Defining Hospitality

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Dan Ryan: Today's guest is a hospitality hero to many in our industry. She's highly skilled at architectural design. She believes that good design is good business. She is the head of design Strategies for the Americas for 14 out of the 17 global brands at Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts.
Ladies and gentle. Cavita ier. Welcome Kata.
Kavitha Iyer: Hi Dan. Thanks for having
Dan Ryan: me. It's so good to see you. Uh, it's so good to be speaking with you. I know how busy you are and with all of your travel, and I just know, I'm just very excited [00:01:00] for this conversation because. Like I said, a hospitality hero to many. I go to any of these conferences or shows or all these things and places and people that we all know in common.
We've only met each other a couple of times, but everyone that I know that's come across you always just says how incredible and gracious. I don't know. They just, they, they're overwhelming. They're overwhelming me with like, um, adjectives about how wonderful you are. So I'm just happy to be here and just in the little bit I've learned about you so far.
Um, I think you have a lot to teach us all about hospitality and creating, um, comfortable places. Well,
Kavitha Iyer: that's most generous, Sophia. Thank you, Dan. Now, I, uh, I love, I love that I love the world that we're in, in hospitality. It's, uh, it's, it's such a generous place to be and, you know, it's, uh, it's really part of my sre dec corps and, uh, I, I enjoy every minute of ever since I've [00:02:00] been in it.
So thank you for having me again.
Dan Ryan: You're very welcome. And also wanted to dispel any prejudices that people might have about going to graduate school to learn. Everything that you learned, because in my conversations with you where you really learned how to create and live and breathe creativity was not at a regular graduate school.
No. And I, I'm so blown away and jealous of your life experience that I was really hoping you could kind of walk us through what Oroville is and was as an experience for you and how it helped you. The hos the hero to, to many.
Kavitha Iyer: Absolutely. Well, um, I, I do, um, several people know this, the few people I've told.
Um, I actually went back to India to do my undergraduate degree. And my undergraduate degree was in fact in architecture. [00:03:00] And the five year program in India, uh, at the time was known as University of Madrass. Now to many known as Chene, Southeast coast of India. In the five year program, one of the year was an apprenticeship year, so you would take two semesters out of us, three semesters and go to an apprenticeship, and you could work in a regular designer architecture firm, or you could go try something on for size and.
The objective was to really get real, real life practice in whatever format that you saw fit for your own future. And I had a unbelievable opportunity, uh, both thanks to my mother who did not kind of look at me and go, that, that's just not a great idea, which she could have said. Um, because it wasn't the traditional route, I actually moved to, um, this experimental.
Um, that's called Arville. And uh, it's, uh, about three hours south of Cheney. And it's this small little town that was established in the 1960s, uh, [00:04:00] by a group of, um, of equal minded creatives. Um, experimentalists makers, people who really believed that learning was a continuum. So one of the philosophies of the place is not only to bring people together for a better humanity, that was one of the main spiritual objectives, but entwined with that was a place of continuous learning.
That learning is never complete. And also the sort of 360 idea of living is that you live there, you worked there, you created there, you served there. And sort of had this full effect of how you lived and breathed the environment. And, uh, and I happened to have this unbelievable, um, opportunity to work with one of the resident architects there at the time who, uh, who was really an urban planner.
And, uh, many of us projects were in the urban planning domain. And every so often we would have a small little project that we work, [00:05:00] that we would work on in Orville. And it was like a test project, right? So think about, if you think about the maker environment today, you're making fabricating different pieces of furniture.
This was like whole buildings you would test, you know, concrete casting processes you would test, you know, integrating small chicken mesh with concrete to create first. First time, you know, thin shell concrete shells, and some of them would fall down and uh, some of them would stand and you would learn through the process of really experimenting.
And it cultivated what I call twofold. Two things. One is, Really to take a risk and explore ideas, right? Like you're never done. You should always ask the question. Just because it's done before in a certain way, it doesn't mean that it's right and to really have an open mind for a lot of different people who bring ideas.
So I think it really created that firsthand impression of that's. That's sort of what I needed to enmesh in my daily practice as I approach design. And I came [00:06:00] out of it far more richer than, uh, a traditional practice probably would've offered me at that time. Um, and then I went back and graduated from my undergraduate degree and then came to a
Dan Ryan: m So, so much of the creation and the, and the practice as you said, that's the one thing where you're, you're creating.
