ALIS DESIGN+ 2025 Pr0gram

The ALIS DESIGN+ program is updated as of January 3, 2025. Please check back as programming is underway and we are regularly making updates.

Thursday, JANUARY 30, 2025

8:00am-6:00pm

REGISTRATION + INFORMATION

12:00Pm-6:00pm

TRADE FAIR EXHIBIT HALL

10:30am-11:30am

RAPID RENDEZVOUS

Find the perfect match to meet your hospitality business goals. From potential partners to next-level projects and aspirational products, this fast-moving session connects innovators across the hotel investment, design, architecture and construction communities

12:00Pm-1:30pm

ALIS DESIGN+ KICK-OFF + NETWORKING LUNCH

Lunch Sponsored by: M Group

12:00pm-12:45pm

DESIGN ICONS OF LOS ANGELES

  • FOMO alert! Meet your local heroes up-close in this star-studded session featuring the LA-based thought leaders who elevated “decoration” into the design discipline that fundamentally changed the look and feel of hotel interiors.

    Moderator:

    Michelle Finn, Vice President Design & Construction Products and Services, The BHN Group by Northstar

    Speakers:

    Kay Lang, President + CEO, Kay Lang + Associates

    Kirk Nix, Owner, KNA Design

    Dean Singer, Owner, DESIGN360unlimited

1:00pm-1:30pm

CONVERSATIONS: HOTEL OWNER-OPERATOR, ASSET MANAGER + PURCHASING EXPERT TALK SUCCESS STRATEGIES FOR A COMPLEX CITY-OWNED HOTEL CONVERSION

  • Alan Benjamin, President, Benjamin West

    Tiffany Donato, Chief Investment Officer, Marcus Hotels & Resorts

    Chad Sorensen, Managing Director/CEO, CHMWARNICK

1:30pm-3:00pm

GENERAL SESSION

  • Hosts:

    Jeff Higley, President, The BHN Group by Northstar

    Michelle Finn, Vice President, Design & Construction, Products and Services, The BHN Group by Northstar

  • Listen and learn as these long-time collaborators deliver straight talk on their battle against bland. Get the inside intel on new horizons for sustainability, increasing pressure on independents and the bottom-line reasons owners/investors and designers need to work as equal partners to create innovative, highly profitable hotels.

    Moderator:

    Mary Scoviak, Custom & Design Content Director, The BHN Group by Northstar

    Speakers:

    Jon Bortz, CEO, Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

    Andrea Dawson Sheehan, Principal, Dawson Design Associates

  • Leading hotel executives checklist the operations-, guest- and margin-driven innovations owners and designers are implementing to accelerate the return on the design investment at the enterprise and property levels.

    Moderator:

    Kevin Carey, Interim President + CEO, AHLA

    Panelists:

    Evens Charles, Founder + Managing Principal, Frontier Development + Hospitality Group

    Douglas Dreher, Chief Executive Officer, Principal + Officer, The Hotel Group

    Ken Patel, Founder, Chairman + CEO, The EV Evolution Venue Hotel

    Kendra Plummer, Founder + CEO, Elise Capital

    Jeff Wagoner, President + CEO, Outrigger Hospitality Group

3:00pm-3:30pm

CONVERSATIONS: OWNER, DEVELOPER, CONTRACTOR + BRAND AD+C LEAD TALK SUCCESS STRATEGIES FOR GETTING ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE TABLE + THE P+L

  • Renee Bagshaw, COO, Continental Contractors

    Michael Dallas Havener, Senior Vice President of Development, Design & Construction, Ryman Hospitality Properties

    Bridget Rooks, Vice President, Architecture, Design + Construction, Sonesta International Hotels

3:15pm-4:05pm

INTERACTIVE ROUNDTABLES

  • Different types of owners define success in their unique ways as their investors look to them to achieve specific outcomes. Hear from owners representing different types of hotels to better understand what each of them is looking for, how each views capital projects and what they’ve always wished their design professionals knew.

    Moderator:

    Lan Elliott, Cofounder + Principal, Acacia Hospitality LLC

    Panelists:

    Stephany Chen, Senior Vice President, Acquisitions, Trinity Investments

    Linda Laniado, First Vice President, Investments, Host Hotels & Resorts

    Mitch Patel, Founder & CEO, Vision Hospitality Group

    Michelle Russo, CEO & Founder, hotelAVE

  • Stakeholders from all sides of hotel projects walk through real-world solutions that elevate projects, processes and products into sustainable standouts. Get the details on the action steps to optimize pro-active eco-activation with macro and micro decisions for any hotel in any segment.

