HBG Design Weighs In: 'Pandemic brings new challenges to design concepts', by Hotel Business Magazine
In July’s Hotel Business Magazine, HBG Design Practice Leader, Rick Gardner, AIA, comments on recent challenges facing the hospitality and entertainment industry during these unprecedented times. The firm has been proactive in developing guest-oriented design solutions focused on health, safety and wellness.
“We like to think about change in hotel design in a post-pandemic world like this — if you were to pick up a hotel room and literally turn it upside down, everything that falls to the floor goes away. This means all the soft goods like bolster pillows, bed throws, etc. are eliminated; we’re leaning toward a clear simplification of materials, along with reducing non-washable materials – that could include shifting from curtains to washable blinds; using anti-viral and antimicrobial fabrics in the guestroom; and anti-microbial grout in the bathrooms. Surfaces will change and transform — we’re looking at LVT instead of carpet; new and improved filtration systems and air handling; and making touchpoints touchless, using technology like Alexa and Google to a greater extent – leveraging voice control to reduce need for surface contact to turn on lights, the TV, the shower, etc.”
Nathan Peak Joins Other Industry Experts for GGB's Webinar: 'What Will a Casino Resort Look Like in the Wake of Covid-19?'
Global Gaming Business, The Innovation Group and Regulatory Management Counselors P.C. (RMC) present a national webinar series for the gaming industry
‘Gaming in Crisis: The Path Back’
featuring insights from
HBG Design
Nathan Peak, AIA, Leed GA
Principal & Design Director
In the May 28 ‘Gaming in Crisis’ Webinar Series - Episode 5, Design Changes: What Will a Casino Resort Look Like in the Wake of Covid-19?, Nathan Peak joins a panel of industry experts in casino operations and hospitality design to discuss the type of facility planning and design changes that may be implemented in casinos, food and beverage venues and hotels as properties reopen in the wake of Covid-19.
“Whether on the gaming floor or in the guestroom, the first touch point for every guest must provide a sense of well-being and safety both physically and mentally, without detracting from the allure and luxury of the hospitality environment,” says Peak.
https://youtu.be/z4uRGieXsB4
‘Gaming in Crisis’ Webinar Series - Episode 5, Design Changes: What Will a Casino Resort Look Like in the Wake of Covid-19?
Speakers
Michael Soll, The Innovation Group - Moderator
Frank Freedman, Chief Operating Officer, Four Winds Casinos - Speaker
Nathan Peak, AIA, LEED GA, Principal/Design Director, HBG Design - Speaker
Robert Gdowski, AIA, Principal, JCJ Architecture - Speaker
View more webinars in the Gaming in Crisis: The Path Back Series Here.
New Insights: Sportsbook Design as seen in Tribal Government Gaming
https://issuu.com/globalgamingbusiness/docs/tribal_government_gaming_2020/22
From 2 Offices to 100 Virtual Home Offices Practically Overnight!
Our HBG Design Family is collaborating remotely from over 100 unique locations across San Diego and Memphis while we continue to advance our projects and respond to our clients' needs.
The support and commitment our employees have shown to each other, to our clients and our communities during these extraordinary times continues to demonstrate why we’re consistently ranked as a top workplace. Thanks to every member of our team for your extraordinary measures in these unprecedented times.
You can continue to reach us through our main office numbers (Memphis 901.525.2557/ San Diego 619.858.7888) or email/call our employees directly.
We’re looking forward to being back together soon!
HBG Design's 2020 Predictions for Hospitality & Gaming Industry
As published in Indian Gaming Magazine's Ask the Experts Column titled "Spotlight on 2020 and Beyond"
Big data and the leverage of big data will continue to have a huge impact on Indian Gaming and the entertainment and hospitality industry for years to come. Data is such a significant part of our everyday lives and the management and analysis of big data by AI (artificial intelligence) is stunning if not a bit shocking. Like it or not, big data is watching you. Virtually every digital interaction we choose to make – things like internet engagement and behavior, tele-communications, electronic/card transactional history, social media activity, etc. – leaves a digital trail that is collected and stored. Similarly, location-based services and cell phone connections track our physical moves, from major travel activity to simple everyday actions like walking down the street or migrating through a store or a casino. Our movements are mapped and stored. It’s virtually impossible to hide. There’s certainly no hiding from the steady improvements in facial recognition software or even parking lot license plate readers. Cameras are literally everywhere. Law enforcement agencies, security companies, retailers, and casinos are implementing these new technologies that instantly connect a face or a car to a person and then to a huge wealth of data.
