If you run a resort or hotel, getting hospitality right is a matter of life and death. Yet hospitality is just as important for corporations who are in a battle to attract and retain the best workers. Evidence of hospitality becoming a more important part of the workplace can be found in every casual area, cafe and lobby in any modern workplace.
That’s why HD Expo + Conference has grown so dramatically in recent years. The show is the largest single destination for hospitality product discovery in the U.S. And what a variety of products attendees experienced at HD Expo, which was held last week at the massive Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

More than 500 manufacturers and service providers exhibited at the show, spanning more than 25 categories. Products ranged from heated toilet paper dispensers (more about that later) to poolside lounge furniture and everything in between.
Nathan Peterson, senior vice president at Mallur Outdoor Collective, was showing off the new brand’s outdoor furniture collection for the first time at HD Expo. The response to his products was phenomenal, he said.
“It was a great show for us,” he said. “We’ve had a number of really good conversations with designers who have projects and are looking to specify. It has been a good blend of interior designers who specialize in hospitality projects, major corporate customers and small hotel operators. Just the kind of crowd we were hoping for.”

The event was perfect for spotting new trends in hospitality design as well, which is increasingly important since hospitality is driving office trends as well. What was displayed on the show floor in Las Vegas will make its way into hotels and eventually into corporate design.
One of the trends defining modern hospitality is the use of outdoor spaces. From the impeccably designed sun shades and umbrellas that Tucci exhibited to the concept NOOK pod designed to be used outside, attendees had dozens of vendors to explore at HD Expo. Outdoor spaces in both hospitality and corporate settings are being developed to give guests and employees a chance to relax and work outside.
And for every company selling products to make the outdoors more pleasant, an equal number of companies were exhibiting products that brings the outdoors in. Biophilia continues to gain importance in design as plants, planters and products that blend furniture with planters were on full display at HD Expo.

Opiary, a company that makes cement seating and planters, was showing at HD Expo for the third year. The sculptural furniture is designed and built in Brooklyn, said Robert Remer, who founded the company after living in a concrete house that he was forced to learn how to patch. That led to him create beautiful, organically shaped site furniture, some pieces with integrated planters. The company also makes concrete, space-dividing building blocks that can be stacked to form walls, again with integrated planters.
Designers working in corporate recognized brands like Kimball and Bernhardt Hospitality, who also have a huge presence in the hospitality market. Other brands were testing the water to gauge the interest in their products for hospitality use. KFI Studios exhibited at HD Expo for the first time, said CEO and owner Chris Smith.

“We have enough products that fit in either a commercial or hospitality space that we thought we would give it a shot,” he said. “Our booth was constantly busy and I’ve been explaining our products and how they can be used from the time I arrived until the time the show closed. It is a really interesting market for us.”
Many of the companies showing at HD Expo specialize in hospitality and have brands that designers probably would not recognized if they do not work in the market such as Palecek Hospitality, a furniture maker celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Creating a hospitality spaces takes more than just furniture. HD Expo also included a number of bedding, lighting, tile, wallcoverings and drapes. There were even a few vendors selling the soaps and beauty products found in hotel bathrooms. Others were selling the guest robes found in fine hotels.
The show had its share of clever and quirky products as well. Samantha Soltau invented Hot Cheeks after spending time in an AirBnB with her family in Colorado. It was cold and she found the toilet paper roll ended up under the radiant heater. She was pleasantly surprised after using the warm toilet paper and invented Hot Cheeks, a toilet paper dispenser that disinfects and warms the toilet paper before use. She was at the show to connect with hoteliers and designers with high-end home projects.
Michael Schuster and his company, TapCap, had a small stand at the HD Expo. Schuster, who is a fourth generation plumber and serial product designer came up with an easy to attach cover for toilet shut off valves. The covers improve the appearance of the shut off valves found in hotel bathrooms.
It makes sense that HD Expo is held in Las Vegas, a worldwide hub for cutting edge hospitality. As the show itself explains, Las Vegas is “the original test kitchen for experimental design.”
Danika Nickley, regional sales manager for outdoor furniture maker Perennials and Sutherland, said HD Expo is an important event for the Dallas-based company. “Since 2019, hospitality has been the fastest growing market for us,” she said.
Indeed, the hospitality market is becoming more and more important and its influence on other sectors is undeniable. Even if you don’t work in hospitality, the market is becoming a major influencer and trend setter for other areas of design.