Wake up to Sleep

Europe’s definitive hotel design event will offer architects the latest industry insights, discussions and products on 22 – 23 November in London’s Business Design Centre.

Sleep Set

The annual competition for designers to create concept guest rooms will be focused on The Science of Tribes, exploring the social and cultural specifics of people and how to understand today’s diverse hotel guests. WOW Architects from Singapore, Tokyo-based Mitsui Designtec as well as Gensler, Aukett Swanke and Studio PROOF are each creating a guest room for a different socio-demographic ‘tribe’.

“Sleep Experience” Bar

A pop-up installation which will serve as a networking hotspot throught the event. Interior design and branding agency Superfutures, in collaboration with visual artist Tupac Martir and Ido Garini of Studio Appetit, is looking to this year’s Science of Tribes theme to create the “Sleep Experience” bar.

Immersive Reality Lounge

With 2016 dubbed ‘the year of virtual reality’, the Immersive Reality Lounge, hosted by tech pioneers Soluis and design consultancy Graven, will allow architects and designers to get their hands on the latest digital reality platforms and experience hotel design concepts in 3D.

These will include the latest VR headset and the Sublime Portal, the next-level shared immersion experience for visitors. The topic will be further explored in a conference session with insight from tech-providers and designer end-users.

Grand ideas and global views

Over the two days, celebrated design names and experts will discuss the latest trends in the industry.

Adam Tihany will be joined by Richard D. Meadows, president of Seabourn and Cunard North America, and Costa Group’s vice president newbuildings Christian Schönrock, who will shed light on what it takes to bring innovative design to life on a new vessel.

Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou of SPACE Copenhagen, acclaimed for their work on Michelin-star rated restaurant NOMA and five-star hotel 11 Howard in New York, will speak to conference curator and host Guy Dittrich.

The penultimate session will see a panel with Vince Stroop of New York-based Stonehill & Taylor as well as Nick van Marken of Deloitte Hospitality discussing the issues behind ‘Fear & Love’ in the hotel landscape.

Two round table sessions will be hosted by top names in the business ready to offer advice to delegates.

Development roundtables will be hosted by hotel development, owner, investor and operator sector professionals. Sleep Essentials sessions will be run by experts in lighting design, wayfinding, F&B operations, music curation and material finishes.

Sleepwalking at Sleep is a new concept by Modulex that channels methods of wayfinding to guide visitors through Sleep 2016 so that they don’t miss anything.

Modulex has investigated the psychology of how people ‘sleepwalk’ through trade shows and will be designing solutions that embrace landmarks, icons and other signage to disrupt unconscious behaviours and spark curiosity, enticing and reassuring visitors as they wend their way through Sleep’s myriad experiences – whether a regular attendee or first time visitor.