Big data has become a significant tool in creating competitive advantage, having a profound and positive impact on Indian Gaming. When a gaming operation knows what its guest wants; when they know what their personal preferences and spending habits are; that enterprise is much better positioned to create tailored products, services, and experiences and deliver them in very personal and memorable ways. When a guest gets what he wants, he’ll spend more, patronize more, and in many instances, drive further for the personalized experience. It’s been said that the most successful brands have an emotional connection to their customers. Big data can provide insight into demographic, behavioral and psychographic attributes like values, attitudes, and beliefs that resonate personally and culturally. Big data offers casino resorts the opportunity to create real value that connects directly to their customer base. And by the same example, when a casino knows very detailed demographic and psychographic information about the customers that it doesn’t have, the casino is much better equipped to design and deliver very targeted and tailored amenities with higher projected returns and success rates.
At HBG Design, we have been exploring and leveraging demographic, behavioral and psychographic data in order to enlighten our clients about its impact on competitiveness. Data can inform planning and design decisions that are targeted and specific. Generally, most existing casino operators know their guests through loyalty programs and surveys; which are often narrow and depend upon guest participation. By diving deeper and studying information such as detailed spending habits, income levels, travel habits, casino visitation, etc., we can improve decision-making, and uncover valuable insights that influence program, quality levels and price points. The benefits of big data are still unfolding in our industry, but the results of leveraging this kind resource are clear: higher guest satisfaction, competitive advantage, and of course higher profits.
Luxury Reimagined - The Spa at Cache Creek Resort as Featured in Global Gaming Business Casino Style Magazine
https://issuu.com/globalgamingbusiness/docs/casino_style_2019/10
Sycuan Casino Resort Featured in Global Gaming Business Casino Style Magazine
https://issuu.com/globalgamingbusiness/docs/casino_style_2019/28
HBG Design Principal, Dike Bacon, speaks at the UNLV Gaming & Hospitality Education Series
https://issuu.com/globalgamingbusiness/docs/global_gaming_business__july_2019
HBG Design Principal, Dike Bacon, was a speaker on a session panel called ‘Expand or Die: Non-Gaming Amenities’ at the UNLV Gaming & Hospitality Education Series produced by Global Gaming Business. Held at Morongo Casino Resort on May 21, the ongoing speaker series will keep tribal gaming executives informed about the topics that will define Indian gaming over the next decade.Read more
Global Gaming Business Names Emily Marshall Emerging Leader
All in the Design
By Michael Vanaskie Mon, Apr 22, 2019
See full article in Global Gaming Business Magazine
Emily Marshall, IIDA, Interior Design Discipline Leader, HBG Design
Casinos and integrated resort developments are among of the most iconic architectural buildings in the world. It’s easy to recognize this looking at the Las Vegas skyline or the seminal steel structure of Marina Bay Sands.
While the exteriors sometimes create iconic attractions, what lies inside is critical to creating memorable guest experiences. Emily Marshall appreciates this notion. As leader of the Interior Design Group at HBG Design, she’s an expert on the design nuances necessary to create environments that leave a lasting impression.
“Interior design for the hospitality and gaming industry is all about creating vibrant experiences for guests,” Marshall explains. “This has always intrigued me—the drama and excitement that physical spaces can impart, the thoughtfulness that’s put into how guests use and experience a space.”
“Interior design for the hospitality and gaming industry is all about creating vibrant experiences for guests,” Marshall explains. “This has always intrigued me—the drama and excitement that physical spaces can impart, the thoughtfulness that’s put into how guests use and experience a space.”The nuances of both the business goals and guest desires in gaming and hospitality originally attracted Marshall, and keeps her pushing forward. “There’s a psychological element to it, paired with the fantasy of escapism. That’s kept me challenged and passionate about my career.”
While Marshall could be a considered a design veteran with 14 years of experience, her interest in and experience with art and design began well before her professional career. The daughter of a prominent Memphis architect, she developed an eye for design at an early age. Professionally, she points to her first mentor as having the most impact on her career trajectory.
“The influence of my dad notwithstanding, my first mentor, Jacques Coetzee, taught me how to truly be a designer,” Marshall says. “He helped me understand the importance collaboration plays in the role of an interior designer, while also teaching me how to push the boundaries of design and to be bold in my expression of interior spaces.”
For young design professionals, Marshall has advice on ways to grow both professionally and personally. “Broaden your perspective. Travel! Go see as much of the world as you can. The challenges we face when designing very complex experiences have existed before, so it’s important to see how other designers dealt with them."
“Every project has issues, some more visible than others, so seeing details in real time is important,” she adds. “I believe in complete immersion into places whose cultures and traditions affect their visual connection to the built environment.”
For someone whose livelihood revolves around creating memorable experiences for others, Marshall says the projects have had just as much of an experiential impact on her. “Seeing these gaming and resort projects come to life has given me indescribable and unforgettable experiences of my own.”
This year, she looks forward to seeing three major projects come to fruition and open. “These large-scale projects have been years in the making,” she says. Be on the lookout for Marshall’s latest imprints on the gaming and hospitality industries.