    CHALLENGE: SHRINK THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF HOTELS WITH DESIGN CIRCULARITY

    Leader:

    JoAnna Abrams, CEO, MindClick

    Panelist:

    Rebecca Weinstein, Vice President of Design, Highgate Hotels

    CHALLENGE: ZERO OUT CARBON EMISSIONS, WASTE + ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT WITHOUT SUBTRACTING CREATIVITY

    Leader:

    Shirli Sensenbrenner, Senior Vice President Design + Development Services, Coral Tree Hospitality

    Panelists:

    Nina Grondin, Managing Partner, Curioso

    Bryan Houser, Vice President, Pre-Construction Lifecycle, Americas Design & Construction, IHG Hotels & Resorts

    Morgan Wiener, Senior Associate, Southwest Region Hospitality Sustainability Leader and Los Angeles Office Sustainability Leader, Gensler

    CHALLENGE: MOVE BEYOND NET ZERO TO CREATE A POSITIVE CARBON FOOTPRINT

    Leader:

    Scott Walsh, Executive Vice President: Asset | Design | Development, AKA Hotel Residences + Hotel AKA

    Speakers:

    Ken Cruse, Founder and CEO, Soul Community Planet (SCP) Hotels

    Jon Buerge, President | Partner, Urban Villages

3:35pm-4:05pm

CONVERSATIONS: BRAND LEAD + OWNER + DESIGNER + INDUSTRY RELATIONSHIP STRATEGIST TALK INSIDE TIPS FOR TODAY’S BOUTIQUE, LIFESTYLE HOTELS

  • Leader:

    Stacy Silver,President, Silver Hospitality Group

    Speakers:

    Karen Davis, Senior Interior Designer, EUA

    Neil Densmore, President, Great Lakes Management Group

    Carol Hoeller,Vice President, Global Brands, Hotel Indigo and voco, IHG Hotels & Resorts

4:05pm-4:30pm

1ST ANNUAL SHLD (SUSTAINABLE HOSPITALITY LEADERSHIP IN DESIGN) AWARDS

  • See how design can be a superhero in creating hotels that proactively protect the planet. A prestigious panel of judges from industry-leading hotel companies honored a group of sustainable renovated and newbuild standouts based on design aesthetic, cost and impact as measured through the MindClick Sustainability Assessment Program. MindClick's Project Impact. Get inspired with this future-forward look at how your next hotel can help build a perfect world.

    Hosts:

    JoAnna Abrams. CEO, MindClick

    Michelle Finn, Vice President, Design & Construction, Products and Services, The BHN Group by Northstar

4:35pm-5:05pm

CONVERSATIONS: MEET THE JUDGES + WINNERS OF THE INAUGURAL SHLD (SUSTAINABLE HOSPITALITY LEADERSHIP IN DESIGN) AWARDS

  • Join your fellow industry leaders in a toast to the winners of this first-of-its-kind honor recognizing environmental innovation and planet friendly design excellence. Listen in as the prestigious judging panel talks about trends, best practices and what it takes to deliver proactive green design. Hear from the winners as they discuss the tough challenges and fresh solutions that delivered standout design and sustainability.

    Hosts:

    JoAnna Abrams. CEO, MindClick

    Michelle Finn, Vice President Design & Construction Products and Services, The BHN Group by Northstar

    Judges:

    Fred Brandstrader, Vice President, Construction + Capital Expenditures, Hyatt Corporation

    Kari Carr, Senior Vice President, Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

    Kavitha Iyer, Vice President Architecture and Design, Choice Hotels International

    Robert Stuckey, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships + Business Development, AHLA

    Rebecca Weinstein, Vice President of Design, Highgate Hotels

    Laurie Woliung, Senior Director, Global Design, US + Canada, Marriott International

5:00pm-6:00pm

NETWORKING RECEPTION

Sponsored by:

Fairmont Designs

Mincey Marble

Ortal North America

Friday, JANUARY 31, 2025

8:00AM-5:00PM

REGISTRATION + INFORMATION

8:30AM-9:30AM

GENERAL SESSION

GOING FOR THE GOLD: WHAT’S DRIVING LOS ANGELES’ LONG-TERM UPSIDE FOR HOTEL OWNERS, INVESTORS, DEVELOPERS

Listen in as experts from world-class events and citywide demand drivers give an inside look at all the levers hoteliers in Los Angeles and those who want to be can pull to monetize the City of Angeles’ sustainable, multi-market appeal long after the Olympics are over.

