Hotel Designs confirms Principal of Richmond International as speaker for Meet Up North

1024 537 Hamish Kilburn
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Hotel Designs, which is set to take HD Meet Up brand to Manchester this July, has just confirmed Principal of Richmond International, Fiona Thompson, as the headline speaker for the evening…

Hotel Designs has confirmed that Principal of Richmond International, Fiona Thompson, will be the headline speaker at Meet Up North.

Taking place on July 18 at Manchester’s trendy King Street Townhouse, the evening networking event is a bridge between designers, architects, procurement companies and suppliers. Thompson, known in the hotel design industry for working on projects such as The Langham London, Sandy Lane in Barbados and Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square, will speak about past projects and the value of collaboration.

Speaking ahead of the networking event, Thompson said: “Only through a thoughtful collaborative process, which acknowledges individual skills, talents and perspectives, can a project be successfully completed. Richmond International is extremely excited to take part in Meet Up North, an event which honours the significance of professional collaboration, and in turn reflect on the successful partnerships Richmond International has had the pleasure of being part of over the past 51 years.”

“I am delighted to confirm this news that such an established visionary within our industry will be the headline speaker at Meet Up North,” said editor of Hotel Designs Hamish Kilburn. “I’m always fascinated when speaking to Fiona as I believe she has such a natural warmth about her when describing past, present and future projects. She is so ‘in the know’ when it comes to all topics within hotel design and, considering how in-demand she is, we are very grateful that she will join us in Manchester next month.”

Full event details, including start time and location, can be found here.

Our headline partner for this event is Marca Corona whom we announced last month. If you are a supplier to the hotel industry and are interested in attending/supporting this Meet Up please contact Jennie Lane now to find out how you can get involved.

The Hotel Designs summer Meet Up is completely free for hoteliers, interior designers and architects; click here to confirm your attendance.

Hamish Kilburn / 12.06.2018

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Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.