I think what I love retreats, this is more than a retreat because it, it wasn't just the, the practice. You were actually living, breathing, sleeping, everything, and creating and learning at the same time. So it's a way of life. Yeah. And then so for that and, and also like the most complete immersive experience of creation that I, I've heard of many, but this is like definit.
Up there, like walk, like what is your, what was like a, a day in the life of Kha, like there?
Kavitha Iyer: Well, um, it was very hot. It's close to the equator, this place, so your day would [00:07:00] start very early. Um, and I had chose to live in, um, the small township of pond area that was 30 minutes away from the campus. Um, of, of Oroville.
And so you'd wake up at around four 30, which, um, for those who know me, I still wake up very early in the day and you would, um, you would go to the job site because most of the things, the pre prep work and things that you had to do on the job site, you wanted to end before one o'clock when the sun went.
Hi. And at that point you would go back into a covered space or, um, or the office to go do office type, uh, work. So you'd start really early. You would start with some of the slurry. It says if you were building something or pouring or casting, so you would start doing the SL before the heat started to coagulate the mix of, of cement to, um, so you could manage the heat, you would start pouring, uh, you would be poor ready by around early morning, which is around 8 39.
And then you would [00:08:00] go through any kind of fabrication techniques or casting, uh, because you would do craftsmanship over the concrete, right? This is. This is not, these are not commercial pieces of architecture. These are, uh, what I would call test pieces of architecture. And they are suited for the, for the campus, for which it's billed for the 5,000 residents there.
So you would go through a crafting piece of mural drawing. Um, in some cases we would cast over other objects and take out some of the dirt from below. Um, and then other parts of it would be artisanal, where we would kind of craft pieces. Of, of fiber. So there's this whole weaving group that we have. So those would become the bamboo, uh, facets that we would add to some of the fencing.
So we would have to go manage some of that in the evening. So that would, all of this would go on till around one o'clock and you'd go back to the office. Um, Grab a bite to eat and then, um, you would do some of the drafting work. So every one of us, because we were all [00:09:00] interns and working interns, our uh, drafting wasn't typical drafting.
You wouldn't be drawing plans. Some of some of them would be doing some plans and elevations, which are typical orthographic, hand drawn. This was pre, pre, uh, you know, computers and all of that. Um, but my work was mostly to draw some of the urban planning, uh, documents, which are presentation documents. And there were these huge pieces of Mylar.
I remember they were, you know, 12, 14 foot long by. Six feet tall that you roll out on large tables. And, um, we would all be sitting perched on our little stools and you would be drawing on the reverse side of the mylar between the trees and the buildings that would go in there. And the architect would come in and you would make a change, and then you would kinda scrape it with your little razor blade and take off the Mylar and uh, make the adjustments.
But it was very, It was artistic focused [00:10:00] and it had a genuine agenda of really CRE as you go, test as you go, learn as you go, we would spend hours talking about why a certain space within the overall master plan was designed the way it was. Um, not just focused on the relevance of, you know, um, some of the codified, uh, things that we were also trying to be trained in, but really understanding which side they were positioned in the orientation of the building, why there were certain attributes of the building, how the landscaping flooded in, et cetera.
So it was very, it was very immersive and it was query based because we were, we were asked to ask the questions and it was a, the learning culture was phenomenal. Which I still learned to appreciate that you, you only can continue to learn if you ask questions. You know, learning is, is, is not finite. It's, it's constant.
I don't know. I still don't know many things and I love that [00:11:00] because it makes me richer for wanting to know more. Um, and then in the evening to kind of end off the day, each one of us had another secondary apprenticeship where we would. With, um, they had restaurants as well as the food and beverage component of it where many tourists would come and kind of eat there.
So I worked in one of the restaurants of one of the architects. Um, and, uh, you would cook in the kitchen and you'd be given a different activity every day. You know, one day you'd be washing dishes, the next day you'd be helping the line. The other day you'd be taking orders. And, um, so variations on the theme, but it really gave you.
Enrich sensibility of of how to live life and giving back Right. To the community that you lived in. Um, and it was, it was exhausting, but very fulfilling cuz you felt like you were learning all the time.
Dan Ryan: Yeah. Learning, breathing, sweating. And of course when you're doing the formed concretes parts, I'm sure it's [00:12:00] all done with OSHA compliance in mind as well.
