Telling Stories: Creating Narratives in Hotel Design with THDP

A hugely experienced interior designer within the high-end hospitality sector, Tony leads a team within SHH’s hospitality arm. He is a creative interior design professional with 20 years’ experience in leading prestigious high-end hospitality, restaurant and residential schemes globally. A client-facing creative and technical designer with an extensive knowledge of the Interior Design process.

Carolina has more than a decade of experience on the design and implementation of high-end interior design and architecture projects in London and around the globe. Trained as an architect, she established her own architectural business in her native country Brazil before moving to London 15 years ago. Her passion for design excellence and extensive knowledge in the luxury global market, makes it possible for her to transform any client’s aspirations into a truly bespoke luxurious space. Her architectural background gives her a combination of creative design skills with a wide range of technical knowledge. She is the Creative Director at the award-winning luxury design studio Casa Forma’s and is responsible for delivering leading-edge residential schemes for international high net worth individuals and property developers.

David Chang, founder of David Chang Design Associates International (DCDA) and registered Professional member of NCIDQ, ASID, SBID and IIDA, has over 25 years of experience in hospitality and high end residential interior design and management experiences in North America and Asia. In 1998, David founded DCDA in Vancouver, Canada, and expanded to China market in 2006, established firms in Guangzhou, Beijing and Taipei, to provide exclusive upscale design services on landmark projects for local top developers. David's innovative works have won numerous design awards in the UK, Italy, Canada and China.

Dr Ning is the President of Wanda Hotels & Resorts. During his tenure at Wanda, he has led the design, construction and operation management of over 100 upscale and luxury hotels. Under his leadership, these hotels have won many prestigious international design awards, including the SBID Awards, Gold Key Awards, IIDA-Best of Asia Pacific Design Awards, Hospitality Design Awards and many more.

Dr Garaj is Head of Brunel Design, where he also teaches on the Professional Design Studio module, a part of the MSc Integrated Product Design programme. He has co-ordinated a number of live project briefs across design fields, with organisations including Cancer Research UK, NHS, Pan Macmillan, Help for Heroes, Friends of the Elderly, Corney & Barrow, Shell, Ibis and BT. Dr Garaj’s research is aimed at design, development and evaluation of innovative systems, products and services, with the focus on digital and digital-physical domains and the application of the latest technologies.

Gary is an architect with a passion for sustainable architecture and has over 30 years continually sought to bridge academic research, teaching and practice to create a sustainable future. In his role as Principal Lead for Science and Technology at HOK, his aim is to deliver a sustainable future not only in the science and technology but across all sectors of the construction industry. Gary has collaborated and led sustainability with a number of leading practices including Wilkinson Eyre, Bennett’s Associates and Hopkins Architects. These collaborations have delivered award winning sustainable buildings across a range of sectors from Higher Education, Academic Research, Residential mixed use, Office and Cultural Buildings.

Henry is Director of Design at InterContinental Hotels Group. He is responsible for creating the interior design and guest experience for IHG’s Kimpton and Hotel Indigo brands across Europe. Since joining IHG in January 2015, Henry has worked across some of IHG’s most celebrated and award-winning design projects and has led the teams responsible for the design of all new Hotel Indigo properties over the last 5 years, as well as working on more than 20 refurbishment projects across IHG’s existing hotels.

Herbert has extensive experience of working on complex mixed-use developments on challenging sites. Along with a strong awareness of stakeholder aspirations, he has a proven ability to convert constraints into opportunities. Herbert is a graduate of Westminster University and the Architectural Association in London, and the National University of Singapore. He joined DMA in 1999 as a Project Architect and was appointed a Partner in 2008.

Kar first worked with Zaha Hadid Architects in 1985 following his studies with Zaha Hadid at the Architectural Association. After completing his studies in the UK and USA, Kar worked on projects around the world for Kohn Pederson Fox and Louis Vuitton Malletier, with a focus on interior architecture, commercial developments and retail design before re-joining ZHA as Head of Interior Architecture in 2014. His residential interiors, in particular, have won numerous awards and have been widely published.

Katharine is one of the most sought-after interior designers working internationally today. Recently named ‘British Interior Designer of the Decade’, ‘International Designer in Asia of the Year’, and ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’, her design ethos is both highly respected and uniquely far reaching. Her eponymous Knightsbridge Design Studio was established over 15 years ago and continues to create unmatched luxury interior designs for landmark commercial and residential projects in London and Worldwide for the most discerning clients. Overseeing her team of 47 interior designers and architects, Katharine immerses herself in every detail of her client’s complex project.

