GS Magazine

THE INDEPENDENT HOTEL SHOW 2012
October 16th & 17th
independenthotelshow.co.uk

The Independent Hotel Show is the new kid on the block, targeting an audience of hotel owners and operators, architects and designers, specifiers, hotel management and other buyers within the hotel market. Being a new show we cannot report on its success or otherwise yet but they have managed to attract an impressively large number of exhibitors (a snap shot of which appear on the following pages) and given that the man behind this new venture, Tim Etchells of SME London Ltd, is one of the UK's most successful events organisers, you wouldn't bet against it doing very well indeed. Tim has successfully launched over 25 events in his career including the BBC Good Food Show and the Restaurant Show. We caught up with Tim Etchells and managed to put a few questions to him regarding the independent hotel market and the need for a new exhibition.

GS Why launch a new show in a market that's already well served with the likes of Hotelympia, Sleep, Decorex and so on?
TE I think you're making an assumption that the market is well served! In recent years the hotel industry has seen a rapid growth in the independent, luxury and boutique hotel sector. Hotelympia, Sleep and Decorex all serve the industry but largely focus their attention on specific areas - be it design or catering - and attract the larger operators and chains. We felt the market was in need of a show that acted as a one-stop-shop across the board for the independent operator. Our hand-selected exhibitors are not typically seen at events, thus ensuring that the quality and breadth of services that independent hoteliers demand is met. Unlike other shows, we will also have a strong focus on business - our dedicated business clinic feature area will allow hoteliers to meet with leading specialists, discussing anything from accountancy to merchant services and our seminar programme will offer practical advice from both industry experts and hoteliers alike.

GS What would you compare the show to?
TE There's nothing anywhere in the world to compare with Independent Hotel 12! It's unique which is why we've sold all the exhibition space two months prior to the show and have a waiting list of potential exhibitors! It's difficult to compare us to a specific show - we obviously target similar audiences to Hotelympia, but it's important to remember that our focus is on independent hotels as a distinct group. We appreciate that they have very different needs to that of their larger cousins and the show is here to recognize that. Concurrently, our emphasis on design will bracket parts of our show to Sleep and Decorex - but again, we aim to act as a one-stop-shop, rather than a focus on one particular sector. As such, we hope to bring the owners, operators and key decision-makers together with the industry's top suppliers, service providers and designers. Our suppliers are also really excited about the show - so many have said that this is an area that they would love to break into and we are giving them this platform.

GS What do you think it will achieve?
TE We hope that our visitors will walk away with fresh ideas, new contacts and a greater understanding of their industry as a whole. We want to help hoteliers increase profitability, identify key trends and maximise new ideas and training opportunities. The success of their business is most definitely our business and we're here to help by recognizing their needs so they can realise the potential of their property.

GS Is it your plan to develop and grow the show in order to sell it on?
TE That's a cheeky question! I don't believe that it's relevant whether I own my shares in the show till the day I die! Of course we will develop and grow the show, we're pretty good at that! Most importantly we will make sure that the exhibitor and visitor profile always stay relevant and fresh and that we evolve it into a position where The Independent Hotel Show becomes the definitive event for luxury and boutique hotels.

The Independent Hotel Show 12 takes place on the 16th & 17th October at Olympia London. For more information visit www.independenthotelshow.co.uk

Equip'Hôtel 2012
November 11th - 15th
www.equiphotel.com

This exhibition might seem a bit of a trek as it takes place in Paris, but it is one of the biggest and best exhibitions in Europe and one that we at GS Magazine attend regularly. As it states below, it is innovative, creative and trendy and it offers a glimpse of what is going on design-wise in mainland Europe. This year, we are promised, there are numerous exhibitors geared up to supply direct to the UK and keen to do so.

Innovation, creativity and trends
For more than 50 years, tens of thousands of hospitality professionals have been attending Equip'Hôtel and supporting its design and decor initiatives for the hospitality sector. This year, Equip'Hôtel will be sponsored by Alain Ducasse, and the spotlight will be firmly on décor.