  • Don’t miss this golden opportunity. Gain first-hand intel on the immediate and long-term hotel-centric upside of hosting two of the world’s most prestigious sports events from the thought leaders who made that happen.

    Moderator:

    Adam Burke, President & CEO, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board

    Speakers:

    Allison Katz-Mayfield, Senior Vice President, Games Delivery, LA28

    Jason Krutzsch, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission / FIFA World Cup 26™ LA Host Committee

  • With freshly approved expansion plans, the Los Angeles Convention Center is bracing for a major growth spurt that will enable it to reach for and capture lucrative, large-scale MICE business. Here’s a need-to-know conversational tour of how a jump from positioning as the nation’s 21-ranked convention center into the top 10 will benefit hoteliers in Downtown LA and citywide.

    Moderator:

    Adam Burke, President & CEO, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board

    Speaker:

    Todd Goldstein, Chief Revenue Officer, AEG

  • LAX’s nearly completed expansion/upgrade and a major initiative to make public transit more citywide and less stratified are changing expectations for visitor growth, hotel performance and hotel development.

    Moderator:

    Adam Burke, President & CEO, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board

    Speakers:

    Tom Gilmore, Chief Executive Officer, Gilmore & Associates, LLC

    Doane Liu, Chief Tourism Officer, City of Los Angeles

10:00AM-5:00PM

TRADE FAIR EXHIBIT HALL

9:30AM-10:45AM

GENERAL SESSION

Sponsored by:

Ortal North America

  • Host:

    Michelle Finn, Vice President Design & Construction Products and Services, The BHN Group by Northstar

  • Gain insights on what’s ahead for the hotel investment, design, architecture and construction worlds from the leaders who are shaping the future of this industry. Get a sneak peek at the next cultural signposts and share their innovative approach on the best tactics to capitalize on the changes for 2025 and beyond. Visionaries from investment and management to design, purchasing and construction explore actionable opportunities in this special session presented by ALIS DESIGN+ along with AHLA and NEWH.

    Moderator:

    Anna Blue, President, AHLA Foundation

    Panelists:

    Glyn Aeppel, President and CEO, Glencove Capital

    Deidre Mathis, Founder, Wanderstay Hospitality Group

    Anne Becker Olins, Global Chief Design + Technical Services Officer, Ultra Luxury & Luxury, Accor          

    Tien-Yueh Kubach, Principal, Lubert-Adler Real Estate

    Aggie Zamir, Senior Director, National Hospitality + Gaming, Cumming Group

  • Join us as we honor an established visionary and the next generation of powerful voices shaping hotel projects as NEWH introduces this year’s NEWH Scholarship Award winner and unveils its newest honors: the first-of-its-kind SOHE (Structures of Hospitality Excellence) distinction given to an outstanding changemaker in the hotel construction industry and a scholarship recognizing a force to watch in this vital industry sector.

10:30AM-11:00AM

CONVERSATIONS: INDUSTRY GIANTS HBA + WATG TALK SUCCESS SECRETS FOR ALIGNING STAKEHOLDERS, REMEDYING PAIN POINTS + MONETIZING BLUE-SKY DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES

  • Monica Cuervo, Managing Director, The Americas, WATG l Wimberly Interiors

    Meghann Day, President, HBA Americas and Partner, HBA San Francisco

10:50am-11:40am

INTERACTIVE ROUNDTABLE

  • Big money sources and mega design firms are in an acquisitive mood. Is your design, architecture or construction firm their next target? Or are there better ways to build value? Experts will map options for how to respond when opportunity knocks.

