julie was featured as one of 32 notable female designers of contemporary interiors.

A licensed architect and interior designer, Julie is a member of the AIA, IIDA, ULI, NEWH. She co-founded the New York chapter of the AIA Architecture of Hospitality Committee and is a member of the ULI Asia Pacific Hospitality Committee. She teaches an annual course at Harvard University on the Design and Development of Hotels and is a renowned keynote speaker and panelist at premier hospitality events, such as the NYU Hotel Investment Conference, Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP), China Hotel Investment Conference (CHIC) and China Hotels and Tourism (CHAT). Julie has also participated in events for organisations such as the AIA National Convention and The Smithsonian and was selected as a juror for the distinguished AIA Interior Design Awards, Hospitality Design’s Gold Key Awards and Sleeper‘s inaugural Asia Hotel Design Awards.

Julie has focused on defining luxury guest experiences, starting with the historic renovation of the St. Regis New York that created the brand as we know it today. She has designed for prestigious hotel brands such as Conrad, Four Seasons, JW Marriott, Mandarin Oriental, Park Hyatt, Peninsula, Ritz Carlton, Shangri-La, W and Westin. Julie has also created or defined brands for Sheraton Suites, Renaissance, InterContinental, Radisson Blu and Tryp. Her designs circle the globe from New York, Puerto Rico, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Chengdu, Sanya, Shenzhen, Bangkok, Sydney to San Diego.

An avid adventurer, Julie loves travelling for work and fun. A recent vacation started with a climb to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro followed by a week in a luxury tented safari camp in Central Africa. A previous vacation was spent building homes in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina with Habitat for Humanity.

John previously held positions as Group Head of Technical Service for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Vice President, Technical Services for Grand Hyatt International Hong Kong Regional Office. He has worked on new and renovated hotel projects in over 25 countries involving more than 90 hotels.

Designer, traveller, and writer, Paul Matthew Wiste is one of Asia's foremost luxury hospitality design experts.

Paul currently leads a boutique Hospitality Design Consultancy providing bespoke solutions to discerning private owners and operators. He has previously worked for IHG as Head of Design and Engineering SEA+K and the Jumeirah Group as Vice President Development Design Asia Pacific. He was first professionally employed in the Asia Pacific region in 1996; and had his introduction to hotel design on Ian Schrager's Sanderson Hotel in London in 1998.

Paul has presented keynote speeches and. participated in panel discussions at various Hospitality and Architecture conferences within the Asia Pacific region. He is active in researching and publishing future trends and theory in design, drawing upon the professional experience he has accumulated across the globe. A true citizen of the world, his passion for design and the built environment is constantly being applied to the Asia Pacific portfolio of projects he leads.

Global leader in Hospitality Design with a proven track record inspiring and delivering successful and memorable hospitality projects around the world.

An architect from the Charles Rennie Mackintosh School of Architecture with many years of experience in the sector - both from a consultant, investor and operator perspective. She brings extensive experience collaborating with some of the world's leading hotel operating groups and design consultants delivering in Latin America, Europe, India, Middle East, Africa, Australia and Asia.

Passionate about design, Khirstie has been chairperson for the Asia Hotel Design Awards since 2014, their inaugural year in Singapore. She also enjoys contributing to various design forums around the globe as well as visiting lecturer to design and hospitality schools in Europe and Asia.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland - Khirstie is an enthusiastic global citizen who has enjoyed living and working on all of the habitable continents.

Patrick James Waring is co-owner and Partner at Silverfox Studios, and has worked in hospitality interior design since his first role with Richmond Design. Leaving London for Singapore in 1992, Waring joined Wilson Associates and assisted the growth of the office as Deputy Managing Director, before leaving in 2007 to set up Silverfox with Susan Heng.

Waring’s experience with F&B design includes partnerships with restaurateurs, operators, chefs, manufacturers, and developers, on projects including Park Hyatt Dubai, W Dubai, and Mandarin Oriental Singapore.

With an extensive knowledge of the inter-disciplinary design and building systems, Waring’s approach combines interior, exterior and landscape design with master planning and architecture.