Kavitha Iyer: Um, I don't believe there were many hard hats back when I don't recall, Um, in all steel-toed shoes, um, none of that. There were several people who didn't have any issues at all . So yeah, that it's, it's a far cry from what I do today,
Dan Ryan: that's for sure. Yeah. Okay. You're living in this laboratory or ashram of complete creativity and, and immersiveness.
Right. How do you think that that, and, and at that point you didn't know that you were gonna be, have a career go doing hospitality design to marry it to ihg. Like you had no idea that you would wind up in the hospitality world, right? So how did that experience inspire you? To become who you are today and, and impacting all the people that you've impacted along your way.
Kavitha Iyer: Well, [00:13:00] I think what, what I really learned through that process, other than just the joy of making, you know, and impressing what I already love doing, making, um, was discipline, right? The discipline and the honing of the craft. Right? You really. This is what I really wanted to do, which I kind of came out of it, you know, doubled up in my fourth year, going into my fifth year to graduate, saying, Yeah, I really, I don't wanna just graduate.
I, I want to own this space and I do wanna continue along this path, but you needed to put in the work. You know, it is a long road. And, you know, I, I'd seen several other architects. I had distant relatives who were architects and. I saw their life and what they, you know, not only the, the discipline that they cultivated, but the structure that you needed to have in a otherwise creative spirit, which is very, it engenders a lot of chaos, right?
It welcomes a lot of chaos. But you need structure and you need discipline and [00:14:00] you, you need to love what you do, right? To really want it. And I, in living and breathing, I couldn't see it any other way. And what I loved, what I learned about the hospitality arm is I did graduate in my fifth year with a thesis in, in, um, in tourism development based hospitality, um, in, in India.
And what kind of guided me towards that was it was just really, Living in a community like that, I mean, you're not just a guest. You know you're part of a community. You know you live in it, you welcome tourists every day. You see people and then you know you, you welcome them. Everything you create is not just for yourself who live there, but also for the joy of others who come and enjoy it.
Cause when they see craft, there was something that really. Flip them up, right? They would talk about it, and this was in the years before you had a phone. You could take a picture. I mean there would people be with your analog cameras, right? Your can AE one s walking around taking little pictures and they were so excited [00:15:00] and they would query and they wanted to know how it was, and they would sit and eat with us.
In our restaurant. You saw the joy that it brought to them and you would have conversations that were so, People that you may never see again, but you realize that you could bring such fulfillment right to their lives as just being, having contributed to that right, to some aspect of their joy. And I, I think that's what hospitality is.
You know, you are generous with your time and you're generous with your sensibilities, and it brings, you know, immense joy that you can only see at that moment in time, right? When that person. Enjoys a meal or you know, there's a smile on their face or you see them discovering something. And that's, that's what I do in my life right now from small to big.
And I, I think that sort of set the tone for that.
Dan Ryan: Okay. And then if to go out, I, I love how you said like that query based learning. So if I were to kind of [00:16:00] socratically ask you, how did you perceive. What hospitality was before that experience to a, to after, after having lived and gone and been there and, and it set you on that path to, to where you are now.
Like, can you con how do you contrast what your idea of hospitality was then to what it is now?
Kavitha Iyer: Well, pre, pre my, my oral days, Well, I, so for me, I, uh, I had a very interesting childhood and. Credit my parents with the, with with everything I have today. I mean, they, they are the reason I am. I am and then some more.
Um, my father had a unbelievably, uh, cool career where he, um, he moved from India in the sixties, uh, to the United States and really wanted to pursue a career in petrochemical engineering back in the late sixties. And, um, [00:17:00] In that pursuit in the, uh, late seventies and eighties, found a career that moved him to the Middle East, uh, to build, you know, cities of the future that were based on these sort of larger oil, uh, based, uh, tenements.
And we lived there. And as part of being an expat, we had a very interesting lifestyle where you'd go to school for. Probably six months out of the year. And then you would have six months of, uh, of time off to go. Either go back to the country that you came from or family time or, or excursion or what they called excursion or, or tour or travel time.
And my parents who were sort of pioneers at heart and explorers themselves, really wanted to explore the world. And, uh, they had their little books and they would, we would travel about four months out of the year and two months, they would go back to their own country to visit their parents. And, uh, so I was part of that and I lived that life for, uh, quite a bit of my early childhood till, uh, my early middle school years.
