Portfolio was represented at Hospitality Design magazine's Summit by firm leads Craig and Amy Smith. This year's Summit was held at the Ritz carlton in Laguna Niguel, California, perched on a cliff above the Pacific. the event is described by HD as "An invitation-only gathering of senior-level executives in the hospitality industry who attend as delegates or sponsors. Hospitality Design Summit serves as the industry's leadership think tank...often called "thought camp". The group is split between the design/purchasing/ownership/operational side of the business and manufacturers/service providers who are sponsors of the event, all senior-level industry professionals.
What is so great about HD Summit is that it is purely a networking event without the sales pitch. It is an opportunity for industry leaders to get together on a different level, as friends and colleagues. The sessions are always interesting and offer an array of experts offering guidance in leadership, creativity, motivation, and inspiration. While sessions are typically not directly related to hospitality they are relevant to the way we think and the way we work in our lives and businesses.
View from the Ritz Carlton
This year packed in: David Cooper who's story is of a ski racer who was blinded in an accident and his journey to investment banker (many lessons taken); Neil Pasricha, author and blogger of the award-winning "1000 Awesome Things" (yes, it was awesome!); Nirvana Mullick, a filmmaker famous for his short film Caine's Arcade (which led to a really great workshop - look for Amy's post); Pico Iyer, world traveler, essayist, and novelist; Philippe Petit who dazzled and stunned the world by his daring (and illegal) walk on a tightrope between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center (the film that chronicles his Twin Towers feat, Man on Wire, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2008); and - a Summit regular - Bruce Ford of Lodging Econometrics (yes, a numbers guy - but the most trusted numbers guy in the business). Quite a variety of learning!
This is such a great event. Craig has attended eleven of the fifteen years and Amy has been to the last eight. One of our favorite industry events, we see this as a must every year. Connecting with our industry friends and associates in this setting is something we always look forward to and the speakers are always a great surprise . The team at Hospitality Design puts on such a fantastic event. If you ever have the opportunity to attend don't hesitate - it's a few days very well spent.
To view a video of the event, click here: HD Summit 2015 Yearbook.