With over 17 years’ experience in the luxury interiors industry Letitia heads-up Harrods Interior Design, a multi-disciplinary bespoke design service by Harrods. In her previous role within the Harrods Home buying team, Letitia worked on redeveloping the home and furniture offering to provide carefully curated products that hero provenance, craftsmanship and heritage in helping to shape Harrods Home into the exciting design hub it is today. Letitia and her team of design experts travel the world in search of beautiful designs, the latest trends and the highest quality fabrics and products. Letitia’s design ethos centres around two key factors: relevance to the client and their lifestyle, and harmony of the design with its surrounding environment.

As Studio Director of Wimberly Interiors London, Rachel brings more than twenty years of hospitality expertise and leadership to the team. Known for her pragmatic design approach, she has been at the helm of some of the world’s most celebrated projects. Rachel’s acute eye for detail has been cultivated from extensive experience in the design industry. Having worked previously as a contract manager and with more than a decade’s experience in design management, she possesses the vision and foresight to create successful, innovative and authentic projects of enduring value for clients, supported by a unique and in-depth understanding of technical nuances and processes.

Sharon is Founding Partner of Oliver Burns, a multi-award-winning architectural interior design studio that thoughtfully designs the world’s finest homes. Working across an exclusive portfolio of international turnkey projects, the team has a world-class reputation for bespoke commissions, super-prime developments and elegant spaces that are synonymous with a luxury lifestyle. The concept of ‘Thoughtful Luxury’ underpins their approach. It is reflected in their designs, from the concepts they develop, through to the thoughtfully layered details they create with artisans and craftsmen. This approach ensures that all of their projects are thoughtfully designed, thoughtfully built and thoughtfully finished.

Stella is the Co-Founder of AGC, London’s fastest-growing portfolio of international award-winning Interior Design companies. Creating the benchmark in luxury living, the Accouter Group of Companies which is home to Accouter Design, A. LONDON and BoxNine7, delivers world-class interior architectural and furnishing services to the global property market and private clients. With 15 years of experience mentoring and directing diverse teams within the field, Stella has spent 7 years building AGC which has been voted one of the best places to work in property on multiple occasions. Taking a lead creative role for the Group, Stella is responsible for all aspects of brand and design.

Terry joined Richmond International in 2002 with a background in leisure and retail consultancy. He has travelled the world and was based in the Far East and Middle East during the early years of his career. Now a Director of Richmond International, Terry is responsible for the company management, liaising with clients and has a very hands-on role throughout the design process. Terry has steered a range of Richmond International’s most notable projects with multinational brands and independent owners that have been honoured with awards and accolades across the hospitality design space, including Richmond International’s successful cruise ship design projects.

Tim is the founder and leader of Blacksheep, with 25+ years hospitality design experience, launching the studio in 2002. With a background in hospitality and interior design lead him to establish a design agency specialising in hospitality, food and beverage with the aim of bringing a new perspective to the industry. The agency was founded on the belief that a designers responsibility went beyond just interior design; that tailored experiences positively change hospitality businesses, brands and people from within.

Trevor became the Managing Director of Areen Design in 1989. The group now employs over 350 people across 6 offices, worldwide. As a director of each Areen Group company, Trevor drives the strategic growth of the Group by fostering the skills and specialisms of each company. At Areen Design, he leads over 120 interior designers, architects and procurement specialists in delivering fast-paced, large scale projects in some of the world’s most challenging regions. From luxury private residential complexes, to international airports and city hotels, Areen Design ensure that every project is carefully considered from initial concept through to turn-key delivery.

1. Showcase your design talent and gain global recognition!

Success in the SBID Awards programme represents a significant achievement within the field of interior design, recognised as sign of design excellence among peers, clients and the press. The programme provides a global platform for showcasing your design talents to international audiences across the design profession. Featuring your company, projects or products on the SBID Awards website and social media as a Finalist (or better yet, a Winner!) offers valuable exposure to increase your brand awareness, promote your work and amplify your online presence!

2. Be assessed by the creative industry's esteemed experts!

The SBID Awards introduces an exciting new panel of expert judges to join its’ impressive and international jury, so each year presents a unique opportunity to showcase your work and innovative designs directly to top-tier industry professionals on the judging panel! Discover more about the diverse panel of judges who are set to evaluate the Interior Design & Fit Out categories here, and explore the esteemed judges for Product Design categories, here.

The three-tier judging process ensures that only the best proceed to the next level - with each entry considered fairly and independently for technical content and creative merit, regardless of the budget! The public vote also sees 225,000 unique voters – so it's a great way to publicise your best work!