And, [00:18:00] um, cultivated this life of living in hotels. Um, so my early journey of hospitality was, uh, It was really this, uh, I equated being in hotels and travel to the most happiest time of my life, right? I came at it as a guest. I came at it as a child. Um, everything was new. You know, when you're a child, you discover everything for the first time.
Um, And this was, uh, predates the time of when you had childcare at these hotels for this over the few times. Um, and my mother is very keen on pointing this out. She's like, We only did that a few times. Ka though we didn't do that all the time. But, uh, they would, they would leave me at the hotel with the housekeeping or any, any of the staff or the front desk.
And, but it was discovery for me. I enjoyed that. Um, you know, there's nothing like a kid being able to. Sit behind the front desk and see, you [00:19:00] know, what happens at when they greet guests and, um, and then sit and fold napkins and, you know, learn how to fold those napkins, right? Or to be in the back of house with the machines where the laundry is folding these things automatically and you're like, Oh, wow.
That's so cool. Those things are amazing. Yeah. You know, Can I press the button? Can I press the button? I mean, um, to the one time my favorite time. Um, which, uh, I don't think anyone would do anymore, but I think there was this pigeon that got stuck in one of the exhaust event and I got to go on the roof and, uh, and get this bird that was stuck in the exhaust vent and the roof.
And it was, I mean, for a young person, these are far more intriguing than going to a historical site. I. Nowadays, you know, I, I go back to the places that I, my parents took me with hopes that I would learn, but I enjoyed staying at the hotel far more because it was, it was [00:20:00] every day was a revelation, and what I really enjoyed, ultimately, above all of that discovery was.
I go back to the, the word generosity, right? I just, Every person treated you so well, you know, And I, they treated everybody they met so well. They would always greet them, say, How are you doing? Can we get you anything? What you see even today, right? Is everything going okay, Mr. Or Mrs. You know, can we get you anything?
And they're so kind, right? I mean it, they make you feel so special. And you carry that with you, right? I mean, even today when I meet someone else, like, How are you? How are you doing? How are you? Are you doing okay? And I wanna know about you. How was your day? You know, what did you do? Um, and that I learned that from these fabulous people that I met in all these hotels all over the world.
And so I equate being in a hotel. The [00:21:00] best years of my, of my time, and even today, I enjoy it. I enjoy seeing that, that, you know, the smile that you have, the effusive smile at the front desk and you know, every time I pass by someone saying, Are you having a good day? You know, it's, it's the small things. Um, it's
Dan Ryan: interesting on the, on the, how are you question really listen.
So often, just from my experience, someone will say, How are you? I'm, Oh, I'm great. You know, a little tired, like kind of surface level. And, uh, I was talking to someone the other day, this, uh, he was a former guest on the podcast, Damon Lawrence. And he's like, How are you? I get, I was like, Oh, great. Like busy travel.
And he goes, How are you personally? And I was like, And I it like it, it made me stop and think. And I was like, Whoa. And then we had like a 45 minute conversation, right? Yeah. And I, I think. You know, to really, cuz so much of that whole idea of in hospitality and greeting and like the first impression, it's very, it can be [00:22:00] very surface and it's like, whether it's.
Design or greeting, or questioning, it's like what's the, how do you get down to that deeper level to really figure out where the magic is? Yeah,
Kavitha Iyer: I know. I mean, it's, it's also culturally, right? I mean, for me, um, living in the Middle East, but also culturally being Indian, um, you know, we were a community of people.
I mean, now there's, you know, we're all a blended society. We all kind of Ming limits, but back in the day, There's a very, you know, engendered group of, of Indian, uh, community that my parents had as close friends, um, in Houston where we lived originally. And these were family, these were friends and, um, the way they would just.
Greet people even in their own homes, right? They would open up their doors, people would come stay with us. My mother would spend hours trying to get the room ready. She would give them the best room, like the, the best of the [00:23:00] linens on the, on the bed. And, um, I, you know, the lamps that she would just fuss over and the right lighting levels.
And she's, she's not a designer by any means, but just those thoughtful things. And she would welcome them as soon as they came home. She'd be like, She needs something to drink. Do you want something to. It. I mean, they wouldn't even come through the front door. Right. She's just so effusive to make people feel like they've arrived at that.
