Ace Hotel Portland

The man behind the hugely successful Ace Hotels, Alex Calderwood, is headlining a strong speaker line-up for Design Inn 2013.

Hosted by HM magazine and ISIS Group Australia, Design Inn is bringing together local and international speakers for the leading hotel design symposium in Asia-Pacific.

Being held on October 9 at Sydney’s new Doltone House Hyde Park, Design Inn will uncover the top trends from international and local design experts, from interior designers to architects, brand directors and leading hoteliers.

“We are excited to bring Alex Calderwood to Australia, someone who will be able to share a unique insight into one of the hottest hotel brands in the world,” said HM magazine’s Editor-In-Chief James Wilkinson and ISIS Group Australia’s National Executive Hotels and Leisure, Brett Patterson.

“Ace Hotels are known for their (deleted quirky) hip design-driven hotels across the United States, particularly those in New York, Palm Springs and Portland and with new hotels opening in London and LA later this year.

“Alex will be interviewed about the growth of the company, why eclectic design is at the forefront and much more. It promises to be the most insightful session to ever be held in the two years of Design Inn,” Wilkinson and Patterson said.

Also flying in from overseas for Design Inn are Loh Lik Peng, Director of the Unlisted Hotel Collection; Jacqui Labb, Director of Dexter Moren Associates; and Ilija Karlusic,President Asia Pacific of Hirsch Bedner Associates.

Confirmed local speakers include: Simon Swaney, Director, Bates Smart; Phil Kasselis, Head of Development Australasia, InterContinental Hotel Group; Ben Luder, Director, Illuminate; Rick Whalley, Director, Chada; Greg Farrell, Managing Director, Federal Hotel Group; Dan Bisa, Director, Bisa Hotels; Mike Watson, Director Interiors, A Plus Design Group; Dean Duckworth, Director – Project Management & Design, Amalgamated Holdings Ltd; Andrew Wales, Associate Principal, Rothelowman Architects; Angelo Di Marco, Managing Director, Woodhead International; Stephanie Smith, Director, Innovarchi Architects; Paul Davis, Director, Paul Robert Davis International; Ingrid Bakker, Managing Principal, Hassell; Amanda Stanaway, Principal, Woods Bagot; Lindsay Leeser, Director Development Pacific, Accor; and John Andreas, Director, WMK Architecture.

To book tickets, visit www.designinnsymposium.com.au

James Wilkinson

Editor-In-Chief, Hotel Management