This Spring our lead designers, Marne and Patti, attended the Hospitality Design Expo in Las Vegas!
The HD Expo is the largest destination in the US for all hospitality product discovery. They pride their expo on being "customer driven and industry led".
While going to Vegas itself seemed like a fun girls trip, we were also able to connect with design professionals and keep our continuous brainstorm alive for upcoming projects.
What We Love About the Hospitality Design Expo
We HIGHLY recommend the HD Expo and here's why…
There are strictly commercial products specifically for hospitality design so you’re not wasting ANY time exploring vendors that don't match your needs.
Most vendors can do anything custom according to the needs for your project. This is great for oversized, unique products like chandeliers and custom made carpet for big areas.
They offer complimentary food and drink at the booths in the afternoon. Trust us, this is necessary after a long day of visiting the vendors. It also provides a networking outlet to get to know people in the industry and exchange ideas!
What Caught Our Eye at the Expo
We fell in love with a ton at this expo but here are a few things that we have to rave about. You'll see that we put a lot of out focus in outdoor furniture design as Summer approached.
Specifically the:
Huge outdoor gazebo with remote control glass panel walls as well as roof panels that can open and close according to the weather or your needs.
Outdoor layered fire pit. The fire pit is on top but also has the water feature on the bottom. We love seeing design that has never been done before. Attending the HD Expo allows us to be one of the first to it too!
Outdoor furniture sets made by Palecek. They have hit it out of the park with their selection this year! They put functionality, durability, and aesthetic into all of their design, we LOVE it.
Apart from the HD Expo
We only had 2 days in Vegas so there was not a lot of downtime apart from the HD Expo.
The expo is huge so be prepared to be there all day! We took about 25,000 steps per day which left us wiped out, so we had enough energy left at the end of the day to treat ourselves to a nice dinner.
The little time that we did have aside from work, Marne learned how to play Black Jack and won $3! We’ll need her to play quite a few more games to cover all of the coffee we bought... because of Patti’s coffee addiction we paid $12 per K-CUP in the hotel! Patti claims that each cup was well worth it.
Next year, we’ll make sure to set aside more free time!
Yes, We'll Be Back!
There’s no question that we will be attending the 2024 HD Expo!
As commercial designers we find it highly beneficial to attend markets like these.
They allow us to stay updated on inspiration/trends, keep our network flowing, strengthen our product/material knowledge and help build relationships with suppliers to ensure our clients the best prices.
Our Tips for Newly Attending Interior Designers
We want you to be able to make the most of your experience when attending, so here’s what we found useful:
Plan Ahead: Before your event do enough research so that you can prioritize the vendors and sessions you want to visit.
Set Goals: Seeking inspiration, connecting with new suppliers, or catching up with trends are examples of goals to stay focused on when attending.
Dress Comfortably: Like we said before, your steps will be UP. Make sure to wear breathable clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
Bring Business Cards: Keep these on hand to exchange with potential collaborators, suppliers, or clients.
Take Notes and Photos: Bring a note taking template to jot down important information, ideas, and contacts. Take photos of your favorites to match your notes!
Network With Peers: Markets are great platforms to network. Make sure to exchange ideas and share experiences that could lead to new opportunities in the future!
Follow Up with Vendors: Make sure to send personalized emails or LinkedIn messages to show your appreciation and stay in touch with professionals you’ve met.
If you have any remaining questions regarding the Hospitality Design Expo please reach out!
From Masterplan to Masterpiece - We make sure your first impression is a good one.
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