Again, going back to making people feel that they're wanted, that they're more than just relevant. Right. That they're special. And that was something culturally that also I, I observed my parents doing and my extended family kind of offering when we used to go visit them in India and you know, The endless food we used to actually joke about it.
Right. Never visit your entire family all day because you will not be able to eat for the next few days. You need like a break because you're just, Oh lord. I mean, you're, you're, you're just completely showered with. With [00:24:00] everything, whether it's food or, or gifts. And you come out of these homes so rich and fulfilled, um, just spiritually, right?
And, uh, it, it comes from, uh, so there was a lot to be learned from those early years.
Dan Ryan: So, Okay, so then you have those early years and now, you know, fast forward to where you are, where you are now, and I totally feel and see all the, what your idea of hospitality was then like, So now you've gone been on this totally non-linear path, right.
To where you are now. Right. It's, you know, it's really, I don't know, I'm just very jealous by your path, but you get, you get like to where you are now, the person I'm speaking to now, How do you, how do you define hospitality from then to how you are now?
Kavitha Iyer: So in my past, you know, uh, you and I have spoken about this, uh, earlier.[00:25:00]
In, uh, in the Indian culture, there's this term that's called Atithi Devo Bhava which means guest is God. And, it, comes from a Sanskrit phrase and it comes from sort of a spiritual context of where you, it's respect, It's respect for elders, it's respect for your family, it's respect for your teacher learning, and its respect for your guest.
You know, the 10 of family to teacher, to your guests, that that is part of the core way you see life, um, is in fact, what I do for a living right now is, uh, my, I, I'm in service of what I would love for our guests to feel, right. And I've, I've done that as a designer outside of larger, broader companies like I work for now as well as where I am right now.
And I, everything fundamentally. To see that joy, right? And that, that feeling of inclusion and that feeling of generosity that they take away with them, [00:26:00] that unbelievable memory that they go back home, that they wanna do again all over again because it was offered to them. And in some ways it's because they probably felt very exalted, right?
Like the terminology of God or that higher being is that putting them on that pedestal, right, That they are, they're the best thing. They're the most important thing. They're above and beyond. Is what we try to, I think all cultivate and that's where I am today. And it's uh, you know, when you hear about, you know, a good review from a guest or you look back at some of your brands and you go, you know, we love this, or this was the best thing.
It's unimaginably fulfilling, right? Like something that you had to be a part of and you might have been just a tiny part of that. You were able to influence that in some small way. Um, there's nothing that can displace it. And it, and that's the connection I make from what I, what I learn from not only my family and where I, where I [00:27:00] culturally come from, but also my travels and the things that were impressed upon me to, to know.
Dan Ryan: I the idea that guest is God, right? It's really ultimately putting. ourselves as a host second. Right. Um, and I'm getting that so much from so many of these conversations. I haven't heard it in, in such, in that fashion, but I, I really like it. And I mean, how do you say it again? Aditi. Deba. That's right. And then Aditi, I was saying I have a friend named Aditi and now I have deeper meaning to what , to what her name is.
Okay. Um, and then, okay, so you go from Oroville and then I remember you, you were, and I did some, I, [00:28:00] I looked this up on the internet after you told me, but how did you. Involved at Ante. And what, like, what was that all
Kavitha Iyer: about? So I took another, So when I came to grad school at a and m, um, my focus was again, um, I did a minor in development to understand, um, tourism as an economic driver.
Mm-hmm. , that was sort of my focus, Right. Just to understand what are, what is the travel industry and what is, what are the economics behind the travel industry? Because I. Up until then, I, I had a very creative focus, right? So I, I could really excel in that I knew how to do it, but I very quickly realized that you can't really make the impact unless you understand some of the background, So the business aspects of it.
So I wanted to really focus on that. So I came to a and m with a focus on that, and that was what my grad, my graduate degree was. Design, architecture as well as this. Um, but in my second year, um, I [00:29:00] decided during the summer break I wanted to do something rather than going and, you know, taking, going and working in a design firm.
Um, I found a sister, uh, experimental city slash town here, um, north of Phoenix, uh, in Pakistani, in, um, and it's kind of like
Dan Ryan: tall
Kavitha Iyer: west. It's so, it's so, uh, Palo. So, um, Was worked at Talls West. Uh oh. That was with, uh, Frank Lloyd Wright for many years. And then he moved from there and established his own future of this, uh, future city of the world to kind of enmesh architecture with ecology.
