NEWH - Summer 2021 - 66

COVER STORY

Business Partner
Hospitality Design continues to be the industry's ultimate connector
By Greta Conrad
Photography by PWP Studio

n May 2020, the hospitality industry should have gathered in Las Vegas,
as it does every year, for the HD Expo + Conference. But two months
prior, " our world just shut down, " recalls Stacy Shoemaker Rauen, editorin-chief of Hospitality Design magazine and senior vice president of the
design group at Emerald. " However, we thought it was important to keep our
community connected and help them navigate these challenges. "
Pivoting quickly, Shoemaker Rauen and the team tweaked some of the
conversations planned for HD Expo + Conference into a three-day virtual
experience attracting 5,000 people to 13 different sessions. It showed in
such uncertain times, Shoemaker Rauen says, " a need for information and
candid thoughts from hospitality leaders
when we needed them most. "
Since 1979, the Hospitality Design
brand, part of Emerald's design portfolio,
has been the preeminent voice of the
industry through its flagship magazine
and slew of events. Along with HD
Expo + Conference, for example, there
is HD Summit, an annual thinktank for
executives, and regional HD CitySCENE
networking shindigs, as well as the HD
Awards-which carried on in 2020 in a live
Zoom format-and the HD Platinum Circle
Awards, honoring those for their lifetime
achievements in hospitality.
During the pandemic, Hospitality
Design's webinars and Instagram Live
discussions kept the community engaged,
but they missed sharing knowledge in
person. They will finally be able to gather
again August 24-25th, when HD Expo
+ Conference, following May's two-day
virtual preview, returns to Mandalay Bay.
" The show has a welcoming, dynamic
environment, and we want everyone
to experience that, knowing that their
comfort and safety is top priority, " says
Kevin Gaffney, vice president and group
show director.
Exhibitors are the backbone of the HD
Expo + Conference (approximately 700
signed up for 2020) and they are also
eager to dive back into business. " The last

time they showed off their new products was in May 2019, and that's a long
time, " says sales manager Keeli Schmidt. " Some are even asking for bigger
booths. There's a sense of excitement about seeing each other again. "
This year's edition, condensed to two days, continues many significant
changes to the show that were to have started in 2020. Education sessions
will move to the show floor in a new area called the HD Park " so that people
can look at products and then jump to a panel without having to walk a mile
to the meeting rooms, " points out Gaffney. The show floor will also feature the
brand's signature Social Hub, this year with a design courtesy of 21c Museum
Hotels; the second iteration of the DesignWell pavilion where programming
will focus on new concepts and the
importance of wellness and wellbeing in
design; and " on opening night we're having
a big party on the show floor instead of
offsite to celebrate being back together, "
adds Schmidt.
Following the acquisition of the Boutique
Design brand in October 2018, 2020 also
saw the creation of a newly reorganized
sales structure that is more efficient and
streamlined. " For a more holistic offering,
we integrated the HD and BD sales teams,
and they are responsible for selling
everything in each brand's portfolio, "
explains Gaffney. " We want to help the
customer in the best way possible. "
Paul Bienkowski, publisher of Hospitality
Design magazine, adds, " Our customer
wants one contact they can go to with
questions, for solutions, for ideas. At
the end of the day, we are a business
development partner. Companies, whether
they exhibit at HD Expo, advertise in the
magazine, or participate in our events, do it
because it helps them grow their business. "
A crisp, contemporary brand refresh
introduced last year further strengthens
the links between all of the brand's
offerings, culminating in a recently spiffedup website. " People have been relying on
our print product for over four decades,
but it was time to bring a new look and

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NEWH - Summer 2021

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