3. Winning is only for the very best!

Winning only has value if you have truly earned it! The SBID Awards has been praised for its ethics and transparency, achieving a GOLD Standard Awards Trust Mark by the Independent Awards Standards Council. All entry information is listed on the website so it’s clear from the start what is involved - and there are no hidden fees in order to progress so entrants can't simply buy their way to the top! This means you can enter with the confidence that only the most talented designs, impressive projects and innovative products will go all the way (not the entrants with the deepest pockets!).

4. Design talent recognised at every level!

The SBID Awards is open to any design professional from interior designers, architects, property developers and decorators, to contractors, fit-out specialists, manufacturers, suppliers and product designers. Companies of any size are eligible to enter. Whether an interior design veteran or a recent graduate, all entrants have a fair and equal chance of winning!  As a global competition there are no geographical limitations, entrants and projects can be based anywhere in the world, welcoming entries from all backgrounds and budgets by keeping entry costs low!

5. Connect with peers, press and potential clients around the world!

In the 12 years since the SBID Awards first launched, it has received 3000+ incredible entries by 1000+ companies from 85+ countries across the globe - and still growing! Entering the Awards provides the opportunity to become part of the international design community and connect with new audiences on a global scale at our annual Awards ceremony and supporting networking events.

Alicja started her career in the built environment back in 2003 working for construction companies in Europe, USA and Caribbean assisting on delivery of commercial and residential build projects. She joined the DfE’s Property Services team in 2015 to manage property aspects of the Free Schools, delivering over 800 new schools across the country to date, providing diversity and improved quality of education for primary and secondary aged children.

Andrew is a partner at hospitality asset management firm, Prospect Hotel Advisors LLC. Prospect Advisors is responsible for The Blackstone Groups hotel portfolio globally, overseeing the exclusive consultant partners that support the portfolios as well as providing third party asset management services for other Real Estate firms. As part of this role, Andrew oversees Axios Hospitality Real Estate, the London-based provider of Asset Management Services to The Blackstone Group in Europe and the UK, where they own 60 hotels. Prior to this, Andrew was Senior Vice President of Asset Management for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide.

Ben is the Design Director for BuzzFeed News, where he leads the art desk and works across the newsroom to visualize, design, and present our journalism to a broad audience. In his time at BuzzFeed News, Ben worked on the launch of BuzzFeedNews.com, designed and art directed articles that have been won awards from the Society of Publication Designers, American Illustration, and the Society of Illustrators, as well as being selected as finalists for the Pulitzer prize.

As Executive Editorial Director of WGSN Bethan oversees the content produced by WGSN. Collaborating with a global team of senior strategists, analysts, and consultants, Bethan is the lynchpin working across content, marketing and product, ensuring that WGSN continues to lead the way as a world-class trend forecasting service. Bethan has over 20 years’ experience as a design, luxury and lifestyle journalist, contributing to numerous publications including Architonic, Hole & Corner and The Observer Design magazine, holding senior positions at Telegraph Luxury, Wallpaper* and ELLE Decoration. A design-lover, Bethan has also written several books on hospitality interiors and sporadically hosts a podcast interviewing female architects and designers.

Carlo Castelli is an architect and masterplanner. He studied architecture in Genoa, Italy where he completed a masters Degree in architecture and in 2011 he completed a Master in ‘City Design and Social Science’ at the London School of Economics and Social Science. Through 20 years’ experience on diverse urban contexts and complex buildings, Carlo has acquired a great understanding of how the various systems and processes shape the urban environment. He is accustomed to integrated, inter-disciplinary design development at various scales, managing interfaces, coordination and brief interpretation towards the creation of successful urban environments. As Head of Cities Solutions for UK and Europe, Carlo leads the team of urban thinkers, masterplanners and urban designers that deliver exemplary projects in the UK and internationally.

Carol is a senior interior designer, who has been involved in the design of healthcare environments for nearly 40 years when healthcare facilities were bland, uninspiring places to receive treatment, not places of wellness and engagement as they have become today. Project experience includes hospitals in small communities and large metropolitan areas, outpatient offices for single providers as well as multi-discipline ambulatory care centres with places for engagement and education as well as long term care communities where our seniors live in a variety of settings.

Christopher See is a Creative Director at Amazon. Wielding over 10 years of brand identity design experience, he is currently a global design lead for the Prime brand, running onsite experiences, campaigns and retail projects. He has created unique brand visions in 3 different continents, encompassing all touchpoints from print to digital, sonic logos to airline cabin interiors, car launches to the biggest billboards in the world. Prior to Amazon, Chris was the Design director at Hyundai, in charge of crafting and launching the Hyundai rebrand, and a senior designer at branding firm, Landor.

