HD EXPO + CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES KEY SPEAKERS + HONOREES FOR 2023
Highlights include inaugural Women in Design Awards and an all-star lineup of design innovators, visionaries, and trailblazers

HD Expo + Conference 2022

| Las Vegas, NV - April 21, 2023 | HD Expo + Conference, the leading tradeshow and conference for the hospitality design sector, returns to Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas May 2-4 2023. Three days of inspiration and knowledge-sharing will include a keynote presentation by the founders of leading design firm DesignAgency, the inaugural Women in Design Awards honoring five accomplished women for their contributions to the industry, and panel discussions featuring 170 design industry innovators across 30-plus sessions.

Kevin Gaffney, Group Vice President and Show Director, Emerald, HD Expo + Conference’s parent company, shares, “We expect an unparalleled quality and dynamic energy at HD Expo 2023, and very much look forward to welcoming our sponsors, exhibitors, speakers and attendees.”

NOTABLE EVENTS
In addition to the 650 exhibitors on the show floor—many of them debuting new and innovative products—this year’s conference takes a global look at the trends, projects, and ideas that are affecting the industry. A few highlights include:

Women in Design Awards: Presented in partnership with Network of Executive Women in Hospitality (NEWH), the Women in Design Awards breakfast will honor a handful of creative leaders to celebrate their industry innovation, leadership, and achievement. The honorees include:

Verena Haller, Chief Design Officer, Standard International
Alda Ly, Founder + Principal, Alda Ly Architecture
Eileen Madigan, Senior Vice President Global Interior Design, Las Vegas Sands Corporation
Meghann Day, Partner, HBA
Nicole Wilson, Vice President, Procurement, InterContinental Hotels Group

The event will also feature a keynote talk by Ashley Kasevich, Lead Competitive Intelligence Analyst, Zappos, who co-leads Zappos' employee resource group entitled Women Empowered (WE).

HD University: In collaboration with the International Society of Hospitality Purchasers (ISHP), HD University, a new on-day conference preceding the show, will host five training modules with leading designers, brand leaders, hotel owners, manufacturers, and purchasers that delve into the ins and outs of specifying products for hospitality interiors.

HD | ISHP Owners Roundtable: In a fast-paced, face-to-face format, more than 40 hotel owners, developers, and brand executives offer industry insight to attendees through free-flowing, small-group conversations as they rotate tables every 10 minutes.

NOTABLE CONFERENCE SESSIONS + SPEAKERS
The conference sessions, many of which are CEU-accredited, will feature the voices of industry experts and rising stars in a compelling conference lineup with a focus on idea sharing with impact. Tackling topics from evolving consumer tastes and the metaverse to innovative and sustainable design solutions, HD Expo’s prestigious lineup of speakers includes leaders from hotel groups such as Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton, along with local Las Vegas casino resorts including Wynn Design & Development and MGM Resorts International, as well as workplace and home sharing disruptors, NeueHouse and Airbnb.

Notable Conference Sessions:

Brand Identity | Leaders’ Take on the Future
Business Sense | Advice from the Trenches
Business Sense | What Owners Want
Design Optimism | Innovative Strategies on Carbon, Climate, Planet
Guest Experience | Making it Real
HD Idea Exchange | The Future of Wellness
HD Workshop | Taking Complexity Out of Sustainability in Hospitality Furnishings
Hospitality on Edge | Global Volatility: U.S. Foreign Relations and the Hospitality Industry
Immersive Design | Experiential Ideas
Lifestyle Design | Changing the Face of Affordable Lodging
On the Menu | Exploring Trends in F+B
Preserving and Reimagining Las Vegas
The New Luxury | Staying Ahead of Evolving Consumer Tastes
The Upstarts | Fresh Thinking from Ones to Watch
Transcending Trend | What's New, What's Next

Notable Speakers:

Adriana Marianella, Chief Development Officer, Fotografiska | NeueHouse
Aliya Khan, Vice President, Global Design Strategies, Marriott International
Allison Reid, Chief Global Growth Officer, Aimbridge
Angela Bankhead, Director of Brands, Marcus Samuelsson Group
Ari Kastrati, Chief Hospitality Officer, MGM Resorts International
Christina Zimmer, Senior Vice President, Design, Highgate Hotels
Dina Lamanna, Principal and Senior Project Interior Designer, Hospitality Group, HOK
Janell Rock, Associate Principal, Director of Design, BNIM
John Duffield, SVP, Technology Experience, Omnicom/TBWA
Judy Chen, Vice President of Development, Dream Hotels
K.J. Hughes, Senior Advisor, Adjunct Professor, Entrepreneur, Manifest Barbershop
Larry Traxler, Senior Vice President - Global Design, Hilton
Mari Balestrazzi, Director, Environments Design, Airbnb
Tiffany Cooper, Head of Development, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants
Todd-Avery Lenahan, President and Chief Creative Officer, Wynn Design & Development
Sarah Bonsall, Regional Director, Architecture and Design, The Americas, Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Six Senses

“This year’s lineup of speakers and panel discussions—many curated from the pages of Hospitality Design magazine—are a showcase of the best that hospitality has to offer,” says Stacy Shoemaker Rauen, SVP, Design Group, Emerald.

HD EXPO + CONFERENCE REGISTRATION DETAILS
Registration for industry professionals currently starts at $125 for an Expo Only pass, with full conference options available here.

HD EXPO + CONFERENCE PRESS REGISTRATION DETAILS
Registration for media can be accessed here. For the full agenda and conference lineup, visit www.hdexpo.com.

Sponsors
Akdo, Akula, American Leather, Astek, Astro, Bear, Berman Falk, Brand Standard Furnishings, Bromic Heating, Buzz, County Draperies, Delta Furniture, Design & Direct Source, Draperies.com, Duravit, Dynamic Terrazzo Environments, Emu, Encore, Erica Shamrock Textiles, Fabricut Contract, Fairmont Designs, Farmboy Fine Arts, Floor & Decor Commercial, Frontgate, Gary Platt Hospitality, HF Collection, Innovations, Innovations in Lighting, Inpro, Kimball Hospitality, Lacquer Craft Hospitality, Ledge, Lily Jack, Maison Hospitality Furnishings, Mix by Trinity, Momentum Textiles & Wallcovering, Moore & Giles, MoveLine Hospitality, Nook, Royal Thai, Shaw Contract, Soho Art Consulting, Source Direct, Supplied, Tarkett, Ultrafabrics, Ultra Suede, Valley Forge Fabrics, Inc., and William-Sonoma, Inc. Business to Business.

About HD Expo + Conference
As the industry leader, the annual HD Expo + Conference in Las Vegas brings together the entire hospitality design community—interior designers, architects, hoteliers, owners, operators, developers, and purchasers—for strategic networking events, exclusive product premieres, inspiring education, and bespoke experiences. Over three days, it’s where these hospitality professionals come face-to-face with the most captivating products and resources to consider for global projects, as well as stay on top of industry news and trends through thought-provoking conference programming featuring more than 100 design visionaries, innovators, and thought leaders, curated by Hospitality Design magazine. HD Expo + Conference is owned by Emerald. For more information, please visit www.hdexpo.com.

About Emerald
Emerald is a leader in building dynamic, market-driven business-to-business platforms that integrate live events with a broad array of industry insights, digital tools, and data-focused solutions to create uniquely rich experiences. As true partners, we at Emerald strive to build our customers’ businesses by creating opportunities that inspire, amaze, and deliver breakthrough results. With over 140 events each year, our teams are creators and connectors who are thoroughly immersed in the industries we serve and committed to supporting the communities in which we operate. For more information, please visit www.emeraldx.com.