The Red Spot Stage

During XENIA exhibition, ek magazine, with many years of experience in the fields of architecture, construction and design, had for the third consecutive year the overall curation and coordination of the presentations that took place during the three days at “The Red” Spot Stage”.

The specially designed stage in Hall 2 of the exhibition will host important Greek architects, manufacturers, lighting designers and hoteliers who analyzed selected case studies of hotel projects – mainly in the sectors of resorts, boutiques and city hotels – developing the challenges that had faced, from the initial concept to their final implementation.

Sustainability & branding analyzed on Monday, November 25^th

The third and final day of “The Red Spot Stage” at Xenia 2024, curated by ek magazine, concluded with presentations focused on sustainability, branding, collaboration and strategic development of new investments in the hotel industry.

The day began with Phoebus-Spyros Sypsas from Bureau Veritas Hellas, who spoke about the importance of sustainability in the hotel industry, highlighting the practices and processes that ensure a sustainable future for tourism businesses. Subsequently, Dimitris Hatzichristos (Gruppo Decorativo), Fenia Artikopoulou (INK Design) and Theodoros Lakiotis (Morphó) analyzed the dynamics of the integrated approach to design, from concept and branding to construction, revealing the importance of consistency and strategy in hotel design.

The presentation of Argini Hotel Syros by Costas Gagos (Costas Gagos Architecture & Design), George Polykretis (Technical Scientific Advisor Argini Hotel Syros), Yannis Polykretis (Founder and Builder Argini Hotel Syros) and Maria Polykretis (Hotel Manager Argini Hotel Syros) brought to the fore the collaboration between architect, technical advisor, builder and management for the completion of a hotel project oriented towards innovation and tradition. This was followed by the presentation of Pearl Island Chios Hotel & Spa by Stella Theodosopoulou (Ologramma Architects), Markellos Kalimasias (Owner Pearl Island Chios Hotel & Spa) and Evangelia Vasilaki (Vavoulas Group), who highlighted the importance of architectural quality and adaptation to local conditions for the success of a luxury resort.

Mykonos Flow was presented by Andreas Giovanos (gnb architects), Aliki Varlamidis (Whitewall Athens) and Kostas Dedes (ID Construction), who focused on the preservation of the Mykonian landscape and the design at multiple scales so that the visitor is constantly in contact with the natural element.

The day concluded with the speech of Konstantinos Pantelis from Anodos Consulting, who developed the means of financing and the proper preparation for the implementation of new investment projects in tourism, offering practical guidelines for participating in investment programs.

“The Red Spot Stage” was completed with absolute success, serving as a meeting point and inspiration for hotel industry professionals, architects and investors, and confirming the role of architecture and strategy in shaping the future of Greek tourism.

Creative design ideas at large-scale hotel projects were highlighted on day 2

The second day of “The Red Spot Stage” at Xenia 2024, curated by ek magazine, offered a series of interesting architectural and business presentations, highlighting creativity and expertise in large-scale hotel projects.

The program of the second day began with the presentation of the Ventale Island Breeze Resort project by Irene Apostolaki (Archtify), Petros Vantarakis (Vantarakis Hotel Collection) and Stelios Farantakis (Tectum Engineering), who focused on the architectural challenges and technical management of the project. Afterward the King Jason Zante, Louis Hotels project was presented by Stavros Peppas and Christina-Ioanna Lambrou (SP Architect & Partners), as well as Savvas Perdios, who represented the property, presenting the integrated design and implementation collaboration.

Then, Dr. Stella Pieris (Pieris Architects), Loukas Tourkomanis (New Sage Ventures SA) and Antonia Skaraki (A|S Strategy, Branding & Communication) spoke about the under-construction Tella Thera project, in Chania, highlighting the contribution of architecture, strategy and communication in creating unique tourism experiences. Sandblu Resort Santorini was presented by Christina Panagiotou (XKS Creative Director), Charalambos Stathakopoulos (XKS CEO), Daniel Frampton (Prolight) and Grigoris Kotopoulis (Egreen), who analyzed the combined approach of sustainable construction, lighting and innovative architecture.

The importance of professional photography in the promotion of hotel units was highlighted through the presentation of photographer Giorgos Fakaros, who focused on the role of image in communicating the hospitality experience. Subsequently, Kyros Pagalides (KCP Architects), and Michalis Petsagourakis (Fytron Landscapes) analyzed the case study of Domes Novos Santorini, Autograph Collection, focusing on the details of the architectural design, the interior space and the surrounding landscape.

The day concluded with the speech of Kostas Vamvakas (VK PREMIUM Business Development Consultants) and Olympia Kaiafa (Epsilon Hospitality), who presented practical financial tools for the sustainable development of tourism businesses, offering valuable guidance for inclusion in investment programs.

Sunday’s program highlighted the power of collaboration between architects, professionals and entrepreneurs, offering inspiration and knowledge for the future of Greek tourism.

Architecture & greek tourism were discussed on Saturday, November 23rd

On Saturday, at the specially designed area “The Red Spot Stage” of the Xenia 2024 exhibition, ek magazine presented a rich program of presentations, highlighting topics of architecture, design and tourism development. The day began with the speech of Paraskevas Geronikolou, who analyzed the contribution of development and investment tools, such as the Recovery Fund, to strengthening the tourism sector. Afterwards, Iasonas Anastasianis presented the dynamics of the hybrid business model in serviced villas, focusing on the secrets of the development of this emerging trend.

The “Creating Synergies” section began with the presentation of the Intercontinental Crete project by Stathis Tryfonopoulos (Diarchon), Grigoris Konstantopoulos (inedito) and Vasilis Vlaseros (Vitael), who developed the design and construction challenges of the project. Then, Memos Filippidis (mplusm) shared his experiences from the renovation of historic buildings in Europe, presenting the Monument Hotel.

The day continued with the presentation of Odera Tinos, Autograph Collection, by Alexandros Triantafyllidis (Tconstructions), Panos Nikolaidis (pnd) and Vangelis Bonio (Studio Bonarchi), followed by the case study of Semeli Coast Mykonos, Curio Collection by Hilton, presented by Pavlos Ninios (Pavlos Ninios Architects Planners & Engineers), Yiannis Fragogiannakis (Hotel Manager Semeli Coast Mykonos) and Leonidas Athanasiou (Idolo Group). The session concluded with the project The Met Suites, presented by Chrysokona Mavrou (Chrysokona Mavrou + Associates), Lena Flouri (GuestFirst) and Iakovos Fountidakis (Michael Fountoudakis & Sons SA).

The day closed with Anna Bourma (Frangos Group), who spoke about the “fireplace of the future”, connecting the latest design trends with innovation.

The rich thematic content, the specialized speakers and the opportunity for networking confirmed the importance of this platform for architecture and Greek tourism.