Tuesday 6 May 2025

8:00am-9:00am	NETWORKING: REGISTRATION, COFFEE, TEA and EXHIBITION SHOWCASE
9:00am-9:05am	WELCOME TO DESIGN INN SYMPOSIUM by emcee JESS ADAMSON, AHICE Group President JAMES WILKINSON and DESIGN INN Content Committee Chair, RUTH HOGAN.
9:05am-9:40am	PANEL: ADAPTIVE REUSE Mastering the art of office-to-hotel conversions – potential pitfalls, space optimisation strategies and innovative design solutions. AUDREY DE FILIPPIS, Associate Director, Athena Blue Global RICHARD DALMAN, Managing Director & Principal, Dalman Architects BRENTON SMITH, Director, Bates Smart KRISTI WAYMAN, Director of Design and Technical Services, Pro-invest Group Hosted by Angela Biddle, Principal, FK
9:40am-10:00am	DESIGN SHOWCASE: The EVE Hotel Sydney Discover the architecture and interior design details of Sydney’s newest trendy boutique hotel. CHARLOTTE WILSON, Senior Associate, Interior Design, SJB RACHEL YABSLEY, Project Director, Architecture, SJB
10:00am-10:25am	DESIGN Q&A: INTERCONTINENTAL BAROSSA RESORT AND SPA An exploration of the origins and evolution of a state-significant hotel design. CHRIS WATKINS, Director, Baukultur SONIA LEFEVRE, Managing Director, Hotellerie Hosted by JONATHAN CONROY, Snr Director, Design & Engineering – Australasia, IHG Hotels & Resorts
10:30am-11:00am	NETWORKING: MORNING TEA and EXHIBITION SHOWCASE
11:00am-11:40am	LIGHTING MASTERCLASS, presented by Studio All This masterclass explores light as a spatial and psychological instrument—shaping perception, directing visual hierarchy, and constructing atmosphere in hospitality environments. Framed through design, science, and performative space-making, we examine how lighting curates experience and choreographs the theatre of hospitality. ANDREW MINTY, Director – Asset Development, Gallagher Jeffs CHRISTOPHER CARUANA, General Manager, Bluebottle FAY GREENHALGH, Lighting Design Director, Studio All HAYLEY MITCHELL, Principal, Mitchell & Eades Hosted by Liam Petrie-Allbutt, Founder & Managing Director, Studio All
11:40am-12:00pm	DESIGN SHOWCASE: 1 Hotel & Homes Melbourne, Seafarers Slated to be a feat of sustainable, biophilic design, don’t miss this exclusive preview of Barry Sternlicht’s mission-driven, luxury lifestyle hotel, ahead of its Australian debut. FALK PEUSER, Principal, FK (Project Architect) SAMSON TIEW, Founding Director, One Design Office
12:00pm-12:35pm	RAISING THE BAR: THE BUSINESS OF BUZZY F&B VENUES Exploring the influence of the hottest hospitality groups on hotel bar and restaurant design. JAMES BRADEY, Founder & Director, Liquid & Larder JASON WILLIAMS, Co-Founder & Beverage Director, Housemade Hospitality Hosted by Caspar Schmidt, Founder & Managing Director, QCC Collection
12:35pm-1:30pm	NETWORKING: LUNCH and EXHIBITION SHOWCASE
1:35pm-2:15pm	REFURBISHMENT MASTERCLASS presented by Shape Refurbishment That Works: Where the Money Goes and How to Make It Count ANDREW PICKERING, Commercial Manager, SHAPE CATHERINE HART, Senior Design Manager, TOGA GRACE LEI GUO, Director, Stack Studio MARIE COLANGELO, Project Director, Repositioning Projects, Salter Brothers Hosted by Guy Blunden, Director – Client Services, WMK Architecture
2:15pm-3:00pm	DEBATE: “Can AI Revolutionise Hotel Design Without Sacrificing Human Creativity and Authenticity?” With artificial intelligence advancing at breakneck speed, speakers will argue for and against its use in hotel design. This debate will explore whether AI can transform hotel design through innovation and efficiency, or whether it will undermine the human touch that makes hospitality so special. ANDREW LYMN-PENNING, Lecturer, Architecture, UniSA Creative ASHLEY HASTINGS, Studio Design Technology Leader, Woods Bagot DOMINIC GAETANI, Director, DKO JULIE OCKERBY, Creative Director & Principal \| CEO, Meli Studio SANDER VERSLUIS, Project Director, UNStudio STEVEN CASSELLS, Project Delivery Lead \| Director, Neuron Moderated by IVAN SUNDE, Chief Executive Officer, Onyx ASW
