Each finalist for AHEAD Global has already undergone a highly rigorous, thorough and professional process to win an AHEAD regional award. Once all regional awards have taken place, each regional AHEAD winner will submit a film demonstrating why it is worthy of the ultimate accolade: an AHEAD Global award. You will also have the opportunity to edit all material submitted for the original entry.
Public online voting will commence on Thursday 3 January, allowing anyone with a verified account to have their say. All votes will be anonymous. Further, the Global judging panel will also review all material and will convene on Monday 28 January to debate the merits of the finalists and cast their final votes.
The winners will be decided by aggregation of the public and judges votes.
Submission deadlines:
- Editing original material period: 5 October 2018 – 14 December 2018
- Film entry closing date: 14 December 2018
- Submit all films to Melanie Page (m.page@mondiale.co.uk)
Films will be published online for public voting from 3 January 2019. Voting closes at 5PM UTC on 23 January 2019.
Aliya 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.
Beat Fornaro is Area Director of Portfolio Development for Design Hotels™. He is responsible for the curation of the hand-picked portfolio of one-of-a-kind properties across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. With his multidisciplinary background of 15 years in hospitality and tourism. Beat held positions in the US, Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. He is passionate about forward-thinking hotel concepts that engage local culture with international hotel standards to create exceptional guest experiences. In his role, he looks for hoteliers who act as elicitors for the guest’s personal enrichment.
Before joining Design Hotels™, Beat worked many years in Sub-Saharan Africa, where he has been responsible for creating and implementing hospitality related projects in challenging environments. Among others, in partnership with his alma mater, École hôtelière de Lausanne, he has built a hotel school in Angola.
A seasoned interior architecture professional, Isabel has invaluable familiarity with the region’s culture and business landscape, as well as an in-depth knowledge of the design industry.
She leads the brand’s Dubai design studio, overseeing the design direction for each project, and generating opportunities for Wilson’s global design studios. Much of her inspiration is drawn from her love for travelling, watching people on the street, and visiting exhibitions by an eclectic roster of artists and designers. Her style is one of harmonious natural and contemporary elements.
Combining his background in brand strategy and interior architecture, Kenneth Allen Villamil is responsible for the comprehensive global design strategy for Hyatt Hotel's Luxury, Premium, and Lifestyle brands. Providing thought leadership and creative direction to advance each brand, ensuring they translate into memorable guest experiences around the world.
Prior to his role at Hyatt, Kenneth 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/Architecture ‘International Interior Design Association Award,’ "Gold Key Award" and in Branding/Communications ‘Silver International Broadcast Design Award.’ He has also been awarded Hospitality Design Magazine’s 2014 “Wave of the Future Award.”
Margaret McMahon leads and manages the firm’s interior design practice. Margaret’s 30 years in the design industry have produced an impressive portfolio of projects and an equally impressive list of loyal clients.
Under her vision and leadership, Wimberly Interiors has grown, launching new studios in New York, Miami, Dubai, Shanghai and Los Angeles, alongside the established studios in London, Singapore and Honolulu.
Prior to joining WATG, Margaret was the managing director of Wilson Associates’ New York office and former president of the Network of Executive Women in Hospitality (NEWH) New York chapter. Margaret is a frequent speaker at industry-related conferences and events. Her work can be seen frequently in international design publications such as 'Interior Design', 'Hospitality Design' and 'Boutique Design'.
Margaret was recently inducted into 'Hospitality Design’s' Platinum Circle for excellence in hospitality design, promoted to be the firm’s first female Senior Vice President, and elected to the Board of Directors of the employee-owned firm.
Margaret’s natural talent to pinpoint details, analyze conceptual designs, and integrate reality with emotion makes her a revolutionary and inspiring figure in the field of interior design.
Vince 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 hospitality in New York, and has worked in a variety of destinations such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Moscow, Hong Kong and London.
His projects include work for prominent hospitality brands like 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; the best projects are those that embrace a team approach to every challenge. His work extends beyond the art and science of architecture, and includes diverse interests such as urban planning, graphic identity, website design, and education, having served as studio instructor at the School of Architecture at Woodbury University.
Previously, Vince was the founding partner of A2 Studios, a multidisciplinary architecture firm in California. He then led architecture and interiors as Principal at BBG-BBGM, and was a Studio Leader at Jeffrey Beers International.
RH 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 siteThe 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 siteTOPHOTELPROJECTS 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, 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 – 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 siteFounded 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 (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 siteDesigning 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, 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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