So hence our cos sae. Um, and. He did this in 1970s, in the 1970s, and again, as an experimental town, created it in concert with some of the concepts. So there was a lot of ties between Oroville and Argos hti. They had several members [00:30:00] who would go back and forth between the towns in the early parts, but it was really an open invitation to students as the place of learning, as a place of querying and learning.
And again, very similar to Oroville. The lifestyle that I kind of spoke about was what they created, what they. And you lived and breathed in ante, and I think a lot of it was a takeaway from retaliation. Do a good deal. Cuz back then in your apprenticeship, you would live on the camp. You would live and work with Frank Lloyd Wright and in some ways be able to take your expression from the place that you lived in.
Right? So this was no different. You took. Expression of where you lived in, in this mesa, surrounded by these gorgeous red sands, um, and cliffs and plateaus and built of the earth. Right? So there was a lot of techniques that, um, that actually were very fundamental to ante. They had the sealed cast techniques that were first developed.
There were. You know, you could [00:31:00] cast concrete and then you would dig out all the dirt and you would've painted on the surface of the dirt. So when you removed it, you would have these gorgeous painted walls, very similar to the petroglyphs from back then. So you were simulating things that you found from the past into the future.
Um, and it was very fulfilling. It was a slightly different mechanism where, um, the group was smaller. It wasn't 5,000 large at the time. It was a group of 75 individuals, and a majority of them were students. Um, and many people who went on to practice now, um, some who took, took different industries, but it was a group of artists and artisans and a few architects.
And we would build, and we had a good portion of the day where we'd craft, we would cast bells, tilt cast bells, bronze bells, um, and then we would actually provide tour, tour groups too. So that's where I also learned. In a different way to interact with a guest who would experience the environment and we would, they would tour up to like, I [00:32:00] think they had a number, about 40,000 people who would come and in, go in and out of the property.
You know, they would travel up north and go see this. City of the future at the time, you know, pre millennia. And uh, and it was just very fulfilling cuz they would again, discover through the lens of people like us who would make and create and had something to say and, and we just didn't have, It was an observational right?
Because we made it right. We, we had a part in it. And so there was this sense of what I learned from being there was a true sense of ownership in addition to the joy of making. You owned the fact that you were part of something bigger. Um, something that in my younger years I think I was so focused on just the attributes of making and the joy of making you, you lose sight of how you can own things.
But this true joy of being able to own and pride, uh, was something I learned and the pride of making and the pride of joy of sharing that with [00:33:00] others was something Paula, Larry engendered. Um, so that was, uh, fascinating. And that was for about, uh, six months. It was my summer, and then I extended into one semester and then went back and graduated.
Thankfully, much, much to my, my parents' pleasure. Um, so that I, I did go back and graduate finally. Um, but it was, uh, It was a, it was a very equally, if not tremendous learning experience for me, and in many ways we're very similar query based. Right? You would ask questions, why, why not? Was a thing that Paul would always, um, he would really encourage all of us to ask.
He would, he would state what we were trying to do, and then he would go around and. And he would only have a good response to some, the one person who would say, Well, why not this? Yeah. And I, and I think that was when I started to learn this idea of you had to feel the sense of ownership [00:34:00] to know that you had permission to ask.
Why not something else, you know, which a lot of us, which is a life lesson as well, it wasn't just focused on, on hospitality, but it was a good life lesson to learn. Well,
Dan Ryan: you know, I was saying this whole query based learning and that Socratic method recently, I reread, um, as you're talking, I, I was reminded, I recently reread, um, Plato's Republic, where Plato is basically writing a story, a narrative from his teacher.
Socrates about really what this utopian Greece or society could really look like. Um, some's cool, some's really messed up, but it's this whole idea of this like weird utopian vision, which is, you know, you go into Frank Lloyd Wright and some of his, uh, urban planning, utopian planning, um, out to Alda Huxley to Tallin to, um, Uh, to [00:35:00] ante, and then also it's, it just, it's, I don't know.
I just feel like it's, you're so lucky to have experienced that because I, the only thing top of mind that I know of people that are doing right now for a short period of time is something like a burning man where, okay, yeah, it's a big fun party, but they're also creating, there's a lot of art and creation and communal living, and I feel like, I just feel like there's a real.