3:00pm-3:30pm	NETWORKING: AFTERNOON TEA and EXHIBITION SHOWCASE Presented by
3:30pm-3:50pm	KEYNOTE: DEFITS THAT DO GOOD RENUKA FERNANDO, Co-Founder, ReLove BEN STAMMER, Co-Founder, ReLove Architect Ren Fernando and former investment banker Ben Stammer teamed up in 2019 to launch ReLove – a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping people in need rebuild their lives and homes. ReLove partners with hotels to rescue high-quality furniture from landfill during refurbishments, redirecting it to families affected by domestic violence, people experiencing homelessness, and individuals seeking asylum. In this keynote presentation, discover how ReLove is creating meaningful change – for people, for the planet, and for the hospitality industry’s bottom line.
3:50pm-4:15pm	DESIGN SHOWCASE: Adelaide Marriott Distinctly ‘Adelaide’ in style, South Australia’s first Marriott hotel honours the city’s rich history, art and culture, and the heritage of the iconic GPO building that it is housed in. Discover the hotel’s unique design details and luxury bathroom fittings. TRACEY WILES, Principal, Woods Bagot (Interior Design) STEVEN HIGGINS, LIXIL Australia & New Zealand LWT APAC
4:15pm-4:55pm	PANEL: DESIGN DECISION MAKERS: Creative control in an evolving hotel landscape In the delicate dance between designer, brand, operator and owner, who gets the final say on design decisions? What makes for a successful outcome, and can too many cooks spoil the broth? AMELIA DONALD, Associate Director of Interior Design, Bates Smart JANA HIGGS, Director, Design & Technical Services – Luxury Pacific, Accor JESSICA GOULD, Senior Associate, SA Lead, Construction Assignments KELLY BEST, Development Manager, ICD Property MICHAEL DRESCHER, Director, DKO Hosted by Juliet Ashworth, Partner & Creative Director, CHADA
4:55pm-5:10pm	THE 2025 AUSTRALASIA-PACIFIC HOTEL DESIGN AWARDS, presented by HM Magazine Celebrate the winners and highly commended in new-build, conversion and refurbishment projects across Australasia-Pacific.
5:10pm-5:15pm	WRAP UP: Closing remarks on Design Inn Symposium 2025
5:15pm-7:15pm	GALA NETWORKING EVENT AT HILTON ADELAIDE (available for AHICE Speakers, Future Leaders Forum and Design Inn delegates only) Presented by
7:30pm-onwards	NETWORKING: THE AHICE ASIA-PACIFIC ‘AFTER DARK’ NETWORKING LOUNGE Venue details to be revealed via the AHICE Asia Pacific APP powered by Sudima (complimentary drink on arrival and then pay as you go). Presented by

Note: Program is subject to change

DESIGN INN House Rules

A note from the organisers: Due to a number of unofficial invite-only events taking place during the official event times in recent years, we would ask that businesses and individuals please do not host any events during the above times as a courtesy to other sponsors of AHICE and Design Inn. We all know that without sponsors, events like this cannot happen and we ask that our request is respected. If events do take place during the official times, the organisers and representatives of those companies will not be able to attend any AHICE sessions at the Adelaide Oval or Design Inn and are at the risk of passes being revoked.

We will also be requesting that supplier attendees that aren’t sponsors of the event to not canvas for business with sales materials and documents at the events at the Adelaide Oval or SkyCity. Those that do it will be at the risk of passes being revoked.

To find out how you can be involved in the program, please contact:

HOTEL OWNERS & CHAINS

James Wilkinson, AHICE Group President: jwilkinson@intermedia.com.au

SUPPLIERS & ADVISERS

Tara Ducrou, Group Commercial Manager: tducrou@intermedia.com.au