#4 PHUKET
5 - 7 March, 2024Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort, Thailand
REGIONAL LEADERS, RATTAN SCULPTURE AND TALES FROM AN INDUSTRY LEGEND
For SESSIONS #4, over 150 specifiers and suppliers gathered at Le Méridien Phuket Beach Resort to network and share ideas across three days of connection, inspiration and regeneration.
First up on the agenda was ‘Phuket-Fest’, a mini-festival held in the hotel beachfront grounds. A striking rattan art installation by Patrick Keane of Enter Projects, created especially for the event, was unveiled as the backdrop to a welcome drinks reception and a special guest appearance by the Mayor of Phuket.
The following days were filled with a jam-packed programme reflecting the changing face of hospitality in Thailand and the wider APAC region. The SYNC component that is core to every SESSIONS event provided plentiful opportunities for curated supplier and specifier meetings.
SYMPOSIA seminars presented guests with food for thought courtesy of industry leaders across the Asia-Pacific region. Keynote speaker William Heinecke, founder of Minor International and a legendary figure in the Thai hospitality scene, took to the stage to chart his path from running a resort on the beaches of Thailand, to owning one of the world’s most influential hospitality companies.
Representatives from the design teams of leading global hotel groups – including Hilton, Accor and Hyatt – shared their plans for the region, while Bill Barnett, founder and Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks lifted the lid on development trends, drawing on data from THP.
‘The Asian Equation’ panel saw Joy Natapa, VP of Creative Strategy & Design for Dusit, Bernard Johnson of Threaded Creatives and Matthew Shang, founder of his eponymous design office, discuss the latest trends in hospitality design. For the final SYMPOSIA session, Marriott veteran Michael Wang, now in his new role at Apara Hotel Design & Project Management, capped things off with an exploration of disruptive forces such as AI and 3D printing.
SUSTENANCE breakouts included a guided Buddhist meditation, the opportunity to explore the time-honoured Thai dyeing technique ‘batik’ and an exploration of the properties of rubber with local artists Paradoxii.
Finally, guests decamped to island hotspot Café Del Mar Phuket for a spectacular SOCIAL closing dinner and dancing under the stars.
VIDEO
GALLERY
AGENDA
ALL DAY
ARRIVALS & CHECK-IN
16:00-19:00
SUSTENANCE & SOCIAL: PHUKET-FEST
A mini-festival on the Le Méridien Beachfront introducing our SUSTENANCE speakers and workshop hosts.
A relaxed, drop-in, drop-out programme running through the afternoon to allow for differing guest arrival times.
19:00 – 22:00
SOCIAL: PHUKET-FEAST WELCOME RECEPTION & DINING
Our mini-festival on the beach flows into our evening welcome drinks and dining, again with a relaxed ‘come-as-you-are’ ethos.
07:00-09:00
BREAKFAST
09:30-10:30
SYMPOSIUM: 'PARADISE FOUND' – WITH WILLIAM HEINECKE, MINOR INTERNATIONAL
William Heinecke, the Minor majordomo and founding father of the Phuket hospitality scene charts his path from running a resort on the beaches of Thailand to owning one of the world’s largest and most influential hospitality companies.
10:30-10:45
COFFEE BREAK
10:45-12:45
SYNC: SUPPLIER X SPECIFIER MEETINGS
12:45-14:00
LUNCH
14:00-15:20
SYNC: SUPPLIER X SPECIFIER MEETINGS
15:20-15:40
COFFEE BREAK
15:40-16:30
SYMPOSIUM: 'THE ASIAN EQUATION' – FUTURE HOSPITALITY DESIGN ACROSS THE CONTINENT
Explore the new and next of hospitality design across Asia-Pacific. Our speakers cover all the angles from brand to boutique, resort to restoration, farm to festivals, landmark to local.
Bernard Johnson
Creative Director, Threaded Creatives
Managing Director, Dusit Estate and Group Creative Strategy, Dusit International
Matthew Shang
Founder, MDSO
16:30-18:00
SUSTENANCE: BODY & SOUL / ART & CRAFT
Our Sustenance breakout sessions offer nourishment for body, mind and soul. Previous activities have included deep conversation with professors of philosophy and architecture, pit-fired pottery, crafting with concrete and yoga at dawn.
*All SUSTENANCE Sessions are optional and must be pre-booked via our app.
• Each activity is limited to a maximum number of guests.
• Guests can only book one sustenance session per timeslot
19:30-23:00
SOCIAL: BAREFOOT BEACH BARBECUE
A relaxed dinner on the beach at Le Meridién Phuket Beach Resort for our middle night to allow guests to recharge for the following day’s meetings and activities.
07:00-09:00
BREAKFAST
09:30-10:30
SYMPOSIUM: 'FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRANDS'
Representatives from the design teams of the world’s leading hotel groups will give the inside track on their plans for the Asia-Pacific region, the trends shaping their future projects and how suppliers can best engage with them.
Billie Khoo
Senior Design & Projects Director, Architecture, Design & Construction, Asia Pacific. Hilton Worldwide
Kenneth Ha
Vice President of Design & Technical Services, ASPAC at Accor
Stephen Luk
Hyatt Hotels Corporation – Regional Vice President Design Services
09:30-10:45
COFFEE BREAK
10:45-12:45
SYNC: SUPPLIER X SPECIFIER MEETINGS
12:30-13:40
LUNCH
13:40-14:10
SYMPOSIUM: 'SUPPLY SNAPSHOT' WITH BILL BARNETT, MD, C9 HOTELWORKS
Known as the ‘go-to-guy’ when you need to know what’s what and who’s who in the Asia-Pacific hospitality and real estate scene, Bill Barnett will lift the lid on development trends across the region, looking at future pipeline, the hot-spots of tomorrow and exclusive insight to help shape your strategies for success.
14:10-15:30
SYNC: SUPPLIER X SPECIFIER MEETINGS
15:45-16:30
SYMPOSIUM: 'YOUR FUTURE – WHAT'S NEXT?'
Find out from Michael Wang whose decades of experience have seen him open literally thousands of hotels. He also made time to complete the MIT program on Artificial Intelligence for Business and has some challenging views on AI and some of the major disrupters in our industry.
Michael Wang
Managing Director, Apara Hotel Design and Project Management Group
16:30-17:30
SUSTENANCE: BODY & SOUL / ART & CRAFT
Our Sustenance breakout sessions offer nourishment for body, mind and soul. Previous activities have included deep conversation with professors of philosophy and architecture, pit-fired pottery, crafting with concrete and yoga at dawn.
*All SUSTENANCE Sessions are optional and must be pre-booked via our app.
• Each activity is limited to a maximum number of guests.
• Guests can only book one sustenance session per timeslot
19:00-LATE
SOCIAL: CLOSING DINNER AT CAFÉ DEL MAR
Bringing a taste of the Balearics to Phuket’s Kamala district, Café del Mar is one of the island’s leading beach clubs and the perfect backdrop to say our farewells over sunset drinks and dinner.
ALL DAY
GUEST DEPARTURES
SPEAKERS