    Moderator:

    David McCaslin, Partner, CapStar Advisors

    Panelists:

    Stacey Hollender, Vice President, Purchasing Operations, Source

    Travis Ricca, Director, Corporate Development, Cumming Group

    Krystal Solorzano, Principal, Business Development, 10SB

    Michael Suomi, President, Suomi Design Works

    Ron Swidler, CEO, The Gettys Group

12:30Pm-1:30pm

NETWORKING LUNCH

1:00Pm-2:00pm

GENERAL SESSION

  • Project participants from all sides of the table highlight fresh filters for data-, demand- and desire-driven decisions that sell to cross-generational travelers without overspending on ostentation. It’s the real deal.

    Moderator:

    Amy Jakubowski, Principal, Managing Director, Pierre-Yves Rochon

    Panelists:

    Thatcher Dilley, Senior Vice President, Development, KSL Resorts

    Grace Escano-Maniatis, Director of Design, Auberge Resorts

    Khirstie Gunn Myles, Vice President, Design Services, Americas, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

    Emily Keip, Senior Vice President Design Services, Americas, Hyatt

    Karl Schmeck, Principal, BDT & MSD

1:15Pm-1:45pm

CONVERSATIONS: MEET THE NEWH AWARD WINNERS + JUDGES

  • Gather for this celebration of current and future industry changemakers. Get a first-hand look at what they see as the most important challenges and opportunities. Then learn more as NEWH’s thought-leading judges discuss the skills and vision of some of the most powerful up-and-coming and established voices in the hotel and construction sectors.

    Leaders:

    Michelle Finn, Vice President Design & Construction Products and Services, The BHN Group by Northstar

    Shelia Lohmiller, Chair Emerita / Founder, NEWH, Inc

1:45Pm-2:35pm

INTERACTIVE ROUNDTABLES

  • What will be brands’ next PIP priorities? How flexible will they be on design and completion timelines? How will operators and owners finance and monetize these upgrades? Find out what’s getting all stakeholders to the same side of the table.

    Moderator:

    Channing Henry, Managing Director and Head of US, PKF Hospitality Group

    Panelists:

    Kangana Bhanti, Director of Interior Design, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

    David Breeding, Senior Vice President, Design & Construction, Aimbridge Hospitality

    Kavitha Iyer, Vice President, Architecture & Design, Choice Hotels International

    Duane Schroder, Chief Growth Officer, Waterford Hotel Group

    Jeffrey Stulmaker, Partner and Chief Investment Officer, KHP Capital Partners

  • Immersive is more than a buzzword for the next generation of stays that connect guests to nature. Find out how every touchpoint in design and development is critical to delivering ROI on the great outdoors.

    Moderator:

    Zach Busekrus, Head of Alliance, Journey and Host, Behind the Stays

    Panelists:

    Isaac French, Founder, Live Oak Lake

    Hans Lorei, Designer & Content Creator, Founder, Hans Lorei Design

    Ben Wolff, Co-founder, Onera & Oasis

    Irene Wood, Founder, The Fields

2:30pm-2:50pm

CONVERSATIONS: DESIGNERS TALK SUCCESS STRATEGIES FOR INNOVATIVE VACATION OWNERSHIP

  • Leader:

    Karin Harrington, Founding Principal, Studio Partnership

    Speaker:

    Ana Palacios, Global Associate Director of Interior Design, Marriott Vacation Club

3:00pm-3:20pm

CONVERSATIONS: HOTEL OPERATOR + DESIGNERS TALK SMART SOLUTIONS FOR SAVING LABOR, UNLOCKING REVENUE

  • Leader:

    Josh Perlman, Vice President, Design + Construction, DiamondRock Hospitality

    Speakers:

    Duk Kim, Managing Principal, Global Hospitality Leader, Stantec Architecture

    Daniel Welborn, Principal, DW Design//Strategy

3:40pm-4:00pm

CONVERSATIONS: ARCHITECT, DIGITAL SPECIALIST7:24 AM + INTEGRATED SERVICES EXPERT TALK ABOUT THE ETHICS, EFFICIENCIES + INEVITABILITY OF AI

  • Leader:

    Ryan Martin, CEO, CSHQA

    Speakers:

    Ted Torres, Partner + Head of Hospitality, Crede Group

    Robert Vance, Principal, Vance Design Company

    David Wilts, Founder + CEO, Digital Masterplanning

4:00pm-5:00pm

NETWORKING RECEPTION + CLOSING REMARKS

* Schedule subject to change