Europe’s leading hotel architecture, design and development event (Sleep) returns to the Business Design Centre in London on 24-25 November. Building on the brilliant success of Sleep 2014, this year’s event promises new immersive experiences, ingenious installations by celebrated industry names, thought-provoking conference sessions and exhibitors carefully selected for diversity, innovation and quality. As details for Sleep 2015 are firmed up, here’s a taste of what to expect.Sleep Set and the Sleep Bar
Created afresh each year, these two hugely inspirational and popular features challenge design companies to create spaces that push boundaries and explore new ideas. This year’s theme is ‘Wonder Tale’, with the competing Sleep Set teams tasked to design and build a guestroom that draws on the essence of fairytales and folklore from around the world. Designers are invited to weave their own story which, like a fairytale, touches on the human condition while playing with perceptions and disrupting the norm so as to engage and nurture guests in new ways. Confirmed as participants to date are: Areen Design, Oliver Heath Studio, Shaun Clarkson ID and THE STUDIO at Harrods. The sets will be judged by three leading figures from the world of hotel architecture and design – Javier Hortal of Mandarin Oriental, Katy Ghahremani of MAKE Architects and Stylt Trampoli’s Erik Nissen Johansen – with the winning team announced at a networking reception on the first evening of Sleep’s Sleep Bar, the go-to destination for networking and socialising at the event, will also harness the power of storytelling through fairytales with Conran+Partners performing the magic as this year’s designers.
“We are very excited to be part of Sleep this year and the ‘Fairytale’ theme is already inspiring us. The level of creativity has been set high over the years, so we have to do something really special to give it justice,” says Conran+Partners Project Director, Tina Norden.
More Experiential + Immersive Features
Several additional features this year will showcase original ideas, technologies, products and materials.
In the Design Gallery, designers will explore the increasing ‘blurring of lines’ between different physical spaces and between the physical and the experiential. Several specially designed spaces created by, amongst others, Pringle Brandon Perkins + Will, will suggest ways in which the hotel space and the workplace as well as hotel and residential spaces could converge in the future as the way people wish to lead their lives changes. This subject will also be picked up in a session at the Sleep Conference which will consider the emotional and practical issues and challenge assumptions about how hotels should be designed.
Following its successful Sleep debut last year, Snoozebox, the unique and adaptable portable hotel, will be returning, this time with a competition entitled Flexibility in which designers will be invited to create a concept for a pop-up guestroom focusing on flexibility in function, materials and technology. The winning entry will be installed in a Snoozebox, with materials supplied by Egger, and will be displayed outside the venue.
The Digital Hub is also to make a return appearance to captivate visitors with some of the latest hi-tech applications for the hotel design sector.
Exhibition
Every year the exhibition is carefully curated to ensure the most compelling combination of newcomers and regular names, larger manufacturers and bespoke artisans. This year, there will be a new emphasis on surfaces with leading European and UK manufacturers, such as Johnson Tiles and Consentino, revealing their latest ranges of floor, wall and furniture surfaces to welcome visitors as they arrive in the main exhibition hall. Elsewhere, Sleep newcomers will range from Loloey, who will be showcasing designs from its Daniel Libeskind rugs collection, Danish lighting company Light Years and luxury brassware manufacturer Perrin & Rowe to The Vintage Fridge Company and Newhey Carpets.
Conference
A big draw for many visitors, the free-to-attend Sleep Conference is shaping up with fresh, forward-thinking content to inform and inspire industry professionals. With a burgeoning reputation for quality and substance, the Conference continues to attract celebrated industry figures from the UK, Europe and beyond, and confirmed names will be announced shortly. The 2015 programme combines topical panel discussions with celebrity keynotes, and the Sleep Set design teams will present their ideas for immediate feedback from the judges. 2015 also sees the return of the popular Development Round Tables giving delegates the chance to talk with the ‘movers and shakers’ of the international hotel industry.
A late night opening until 8pm on Tuesday 24 November, including a cocktail hour from 6-7pm, will give visitors the chance to take in the show and toast The Sleep Set winner announced at 7pm.
Grohe is the Founder Partner and host of the VIP lounge. Sleep’s official Event Partner is the European Hotel Design Awards which will culminate in a dinner on the evening of Monday 23 November when the winners will be announced in a glittering ceremony at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in London.
