2

MARCH

08:30 - 09:30

The State of Play

Featuring a blend of presentation and panel discussion, we explore the state of play for MEA – charting where we are now and where we might be headed.

From hotel pipelines to the forces influencing concept development and design, HI Design’s opening gambit offers both insight and food for thought, contextualising the market and setting the stage for two days of relationship building, discussion and productive business.

Panelists:

Philip Wooller
Area Director, Middle East & Africa
STR

Heba El-Dessouky
Interior Design Management Ph.D.

Mennah Darwish
Design Manager,
Select Group

in conversation with:

Harry McKinley
Seminar Host

2

MARCH

14:30 - 15:30 

Nailing F&B

Restaurants and bars are now the focal points of hotels; spaces to connect with communities, cultivate brand culture and even places to disrupt.

But when mediocrity is no longer good enough to capture the attention of guests and locals, what is the key to getting them right? What does it take to design and execute F&B spaces that excite visitors and ignite conversations? And what are the clichés to avoid? Winning World’s Best Restaurant at the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards in 2021 and named Architectural Digest Middle East’s Emerging Designers of the Year in 2022, Astet Studio founders Ala Zreigat and Oscar Engroba discuss the recipe for creating a hit.

Speakers:

Ala Zreigat
Partner and CEO,
Astet Studio
Oscar Engroba
Creative Director,
Astet Studio

in conversation with:

Harry McKinley
Seminar Host

3

MARCH

08:30 - 09:30

HI Design’s Hot Topics

Nothing is off the table in this wide-reaching discussion, as our panel of industry leaders tackle the region’s biggest issues and most timely talking points.

With audience interaction encouraged, be a part of the conversations genuinely shaping the Middle East and Africa, in a forum where different opinions are welcomed and sparks may fly.

Panelists:

Alessandro Tedesco
Chief Operating Officer,
Febc Group

Adriana Graur
Design Director,
DWP

Jacky Greig
Co-founder,
Skapari

Tarek Hegazy
Principal and
Creative Director,
Living Design

Moderated by:

Harry McKinley
Seminar Chair

3

MARCH

13:05 – 13:35

In Practice: Virtual Reality

As a tool, virtual reality has the power to transform how spaces are conceived and designs developed. In this real-world case study, GG&Grace CEO and Creative Director, Gauthier Guillaume, showcases the studio’s pioneering work in virtual hospitality design and explores why this emerging technology could soon be standard.

Speaker:

Gauthier Guillaume
CEO &
Creative Director,
GG&Grace

3

MARCH

13:35 – 14:05

The Future is Virtual

Will the metaverse live up to the hype, will it flounder or, worse, could it be a vision of dystopian hell? For Pallavi Dean, founder and creative director of Dubai-based Roar, it is simply, undeniably the future.

Once a sceptic and now a supporter, in this Hi Design MEA closing seminar, she explains what the metaverse means for design, hospitality and the future of experiences.

Speaker:

Pallavi Dean
Founder and Creative Director, Roar

CONTACT US

General Enquiries:

Louisa Walton

Tel: +971 58 159 0945
[email protected]

Operational Enquiries:

Charlie Gilmour

Tel: +44 7889 720294
[email protected]

Supplier Enquiries:

Sephora Maio

Tel: +971 50 257 2847
[email protected]

Buyer Enquiries:

Syed Pasha

Tel: +971 50 254 3617
[email protected]