Damien is the Director of Major Programmes at the British Council. Amongst other projects, Damien has delivered the relocation of the British Council’s HQ to the Olympic Park in Stratford. He is currently in the process of delivering the relocation of the British Council Art Collection to the former IKEA building in the centre of Coventry. Prior to this, Damien worked at Tameside Council and during his career, has also undertaken roles with the Northwest Regional Development Agency and with the Cabinet Office where he worked in the PM’s Strategy Unit as well as the Home Office for Jim Reid and Charles Clarke.

Helen Brocklebank is CEO of Walpole, the trade body for the British luxury industry. Helen is a specialist in luxury media brands, building her career at Esquire and Harper’s Bazaar. During her ten year tenure, Helen founded the highly successful, multi-platform brand extension ‘Bazaar At Work’ for Omega and created enduring content partnerships with iconic brands including Bentley’s sponsorship of Bazaar Art and Esquire’s Man at the Top Awards for Glenmorangie. Most recently Helen established a content consultancy for luxury brands working predominantly with retail and media clients, including Liberty and Boat International. She brings to Walpole a deep understanding of, and passion for, the business of luxury, an unerring ability to conceive creative and impactful initiatives and an entrepreneurial spirit that drives their successful delivery.

An Engineer and a futurist, Jalaj Hora is also the Senior Vice President of Innovation, Engineering and Quality at Burberry. Leading a team of professionals to work on luxury products; Jalaj’s most significant achievement has been to enable the convergence of design and engineering for the brand. Jalaj drew on his background in consulting, manufacturing and retail to create an innovation team at Burberry to support the ambitions and to deliver newness for a fast growing and iconic luxury brand. He leads the technical design and product engineering department across all product categories. He also overseas the end to end quality organisation from materials and product to after sales. A champion of responsible manufacturing, he has directed the elimination of hazardous chemicals from Burberry’s supply chain and driving some industry leading work in reducing the water and energy footprint in manufacturing. Prior to joining Burberry, Jalaj was the Senior Group Director of Product Development and Design at Target Corp.

Jenny Kwon is the Manager of Global Store Design at Tiffany & Co., specialising in retail interior design standards and new initiatives, dedicated to the art of storytelling through space. Previously, she was a lead creative and branding expert for experience-driven clients in luxury hospitality and retail, such as The Peninsula Hotel, Hilton, Sephora, Blue Mercury, Museum of Ice Cream, Macys, as well as for high-end residential developments in New York and Hong Kong. She has also completed urban planning projects while living abroad in Montreal, Istanbul, and Rome. Kwon is an architect by training, and received her Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University. She also finished further education at Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi and New York University for subjects in marketing and branding.

Jeremy is responsible for transforming the Design capability and output of Diageo’s current brands and new products worldwide. Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business. He is passionate about the impact Design has on business performance and the way Design Thinking leads to breakthrough ideas wherever it is applied. Standout projects include Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Tanqueray 10 and the Johnnie Walker Brand Home in Edinburgh which opens in 2021. Prior to joining Diageo Jeremy was Head of Design for Tesco, responsible for the portfolio of 19,000 private label products and for leading the Store Formats and Design teams. He is a Board Director of the Design Business Association, part of the Design Commission advising the UK government on design policy and a visiting Lecturer at INSEEC Business School.

Kar first worked with Zaha Hadid Architects in 1985 following his studies with Zaha Hadid at the Architectural Association. After completing his studies in the UK and USA, Kar worked on projects around the world for Kohn Pederson Fox and Louis Vuitton Malletier, with a focus on interior architecture, commercial developments and retail design before re-joining ZHA as Head of Interior Architecture in 2014. His residential interiors, in particular, have won numerous awards and have been widely published.

Joe Ferry is a multi-award winning creative leader with extensive experience working within hotel groups and airlines. He is Art and Design Director for Belmond which has a global portfolio of luxury travel experiences including hotels, trains, cruises and safaris in some of the world’s most inspiring destinations such as Belmond Cipirani, Venice, Belmond Grand Hotel Europe, St. Petersburg; Belmond Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro; and the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train. Joe previously served as Head of Design for Virgin Atlantic Airways before becoming SVP of Design for IHG, after which he was Head of Guest Experience for Etihad Airways. He is a passionate advocate for the benefits of good design and has been a trustee of the UK’s Design Council and an executive board member of the D&AD.

