Johnny brings a well-rounded perspective to his work, having gained experience in client, operator and consultant roles. This expertise equipped him with a deep understanding of customer-centric design and the ability to balance diverse stakeholder priorities. His portfolio focused on hospitality projects, demonstrating his passion for elevating guest experiences through design.

His works specializing in feasibility studies, guest journey mapping, and master planning, Johnny has worked extensively on urban and resort hotel projects across China, Japan, Southeast Asia, the United States, and the Middle East. His ability to integrate cultural nuances into his designs ensures that each project is not only functional but also deeply connected to its local context, enhancing the guest experience.

Johnny holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology and is licensed in the State of Illinois. He served as the 2024 President of The American Institute of Architects Hong Kong Chapter.

Simon Hamilton is a London-based Educator, Interior Designer, and Moderator with over 30 years of experience in the design industry. He is an Associate Lecturer and The Super Practice Leader for the MA Interior Design Programme at the Royal College of Art, Kensington. As Design Director at YesColours Studio, Simon leads creative direction with a focus on colour, well-being, and inclusivity. His extensive design career spans residential and commercial projects across the UK and Europe, including workplace, retail, healthcare, and hospitality environments. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Simon actively supports United In Design’s mission to mentor and uplift underrepresented talent. As a Patron of the Design Museum, London, he is a sought-after host and moderator at leading design events such as Decorex, DNA Paris Design Awards, London Design Week, and Clerkenwell Design Week, fostering conversations that shape the future of the industry.

Iris Hoi is a Registered Landscape Architect in Hong Kong and a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects (HKILA). She has over 30 years of consultancy experience in Canada, Hong Kong, China, and surrounding regions. She is a Director at URBIS Limited and has been with the company since 1992. She was the President of the HKILA from 2018 to 2022 and has been actively involved in the Institute since 1991, chairing a variety of committees including education, practice, public affairs, functions and events, professional practice examination, and accreditation review. Iris served as a member of the Land Supply Task Force for the Hong Kong SAR Government, Board of Education and Research of the Professional Green Building Council, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Harbourfront Commission, and a number of other organisations. Iris is passionate about building quality landscape spaces for people’s enjoyment. A number of her projects have won awards.

Iris is also a member of the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design.

Iris’ range of skills include landscape architecture and landscape master planning. She has extensive experience in award-winning large-scale parks and public spaces, commercial, residential, hotel, transport corridors, institutional and infrastructure-related landscape developments. Her involvement ranges from working in multi-disciplinary consultancy teams to producing landscape master plan studies, feasibility/assessment reports, detail design, and construction documents, to contract administration and tender assessment, to site supervision of landscape works implementation.

Charles was born in Lagos Nigeria. He achieved his diploma in architecture, and a master's degree in urban design at the Oxford Brookes University, followed by work experience in various architectural practises in London, Paris and Zürich.

Charles was junior faculty member at the renowned Swiss Federal Polytechnic (ETH) in Zürich for many years, and was appointed professor of architectural design theory at the Berne University of Applied Sciences in 2008, where he continues to teach part time.

Working in the fields of architecture, interior design, product, furniture and lighting design Charles’s studio considers architecture in its variety of scales. A constant quest for simple innovation is the common thread through its wide repertoire of projects.

Charles has served in many international design juries such as:

- IF design Award. Germany.

- Design Turkey. Turkey

- D&AD Awards. London

- World Architecture Festival. Porto

- John Ruskin Prize. UK

- Prix Lignum. Switzerland

Charles has taken part in and won prizes in more than 50 international design competitions.

His plywood armchair SKETCH was recently acquired for the permanent collection of Vitra Design Museum and Denver Art Museum.

Juliet Kavishe holds an M (Prof) in Interior Architecture with 18 years of cross-continental experience spanning design practice, education, and research. Her expertise encompasses high-end residential, commercial, and museum design, with a focus on indigeneity, decolonising design, and African design methodologies.

As an Executive Board Member of the Pan Afrikan Design Institute (PADI), Juliet helps build a community for design professionals and academics focused on African Design and African-centered design education. Through policy and research, she addresses contemporary African issues in the design field.

Recognized among South Africa's top 100 Design Voices in 2024, Kavishe received the AMPS Critical Futures Award in 2025 for her groundbreaking paper on Decolonizing Design Perspectives. Her work continues to challenge conventional design approaches while championing indigenous knowledge systems and methodologies across the continent.

