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HIX Talks Agenda

HIX 2024

For new perspectives

Two days of panels, presentations and perspectives from the hotel design community's brightest minds. 

Guided by our theme for 2024 'a sense of place' HIX Talks asks the big hotel design questions: How can operators work with local communities to give as much as they take? Can a neighbourhood restaurant balance local flavour with global appeal? Will an influx of technology change the way we experience a location? 

Previous speakers include industry leading figures from IHG, Zoku, David Chipperfield Architects, Mandarin Oriental, Accor, Conran & Partners and more, along with keynotes from design legends like Tom Dixon, Nigel Coates and Johannes Torpe.

Focused on actionable advice to take into your next hotel project, HIX Talks looks to the future of hotel design with perspectives from architects, investors, operators and hospitality experts.

2024 Agenda 

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11:00
  1. This year's HIX installation tasked four leading design studios to reimagine the iconic Business Design Centre as a hotel experience based on a deep-dive historical report on the building and surrounding area. Join the teams as they present their visions for our most ambitious installation project yet, and discover the storied history of our home venue.

12:00
  1. As hotel operators target increasingly tight-knit communities with the promise of hyperlocal guest experiences, what role does F&B play in generating an authentic sense of place, and how can designers ensure restaurants and bars balance local representation with global appeal?
14:00
  1. Hotels in sensitive, protected or culturally significant natural environments can offer guests the experience of a lifetime, but present designers and operators with a unique set of responsibilities. How can hotels give back more than they take, preserve the integrity of a locale, and ensure a sustainable relationship between people and place?
15:00
  1. As the founder and CEO of Futurecity, Mark Davy has overseen large-scale placemaking projects across the globe including over 140 public art programmes and 250 cultural design strategies. In this engaging keynote we discover what 'a sense of place' really means, and how the spaces we visit become places we remember.
11:00
  1. The leading awards programme for hospitality experience and design brings three esteemed current and former judges to the HIX Talks stage for an exploration of the ideas, aesthetics and innovations that have defined some of the best hotels in Europe.
12:00
  1. The rise and rise of branded residences, serviced apartments and co-living concepts has seen guests extend their hotel stays longer than ever, but does this new wave of experiential long-term occupancy require a design typology of its own to truly flourish?
13:00
  1. Go behind the scenes at one of the UK’s top design studios as husband and wife team Jo and Martin discuss the realities of leading a hospitality design practice as a couple and share how their decision-making process inspires their team and drives their projects.

14:00
  1. As the travel sector enjoys a record-breaking 2024, major hotel groups are looking to capitalise with transport concepts that extend the hospitality experience beyond four walls. What does a new golden age of travel mean for the next generation of rail, cruise and aviation designs, and how will this change the guest experience?