Radical Innovation 2024

RADICAL INNOVATION, PRODUCED BY THE HARDY GROUP ANNOUNCES 2024 WINNERS

NEW YORK, NY, 2024 – The 18th Annual Radical Innovation Award Ceremony and dinner took place on October 24th, at the stunning venue CURRENT at Chelsea Piers, drawing a distinguished assembly of 130 industry visionaries, designers, architects, and real estate moguls. Dan Ryan, founder and host of Defining Hospitality, served as Master of Ceremonies for the inspiring evening.

Guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres against the backdrop of the Hudson River setting. The program commenced at 6:00 pm, featuring a special highlight: the event’s first-ever keynote speaker. Mike Scott of Thayer Investment Partners was interviewed by Hospitality Design Editor-in-Chief, Stacy Shoemaker Rauen, sharing unique insights into early-stage investments, the impact of technology on hospitality, and criteria for selecting impactful ventures.

The ceremony kicked off with the the four student product finalists, whose products were introduced by the mentoring jurors. The Student Product award went to The H2O Loop an innovative shower system that recycles water to reduce waste, submitted by Wu Yi-Chen and Prof. Li Kai-Chu of Ming Chi University of Technology, Next, the project finalists took the stage, starting with the two student contenders.

After showcasing their impressive videos, The Student Project award was presented to Cielo Colca Hotel, submitted by Jeroboam Amador Bernal Rivera, Ximena Berenice Valentina Mejia Sotelo, and Ana Maria Diaz Gonzalez at the Instituto Technologico Y De Estudios Superiores De Monterrey Campus Toluca.

The team receives $5,000 and the opportunity to apply for an assistant-ship and full scholarship with the Radical University Partners. As part of the ongoing commitment to fostering student growth, Radical Innovation’s commitment to fostering future talent was underscored by dedicating half of this year’s competition to student finalists. The main event featured professional finalists Mayte Idarraga from HKS Architects and Ryan Christensen & Enrique Greenwell from Leo A Daly. Following project video presentations, a “Shark Tank-style” Q&A session allowed jurors and the audience to explore each project’s creativity, feasibility, design, and industry impact. With a record- breaking 2,000+ combined jury and public votes, The BBBL3, presented by HKS Architects and Roam Interior Design, emerged as the winner. This fully immersive, multi-sensory experience blends cutting-edge technology with nature-inspired design, redefining our interactions with space, community, and self. The HKS team in attendance, having traveled from all parts of the USA, was overwhelmed with joy at the win.

Radical Innovation is produced by The Hardy Group with the incredible support from sponsoring companies: DFL Legal, Archivism, BermanFalk, Beyer Brown & Associates, Chartres Lodging Group, Continental Contractors, Cooper Carry, DLR Group, Ferguson, Global Allies, Heller, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hospitality Design, Hospitality Logistics Intl., RIVUR, Dr. Bharat & Milan Shah, Shawmut, Studio11Design, SUMMA International, MarcPhillips, and Valley Forge Fabrics. Radical Innovation education partners are UNLV School of Architecture, UNLV Black Fire Innovation, the University of Illinois School of Architecture, NYUSPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality.

2024 Jurors:
Project Jurors: Christina Zimmer, Owner of Zimmer Studio; John Hardy, the Founder & Chairman of The Hardy Group; Claude Amar, the Managing Director of The Hardy Group International; Mark Friesen, the Principal of Beyer Brown & Associates; Michael Medzigian, the Chairman & Managing Partner of Watermark Capital Partners; James Woods, the Principal of Kompany Holdings; Rika Lisslo, VP of Development Hyatt Americas; Stacy Shoemaker Rauen, Editor-in-Chief Hospitality Design Magazine; Larry Traxler, SVP Global Head Architecture and Design Hilton Hotels; Eran Chen, Founder Executive Director, ODA; Alexandra Lopatynsky, Principle, Managing Director, Cooper Carry.

Product Jurors: John Edelman, President & CEO of Heller; John Hardy, the Founder & Chairman of The Hardy Group; Claude Amar, the Managing Director of The Hardy Group International; Dan Dobin, the Co-Founder of Valley Forge Fabric; Issac Kubryk, the CEO & Founder of Global Allies; Josh Owen, Vignelli Professor and Director, Vignelli Center for Design Studies at RIT.

About Radical Innovation
Radical Innovation, conceptualized in 2006, is an annual award competition that has been shifting the norm in the global hospitality industry, by recognizing excellence in design, architecture, travel, and products. The initiative challenges creative thinkers and design visionaries at the professional and student level to pioneer compelling innovations that fuel the future of hospitality. Each year, submissions are received and reviewed by a jury of hotel insiders. Select finalists present their concepts via the website and at the Annual Award Ceremony and Dinner. Since its founding, Radical Innovation has awarded over $200,000 to progressive architectural and hospitality-minded thinkers.