LONDON – As anticipation increases in the lead up to Sleep, Europe’s hotel design and development event, new features revealed promise to take the visitor experience to a new level ensuring that it continues to be the source of inspiration for the industry.
Sleepwalking at Sleep
Hotels and trade shows have a lot in common – regular guests return year after year following the same routes and visiting the same areas, alongside first timers who are keen to experience all a hotel or show has to offer. Both also have the potential to inspire. Drawing on these analogies, Sleepwalking at Sleep is an entirely new concept by Modulex that brings the science of wayfinding into focus, informing and guiding visitors through Sleep 2016 so that they don’t miss anything. Modulex, a world leader in wayfinding and signage solutions, has investigated the psychology of how people metaphorically ‘sleepwalk’ through hotels and trade shows and will be designing intelligent solutions that embrace landmarks, icons and other signage to disrupt unconscious behaviours and spark curiosity, enticing and reassuring visitors as they wend their way through Sleep’s myriad experiences – whether a regular attendee or first time visitor.
Hotels and trade shows have a lot in common – regular guests return year after year following the same routes and visiting the same areas, alongside first timers who are keen to experience all a hotel or show has to offer. Both also have the potential to inspire. Drawing on these analogies, Sleepwalking at Sleep is an entirely new concept by Modulex that brings the science of wayfinding into focus, informing and guiding visitors through Sleep 2016 so that they don’t miss anything. Modulex, a world leader in wayfinding and signage solutions, has investigated the psychology of how people metaphorically ‘sleepwalk’ through hotels and trade shows and will be designing intelligent solutions that embrace landmarks, icons and other signage to disrupt unconscious behaviours and spark curiosity, enticing and reassuring visitors as they wend their way through Sleep’s myriad experiences – whether a regular attendee or first time visitor.
Immersive Reality Lounge
With 2016 dubbed ‘the year of virtual reality’, visitors will have the chance to experience hotel design concepts in 3D and get their hands on some of the latest digital reality platforms in the Immersive Reality Lounge, hosted by tech pioneers Soluis in collaboration with design consultancy Graven. These will include the recently launched HTC Vive, which allows people to walk around a virtual space using their own footsteps, the newest Oculus Rift headset - and the latest Sublime Portal, the next-level shared immersion experience for visitors. This fast-evolving technology is set to transform the design process, providing a critical stage between the drawing board and built space, enabling stakeholders to explore concepts and solutions at one-to-one scale.
With 2016 dubbed ‘the year of virtual reality’, visitors will have the chance to experience hotel design concepts in 3D and get their hands on some of the latest digital reality platforms in the Immersive Reality Lounge, hosted by tech pioneers Soluis in collaboration with design consultancy Graven. These will include the recently launched HTC Vive, which allows people to walk around a virtual space using their own footsteps, the newest Oculus Rift headset - and the latest Sublime Portal, the next-level shared immersion experience for visitors. This fast-evolving technology is set to transform the design process, providing a critical stage between the drawing board and built space, enabling stakeholders to explore concepts and solutions at one-to-one scale.
Partnership with University of West London
Sleep continues to support and engage the next generation of industry professionals with a fresh competition launched each year. This year, Sleep is partnering with University of West London to host the autumn intake of MA Luxury Hospitality Management students who will compete in their own ‘Science of Tribes’ competition by way of a specially created module addressing the opportunities and challenges the industry faces when designing a customer experience. Students will work with the same socio-demographic groups as the Sleep Set participants and explore the entire product-development process, from identifying customer needs to generating concepts, prototyping and design to product launch. The students will attend day two of Sleep for a critique of their schemes which will be on display and for the announcement of the winning team.
Sleep continues to support and engage the next generation of industry professionals with a fresh competition launched each year. This year, Sleep is partnering with University of West London to host the autumn intake of MA Luxury Hospitality Management students who will compete in their own ‘Science of Tribes’ competition by way of a specially created module addressing the opportunities and challenges the industry faces when designing a customer experience. Students will work with the same socio-demographic groups as the Sleep Set participants and explore the entire product-development process, from identifying customer needs to generating concepts, prototyping and design to product launch. The students will attend day two of Sleep for a critique of their schemes which will be on display and for the announcement of the winning team.
Sleep Set Winner Announcement Moves to Day Two
In a change from previous years, the ceremony announcing the winner of the Sleep Set competition will take place at lunchtime on November 23rd, the 2nd day of the event. A show highlight, the built guestroom feature is widely recognised for challenging convention. Five participating companies, each designing a room for a different socio-demographic group as identified by the SINUS Institute, will explain their concepts to a panel of judges in a conference session ahead of the winner being announced. The guestrooms installations can be experienced throughout the duration of the event.
In a change from previous years, the ceremony announcing the winner of the Sleep Set competition will take place at lunchtime on November 23rd, the 2nd day of the event. A show highlight, the built guestroom feature is widely recognised for challenging convention. Five participating companies, each designing a room for a different socio-demographic group as identified by the SINUS Institute, will explain their concepts to a panel of judges in a conference session ahead of the winner being announced. The guestrooms installations can be experienced throughout the duration of the event.
Sleep will take place on Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd November at the Business Design Centre in London.
