Search For Radical Innovation In Hospitality Announces Call For 2009 Entries

ATLANTA, GA | Got radical ideas for hospitality? The third annual Search for Radical Innovation in Hospitality competition, which features a grand prize of $10,000, is open for entries through August 1, 2009. Entry forms and competition details are available online at .

The global Search for Radical Innovation in Hospitality, co-sponsored by The John Hardy Group and Hospitality Design magazine, aims to discover, identify, and explore radically innovative concepts in hospitality. The competition challenges creative individuals, teams, brands, and students to create a unique vision of the future of hospitality design. Eligible projects include those open now, in development stages, and ideas in conceptual form.

“As the current extremely challenging economic climate takes its toll on organizations, deals, brands and individual careers, new opportunities will arise for creative ventures. With every market upheaval, it inevitably will bring new ideas, new concepts, new firms and new leaders that bring unique and experimental ideas to the market place. Radical Innovation is intended to be a forum to identify these new ideas and to give the creative individuals behind them a vehicle for greater visibility in the market place. What better time than now for this to happen”, said John Hardy, president and CEO of The John Hardy Group.

A jury of industry executives will determine the top two most radically innovative entries. Entries selected by the jury will be presented by their project teams to the conference audience at Hospitality Design Boutique Exposition & Conference (HD Boutique) in Miami Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2009. Audience members will vote real-time to determine the grand-prize winner.

2008 competition winners
The $10,000 Grand Prize in the Search for Radical Innovation in Hospitality 2008 went to Morris Architects for the conceptual Gulf of Mexico Oil Rig Platform Resort Spa & Aquatic Adventure project (The Rig Hotel). WATG received a runner-up award for e | merse, an inclusive social and technology-driven network concept designed specifically for Generation X and Y traveler preferences. In addition, honorable mentions were awarded to the Extreme Birding hotel concept submitted by Morris Architects and to The Wind Tower energy-producing hotel concept submitted by Richard Moreta of Richard Moreta Architecture and John Naranjo of MRA Design. Art Institute of Colorado student Danielle Meyer (now with Box Studios) received a judges’ special award for an unbuilt project called Pagoda.

Details on the competition: Criteria for entry:

1. Concept (built or unbuilt) must be truly innovative and offer the market something that is not currently available widely, or does not yet exist.
2. Concept must include guestrooms/suites and lobby/public areas. Including food and beverage facilities and other amenities is optional, but recommended.
3. Concept may be branded or unbranded.
4. All hospitality project types are eligible, but must provide an experience not yet available, or widely available, in its category.
5. Entries must follow submission requirements, using entry form provided.
6. A $100 entry fee is required for each entry: no entry fee for students.
7. Multiple entries by a single entrant (or company) are permitted.
8. Hospitality Design reserves the right to publish selected entries in print and online, and showcase the winners in an educational format at HD Boutique 2009 in Miami Beach.

Deadline to enter:

• August 15, 2009

Jurors:

• Simon Turner, Starwood Hotels & Resorts
• Michael Medzigian, Watermark Capital Partners
• James Woods, Keen Partners, LLC
• Pam Parsons, Parsons & Company
• John Hardy, The John Hardy Group
• Claude Amar, The John Hardy Group International

The John Hardy Group provides independent strategic advisory and development services globally to joint venture partners, investors, asset managers and major Brands in the hospitality real estate sector. JHG is the recognized leader in creative solutions to complex challenges in renovation, redevelopment and new development projects. The company has successfully managed over $5.5 billion in development related assignments and completed projects with more than $1.4 billion in development value encompassing 739 projects in 29 countries. JHG is headquartered in Atlanta with an additional office located in Paris, France.

Hospitality Design Boutique Exposition & Conference (HD Boutique) is presented by the Hospitality Design Group, part of Nielsen Business Media, which also produces Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference (HD Expo) in Las Vegas from May 19-21, 2010 (hdexpo.com). Also annually, Hospitality Design magazine presents Hospitality Design Green Day (HD Green Day) in Las Vegas and Hospitality Design Summit (HD Summit) in Pebble Beach, CA, in 2010. HD Boutique is presented in association with: International Interior Design Association (IIDA); International Society of Hospitality Purchasers (ISHP), National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ); American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and NEWH, Inc. – The Hospitality Industry Network.

Nielsen Business Media, a division of The Nielsen Company, is a leading market-focused provider of integrated information and sales and marketing solutions, helping businesses go to market more effectively and efficiently. Serving seven major market groups, and 30 individual markets, spanning the entertainment, media and marketing, retail, travel and performance, design, and life sciences industries, Nielsen Business Media provides business-to-business products and services in print, online and in person. With 42 publications, more than 60 trade shows and 185 digital products and services, Nielsen Business Media offers insight, analysis and face-to-face contacts to help professionals better understand their markets, serve their customers and grow their businesses.

The Building Design Group, part of Nielsen Business Media, includes leading publications, events and digital offerings in the residential and commercial property design industry including DDI, GlobalShop, Commercial Property News, Contract, Hospitality Design, Hospitality Design Expo and Hospitality Design Boutique, Kitchen and Bath Business, Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, Multi-Housing News and Multi-Housing World. The group also produces publications and events in the decorated apparel and home healthcare industries including Impressions, The Imprinted Sportswear Shows and Medtrade. Additionally, three Marine Military Expositions are produced that are focused on the US Marine Corps. Nielsen Business Media is a division of The Nielsen Company.