Global Hospitality Talk 2026 – New York

8am

ARRIVAL

Registration with coffee, tea and breakfast

8.50am

WELCOME

Can Faik, Co-Founder, Global Hospitality Talk

EVENT COMPÉRE
Rick Evans – CEO, Red Cloud

9am

JLL UPDATE

Daniel C. Peek – President, JLL Hotels & Hospitality for the Americas

9:15am

GOING TALL WITH LUXURY

Tall buildings never cease to stir emotion, and hospitality within them creates a particularly dynamic design challenge. Hotels, restaurants, residences and amenities are often distributed across multiple vertical zones, sometimes with radically different identities, moods and guest experiences.

Optimizing space and ROI, defining the right mix of experiences, and successfully designing and delivering these complex projects requires close collaboration between brands, developers, operators, builders, architects and designers. This panel will explore how those stakeholders work together to create compelling luxury destinations in the sky.

PANELLISTS
Josh Chaiken – Principal, KPF
Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos – President and COO, Flag Luxury Group
Kenneth Colao – President & CEO, CNY Group
Nicky Unkles – Senior Vice President, Cumming Group

MODERATOR
Milan Janković – President, 3lite

10am

– COFFEE/TEA & NETWORKING –

10.45am

WHO IS THE DESIGN AUTHORITY?

You, the brand, the client, culture—or AI?

As hospitality becomes increasingly global, design is shaped by more voices than ever: brands, owners, operators, cultural context, technology and now artificial intelligence.

The question is no longer simply how to create something beautiful, but who decides what is meaningful, original and appropriate. This panel will explore where creative authority sits today, how designers protect originality and judgement, and what happens to authorship when influence comes from everywhere.

PANELLISTS

Kelly McFadden – Vice President of Development & Design, Left Lane Development
Malcolm Berg – Founder, President and Design Director, EoA Inc
Shawn Sullivan – Partner, Rockwell Group
Carrie Tolman – Associate Principal, Director of Luxury Hospitality Interiors, Parker Torres Design

MODERATOR
Tzetzy Naydenova – President, VISO Lighting

11:30am

HOSPITALITY DESIGN UNDER PRESSURE: RISING COSTS, CHANGING GUESTS, AND THE FUTURE OF DEVELOPMENT

The hospitality industry faces unprecedented pressure from rising development costs, evolving guest expectations, labour shortages, supply chain challenges, sustainability demands, and increasingly complex brand requirements. How do owners, designers, brands, operators, procurement teams, and manufacturers work together to create exceptional guest experiences while staying financially viable?

Join industry leaders for a candid discussion on the decisions shaping the future of hospitality development and the strategies needed to balance design ambition, operational realities, and investment returns.

PANELLISTS
Elyza Falzon – Vice President Architecture, Design + Construction, Luxury + Lifestyle, U.S. + Canada, Hilton
Aliya Khan – Vice President, Architecture, Design + Construction, Luxury + Lifestyle Brands – Americas, IHG Hotels & Resorts
Reid LeMesurier – President, The Cardy Group
Paul McElroy – Hospitality Development Executive

MODERATOR
Dallas Chapman – VP/GM, Bernhardt Hospitality

12.15pm

– LUNCH & NETWORKING –

1:30pm

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

David Rockwell

MODERATOR
Rick Evans – CEO, Red Cloud

2pm

RETAINED, REVISED, RETIRED:

Designers on the principles they started with, abandoned, and believe matter more than ever. This internationally acclaimed panel brings together some of the most influential leaders in design to reflect on the ideas that have shaped their careers. Through candid conversation, they will explore the principles they have retained, the beliefs they have revised and the approaches they have left behind, while considering what matters most in design today and which lessons can help shape its future.

PANELLISTS
Eileen A. Madigan – Senior Vice President of Global Interior Design, Las Vegas Sands Corp.
Mary Alice Palmer – Global Creative Director & Principal, ROAM
Michael Suomi – President, Suomi Design Works
Margaret McMahon – Global Practice Principal, Wimberly Interiors

MODERATOR
Alastair Graham – President, Montrose

2.45pm

– COFFEE/TEA & NETWORKING –

3.15pm

HERE TODAY OR HERE TO STAY?

Wellness trends reshaping how we live, work and travel

Wellbeing and wellness now extend far beyond the spa and fitness centre, influencing how luxury hotels are designed and experienced. From sleep, recovery and longevity to nutrition, air and water, these priorities are transforming the spaces and services guests expect. Bringing together leading experts in luxury hospitality, design and wellbeing, this panel will explore how hotels can respond to evolving expectations through meaningful, practical design.

The discussion will distinguish evidence-based approaches from passing trends and consider how luxury spaces can support guests’ wellbeing in genuinely memorable ways.

PANELLISTS
Stephanie Smith – Executive Director, Interior Design, North & Central America LUXE, Accor
Mark Eacott – Global Head of Design, Ennismore
Angela Feddersen – Vice President, Design Strategy, Alterra Mountain Company

MODERATOR
Ana Maria Huertas-Iragorri – Global Hospitality Sales Director, Lutron Electronics

4pm

FROM AMENITY TO IDENTITY

How f&b is becoming a defining force in hospitality brands

Restaurants and bars are no longer simply hotel amenities. They are becoming standalone destinations and cultural forces, shaping how a hospitality brand is experienced, remembered and connected to its city.

Featuring some of the industry’s most brilliant minds across hospitality, F&B and design, this panel explores how leading brands are using food and drink to build identity, culture and community, from attracting local audiences and collaborating with celebrated chefs to reflecting evolving wellness and lifestyle trends. Together, they will examine what makes a concept truly resonate beyond the hotel itself.

PANELLISTS
Wayne Browne – VP of Food & Beverage, Americas, Ennismore
Dennis Askins – Vice President Design, Equinox
Ed Ng – Principal, AB Concept

MODERATOR
Shida Salehi – Founding Principal & Creative Director, Customs Bureau

4.45pm

CLOSING REMARKS

Can Faik, Co-Founder, Global Hospitality Talk

– DRINKS & NETWORKING –