LAS VEGAS — HD Expo brought industry professionals together for a three-day event, which featured new products, engaging show content and innovative booth exhibitions. With five-per-cent growth in attendees from 2017 — and 80 per cent of the show floor already sold for 2019 — HD Expo continues to be the premier platform for designers and brands serving the hospitality industry.
“With more than 875 exhibitors covering 275,000 sq. ft. of show-floor space, HD Expo 2018 has surpassed the expectations of our partners and attendees,” says Liz Sommerville, group show director for HD Expo.
The IIDA/HD Product Design Awards was a show highlight. The Best of Competition winner was Kallista for its faucet and cube-shaped handles — a 3D printed fabrication.
New to HD Expo 2018 was the HD/Hilton Box Design Challenge, which carried over from a January event that tasked 12 design firms with dreaming up the next iteration of the luxury guestroom — in collaboration with partnering sponsors — in just 24 hours. After one morning of live presentations, a panel of judges selected the winning concept from Toronto-based Chapi Chapo Design. This concept, which made its debut on the show floor, was a nod to Hilton’s 100th-anniversary celebration.
NEWH, the Hospitality Industry Network, programmed “Green Voice Conversations” in the HD Expo Social Hub, designed by Meyer Davis Studio, with discussions concentrated on how hospitality professionals can reduce harmful impact on the environment and can produce award-winning health and wellness programs.
The more than 30 conference sessions featured industry veterans and rising stars talking new brands, trends in dining and what luxury is today. A highlight was the signature HD/ISHP Owners’ Roundtable featuring more than 35 hoteliers and brand executives.