Alistair Leung is a professional interior architect/designer with 40 over years of experiences on hospitality, branding, corporate and residential design. He now serves as independent consultant to high end private projects. He had held key management positions in several major international design corporations and institutes in USA, Singapore and Hong Kong, and implemented projects in USA, Europe and Asia. Prior to his private consultancy, Mr. Leung was a director of Ronald Lu & Partners HK heading his interior design strength; where he led/directed many successful projects that won 140+ international design awards in a period of 14 years. He was also awarded as one of the ten most influential designers in a major China design award in 2017 and 2018. Mr. Leung earned a degree in Interior Architecture at the CCA, USA and MBA at the University of Chicago.

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Andrea Ponti is a Hong Kong-based designer specializing in product and industrial design.

His work blends the elegance of Italian design with the minimalism of Japanese aesthetics.

A graduate of Politecnico of Milan, Andrea spent seven years in Japan, mastering traditional Japanese materials and techniques.

In 2012, he founded Ponti Design Studio in Hong Kong, focusing on innovation and sustainability.

Andrea collaborates with global brands including Casetify, Fender, Haier, KEF, Kodak, Monos, NetEase, Oppo, Panasonic, The Peninsula Hotels, Philips, and Samsonite.

His work has earned prestigious awards, including the Red Dot, iF Design, and Good Design Awards.

Inspired by Hong Kong’s dynamic fusion of East and West, his designs reflect the city’s spirit, balancing art and technology while pushing the boundaries of design and innovation.

I’m the founder and creative director of April Hamilton, a boutique interior design studio in Surrey and London. My journey into interior design began over 30 years ago, with a passion for creating beautiful spaces that enhanced my everyday life. This love for design inspired me to start my career and I’ve worked hard in creating a multi-award winning design studio. This passion continues to drive me to create interiors that are not just aesthetically pleasing but truly transformative for our lovely clients. I oversee every aspect of our projects (simply because I can’t help myself) from the creative design development to management with my design partner Charlotte. I believe that ‘the devil is in the detail,’ which is why every colour, texture and shape is carefully considered. No stone is left unturned in our pursuit of pure luxury, ensuring that each project is a reflection of our clients’ unique style and needs. As a boutique company, which has been a deliberate decision, I take pride in being deeply involved in every project. I like to think my intuitive vision for design is complemented by the exceptional talents of our hand-selected team and together, we create soulful interiors that adapt the signature AH style. I’ve made lifelong friends in this industry, including clients which makes me feel very lucky & I very much look forward to what the future holds.

Chung-Yi Yang. born in Taiwan, is the Partner at ACPV ARCHITECTS, a milan based architecture firm and an international collective with the aim of nurturing shared well-being through unique, high-profile architectural solutions worldwide.  She graduated at Istituto Europeo Di Design in Milan in 1998. After years of working experience in Interior design field in Taipei and Milan, joined ACPV ARCHITECTS in 2007. She has delivered numerous interior design projects from hospitality to residential and mixed-use developments in the greatest world cities. She sees the study and definition of interior spaces as a guide for improving the quality and use of every environment that surrounds us. She has been invited to be a member of jury of Taiwan Interior design award (TID) and IF Design.

Rebecca Yazbek is the Co-founder, Creative Director, and Managing Director of edition Hospitality, a Sydney - and Melbourne - based hospitality group behind acclaimed venues including NOMAD Sydney, NOMAD Melbourne, and Reine & La Rue.

Rebecca launched the company in 2013 with the opening of NOMAD Sydney, driven by a vision to bring a cellar door-style dining experience to the heart of the city. Since then, NOMAD has become a celebrated institution, earning numerous accolades and establishing a reputation for its bold, produce-driven menus and impeccable service.

In 2023, the group expanded with the opening of Beau and Reine & La Rue, the latter quickly earning recognition as Melbourne’s Best New Restaurant. Both venues have been widely praised for their striking, design-led interiors—a reflection of Yazbek’s background in architecture and her refined creative vision.

Rebecca holds a degree in Interior Architecture from the University of New South Wales and commenced a PhD exploring the intersection of technology and the built environment. It was during this time—while working in the design industry—that she discovered a passion for hospitality, viewing restaurants as intimate spaces where design, human interaction, and sensory experience converge.

As the group’s CEO, Rebecca is most proud of the diverse and talented team she has built. She is committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative culture, nurturing emerging talent, and creating restaurants that exemplify craftsmanship, quality, and a deep respect for the broader ecosystem that supports the industry.

When she’s not working or travelling between cities, Rebecca cherishes time with her three young children and husband —ideally by the ocean, where swimming is a shared family joy.