Justin is the Head of Property and Office Services for the House of Lords, responsible for property and facilities management services to Members and the administration. He also acts as chair and senior responsible owner on large projects across the Parliamentary Estate, either bicameral or specifically House of Lords projects. These have included building refurbishments and the conservation of the historic Westminster Hall, internal hammerbeam roof and two of the internal courtyards within the Palace of Westminster. He also attends bicameral boards for a number of Parliamentary projects including Elizabeth Tower. His previous experience within, projects, property and facilities management has been working for a London Borough and a large County Council.

Laura specialises in leading and developing the real estate function within corporate organisations to deliver property strategies, in accordance with wider business plans. As the Head of Property at the London Fire Brigade this includes both the strategic development of real estate scenarios, the execution of approved projects and transactions and the delivery of facilities management. She is experienced in leading large multi-disciplinary teams and can manage complex stakeholder environments to effect change. Her previous roles include Deputy Director for Her Majesties Courts and Tribunal estate and the JLL transactions lead for multi-national corporations.

Trained as Architect, having to work in both Architecture and Interior Design for over than 20 years, Moel is a Hong Kong-based Interior Designer who currently holds the position as Interior Design Principal in Walt Disney Imagineering Asia, Ltd. Moel achieved a BS in Architecture degree from Tarumanagara University, Jakarta – Indonesia. Before joining Disney, he was working with notable Architecture and Interior Design Firms in Jakarta, China & Hong Kong, mostly working with high-end luxury residential, hospitality and entertainment. Moel joined Walt Disney Imagineering in 2015, when his main specialty was working to build thematic and storytelling base interior spaces.

Paola Tassara Oromí, AIA, is an architect and designer based in London. Paola started her career working for numerous architecture practices in France and the Netherlands prior to moving to Los Angeles. There, she worked for Frank Gehry, collaborating on the design of several museums and cultural institutions worldwide. Having established a solid foundation in architecture, Paola then began to focus on interior design. With NYC-based ICRAVE Design and later, her own firm, Tassara A+D, her work expanded to restaurant, nightclub, boutique hotel and retail design. Since 2016, Paola has been a Design Director for Starbucks Coffee Company, currently leading the design for the brand’s stores in EMEA.

Taylist Media is the publisher of the leading magazine and event brands in the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom sector. These include Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms consumer magazine, which has been the leading title in the field for nearly 25 years, as well as business title kbbreview which is currently celebrating 30 years in print. Managing director and founder Patrick has over 30 years’ experience in the media industry – spanning magazines, newspapers, TV and radio.

Rav Hayer has 15 years experience deploying global staff and customer engagement programmes for a plethora of different industry sectors; with specialist focus on financial services, technology and online gaming. After working as a graduate in the city Rav went on to become a Director of Red Letter Days leading their B2B business to great success and working with Theo Paphitis. Subsequently he moved to become Senior Vice President of Blackhawk Network, a large San Francisco NASDAQ listed fintech business where his team were involved in the acquisition of Grassroots. This then lead him to a global role at Quintessentially where the company deploy largely customer engagement solutions using their large global footprint of 60+ offices coupled with their concierge, events, travel and agency businesses to look after the world’s leading luxury brands.

Property Director with experience of establishing property functions and capitalising on opportunities to maximise shareholder and stakeholder value during times of change. Tim has variously worked in food and drink, fmcg, leisure, manufacting, financial services, construction materials and automotive; Tim has also spent time working in Central Government and selling country houses. Most recently, Tim was Property Director at the Courts & Tribunals Service, setting up a dedicated property function in support of the £1bn programme of reform - assessing the condition of the estate to lobby successfully for additional investment, creating new design standards and driving value from the sale of assets to part fund the programme. Tim is a Chartered Surveyor and a member of the Government Property Profession and is based in the Thames Valley.

Stefan Sielaff joined Bentley Motors in July 2015 from his previous role as Design Director at the Volkswagen Design Center, Potsdam. Sielaff first joined the Volkswagen Group in 1990 as an interior designer for Audi in Ingolstadt. His career then took him to Barcelona where he became Head of Interior Design at the VW Group Design Center, Europe. Between 1997 and 2003, Stefan returned to Audi where he held the position of Head of Interior Design. After three years with DaimlerChrysler, where he was Head of the Interior Design Competence Center, Stefan returned to Ingolstadt in 2006 to become Design Director at Audi, a position he held up until 2012. It was here that Stefan led a team of over 350 design experts with responsibility for exterior, interior and colour and trim design for the full Audi range, concept and show cars. Alongside his current lead role at Bentley, Stefan is also Head of Group Interior Design Strategy, Volkswagen AG.