Converging points of view
Design is key to Equip'Hôtel, which devotes numerous events to this topic every year. In 2012, as well as the Studios created by leading architects, Equip'Hôtel will be launching a competition for inventors and design school students: Equip'Innov Inventions. There will be five categories - Bar, Dining Room, Lighting, Patio and Bathroom - offering competitors an opportunity to present prototypes and show how design can resolve some of the problems faced by hotels and restaurants.
Corinne Menegaux, Director of Equip'Hôtel, comments; "Equip'Hôtel has always made hospitality design and decor a priority. This sector has grown and evolved substantially over recent sessions, underlining the importance of design when planning a hotel or restaurant. Every year architects and designers look to us for insight into the latest trends for their next project. The hospitality sector is particularly innovative in this field," Adds Alain Ducasse; "Equip'Hôtel is a key event for our industry. It offers a comprehensive overview of the latest trends and innovations, and is a forum for ideas and knowledge sharing. I am especially honoured to take part in an event that is so crucial to the growth of our industry."

New in 2012
The "OPENHÔTEL" experience is inspired by the "outdoor hotel" concept where nature is key and boundaries between interior and exterior are blurred. It is a new approach that introduces the idea of sedentary nomadism, the alternation between private and public, countryside and city, camping and glamour.
This flexible and relaxed style of hospitality allows guests to experience tranquillity, a new state of wellbeing, and harmony with the environment. It offers a stay that is both comforting and restful - a journey within a journey.
There will be four types of OPENHÔTEL experience:
NORDIQUE ÉCOLO will take visitors on a journey across the far north where the accent will be on the Scandinavian influence of log cabins and primitive huts.
TECHNO CUBE has a definite contemporary feel, transporting us into the near future and introducing us to a new relationship with nature. It is total immersion but absolute comfort, connected to the world yet dramatically disconnected.
VINTAGE CARAVANE takes us "on the road again" with a nostalgic look at the sixties, past influences that are constantly being revamped.
COUNTRY CHIC is a delightful nature retreat in a romantic, luxurious tent amid the greenery.

Equip'Hôtel takes place between the 11th and 15th of November at the Paris Porte de Versailles exhibition Centre. For more information visit www.equiphotel.com or call Promosalons UK on 020 8216 3108

SLEEP 2012
November 21st & 22nd
www.thesleepevent.com

Well-established for the best part of a decade as the only international event to focus entirely on hotel design, development and architectural excellence, Sleep combines a pan-European award scheme with a conference, roundtable discussion groups, seminars and the largest exhibition in Europe dedicated to hotel design.
Each year brings innovation and, for 2012, a celebration of bright young talent had been introduced in the form of the Sleep ReardonSmith Student Award, while the showcase for new design concepts, Sleep Hotel, has had a makeover. This year, competing teams of designers and contractors have been challenged to create a five-star hotel guestroom within a highly restrictive shell space. One of the designers involved is Nir Gilad of Nous Design. "Sleep Hotel seemed like the best place to bring about dialogue, to explore and question concepts and have some fun", he explains.

As the only trade exhibition in Europe to focus exclusively on high quality and innovative products for hospitality interiors, the show enjoys a committed following amongst specifiers and trend watchers from across the continent as well as the Middle East and USA who attend the event to catch up with colleagues, learn about the latest innovations and to do business.

The European Hotel Design Conference is the place to hear from hotel brand leaders and the people at the sharp end of hotel funding, development and operations, as well as leading designers. Guy Dittrich, programmer and moderator of the conference explains: "Our aim is to create a unique meeting place where people who fund, develop and manage hotels exchange perspectives with the community which designs them, and in this way help to bridge the perceived gulf between the two."
This year's Awards shortlist serves to demonstrate just how much diversity, imagination and talent there now is in the ranks of Europe's best hotel architecture and design. Just a few of the projects that have made it into the final list include: New Hotel, Athens; Mandarin Oriental, Paris; 25hours Hotel, Hamburg; Belgraves, London; Beau-Rivage Palace, Lausanne; Hotel The Exchange, Amsterdam; the suites at the Corinthia Hotel, London; and Starhotels E.c.h.o, Milan for sustainable design.

A Wink of Sleep:
• The European Hotel Design Awards - Tuesday 20th November, Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge, London. To book your place: www.thesleepevent.com or +44 (0)20 795 53751
• The European Hotel Design Conference - Wednesday 21st & Thursday 22nd November, Business Design Centre, Islington, London. To register as a delegate: www.thesleepevent.com
• Sleep Exhibition, Sleep Hotel, Sleep Seminars - Wednesday 21st & Thursday 22nd November, Business Design Centre, Islington, London. These are free to attend. Register in advance at www.thesleepevent.com