ABOVE: Jonas Ögren, Area Director Asia at STR Global, sets the scene with talk of pipeline, RevPAR, and performance


stating that the firm had lost two projects with little hope of them resurrecting. Kicking off day two was ‘The Sustainability Session’, a topic specifically requested by last year’s delegates. The F&B Design Director on the panel, Federico Masin at Hirsch Bedner Associates Hong Kong took to the stage to explain LEED Certification and how the firm achieved LEED status on a recent project. He commented that limited regulations in Asia meant it was “encouraging to see the designers take control.” Saeed Zaki, Managing Director at DWP, demonstrated his commitment to green issues and issued a stark reminder to owners and operators as to why this is such an important issue in hospitality: “Buildings are the world’s biggest pollutants accounting for 30-40% of energy use and hotels operate 24 hours a day.” Zaki shared DWP’s principle of ‘5Rs’ (Respect, Renew, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) and ‘3Ps’ (People, Project, Policy) that are practiced through all its projects. He also highlighted the role of owners and operators in creating a sustainable hotel but believed that it will be suppliers who make the biggest impact: “I’m waiting for the day when a supplier will only supply green materials.” A way forward was presented by Raefer Wallis, co-founder of


A00 Architecture and founder of the GIGA Foundation. True advocates of designing of green spaces, A00’s portfolio includes over sixty built projects in China including Double-Hill Eco-Retreat (China’s first positive impact retreat) and Naked Stables Eco-Retreat (targeting LEED Platinum). It was Wallis’ work on URBN Shanghai, claimed to be China’s first green hotel, and Asia’s first carbon neutral hotel, that prompted him to set up the GIGA Foundation (www.gigabase. org), an internationally acclaimed organisation that conducts research into positive impact architecture and green building materials. Wallis’ presentation clearly struck a chord with the audience resulting in organisers confirming that products ranked on the ‘GIGAbase’ will be recognised in next year’s event guide. The Operators Panel was once again a highly anticipated session with the region’s leading operators discussing what they want from the designers they appoint. Invited to the stage were Julian Liu, Project Director at Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, Nigel Harris, Senior Vice President, Projects and Product Development at Onyx Hospitality Group, and Brian Diederich, Vice President, Asian Division for Wynn Design and Development.


Each spoke of their development plans for the future: Liu announced expansion plans for Shangri La with a new lifestyle brand set to launch in 2011; Harris spoke of the luxury Saffron brand and three-star Ozo brand under the recently launched Onyx Hospitality; and Diederich, currently designing a new property on the Cotai Strip, revealed that Wynn is looking for opportunities in Asia and India. As talk turned to brand standards, which designers often say restrict their creativity, Diederich argued that Wynn’s standards are “more functional” detailing the position of light switches or height of the door for example. “That doesn’t mean we tell the designer how to design the guest experience,” he commented. “What I look for in an interior designer is innovation and fresh ideas.” Harris offered a more open approach stating that each of his three brands have just a one-page summary of standards leaving it open for the interior designer to interpret. As the event drew to a close with an evening of traditional dancing and drums, the future of the hotel industry in Asia looked positive. As for the future of HI Design, Sleeper has it on good authority that Atticus Events is looking to other parts of the world, namely South America, to expand the forum.


WWW.SLEEPERMAGAZINE.COM JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2011 135


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