For that. And I think everything's gotten so institutional as far as that normal path, um, that, I don't know. I just find it inspiring. And now I'm curious about what would it be like to go, I mean, I go on retreats here and there, but nothing like an extended sabbatical where you're like really living in commune with others.
I mean, I'm, it's just, um, it's a inspiring actually, and I think. Do, do you, so it, you're interviewing a, a ton of people. You're, you're seeing the, you know, the next generation come up. Do you know of [00:36:00] a lot of, or are there many other people who are coming up through the ranks, so to speak, that have had these types of experiences?
So it's interesting Are you drawn to them?
Kavitha Iyer: So you, It's interesting you should ask Auburn. Uh, University actually has a rural studio program, which, uh, yeah. And they have this architecture interior design combination program, which I think they do in addition to architecture program. And I, we have several candidates, um, you know, for, for years that we've seen who come from that program, which I think is probably the closest to that.
And it is in a, a rural part of, um, in of Alabama where the students are given a semester or a year, I don't know the exact timeframe, where a select group of students can apply and they live there and they work and they learn and hone their craft. And it's very query cultivating. Um, I, I have some personal friends who actually went into that program for me several years ago and they [00:37:00] absolutely loved the environment cuz it takes you away from the everyday of Yeah.
You know, where yes, you can learn codes, yes, you can learn rules, standards, all of that will come when you are in practice. Right. But the thing that schools still don't teach, you know, other than the tools that you learn to do design with, is how to ask the question, how to rephrase the question, right? How to feel bold and brave and make mistakes, you know, with confidence, you know?
And I think those are tools. Places like I, I believe the rural studio environment are offering. And so we, we do. Meet. I mean, I've had several candidates in the past and I think we, I do have a couple of people who actually work for me who have been part of that and are extremely talented. Right? You can immediately, um, their conversations will go back to that sort [00:38:00] of why not approach, which I, I love that.
I, I welcome that from me. There is no one answer to anything in anything that we do. And as part of the design strategy, I, we actually are the in-house arm that creates, You have to, and in a large company right, where you have goals, um, you need those people to ask the why nots be bold to take risks. Um, because otherwise it's not really an ad advantage to have that creative arm.
So we, I, I've seen those and I, I think that's one of the schools I know about. I'm not sure if there's other environments.
Dan Ryan: Yeah. And. I think that's a great point is that that's the one school that you've heard of. I'm sure there are more, but it's almost as if, I find it also reassuring in the sense that, you know, in some of these recent conversations I've been having, some of the, um, guests, they grew up with learning differences, right?
So they were very challenged in that normal linear path, [00:39:00] but because of luck or their parents or whatever, they were able to find these places where, Their br the ways that they're, they, that they could find an environment within or where their, the way that they saw the world backwards, forwards differently.
They could excel and like be the next, And I think that that also goes, like, we're all crammed into this middle, uh, kindergarten through senior to high school or vocational school to college, whatever. It's a very linear path. And if you're, Not a normal learner or not, or you don't see the wor world in like that linear way.
You're kind of left out to dry and, and it's, it's interesting that there's not a lot more resources like this with these alternative learnings cuz I would, I would argue that your experiences were probably way, everything is relative, but just a much richer and different experience than you. Going to four years of undergrad, [00:40:00] another couple of years of graduate school for architecture, going out as a, a apprentice and working and going like that linear path.
And I don't know, I think that as we, everyone is just so different in how they learn that I, I just wish that there were more outlets like this. I just, it's inspiring. I get goosebumps actually thinking about them. No, you're,
Kavitha Iyer: you're right. And I think nowadays, um, one of the things that I'm seeing in addition to.
Not having avenues like this, right? Even in, in an apprenticeship environment where you go to a community and you get to live, breathe, and work. Some of the other things I talk about with some of, um, our younger candidates or when I, when I am speaking to some younger mentees, is, you know, think about things that you can do that are outside of.
The profession, right? If you're approaching design, architecture, what have you, are there adjacent things that you can do where you can explore the, the sort of facet of making, creating? And it could be anything, right? It could be mm-hmm. [00:41:00] in theater. It could be in stage sets where you are, you're crafting and, and assembling things for an audience to appreciate for one night.
Um, it can be in showroom design, right in in window design. I met the other day. I met someone who had done showrooms for anthropology and I What a great opportunity for a young person immediately out of school, Right? You are. You have a voice. They have a pro, They have variety of programs in anthropology of what they want to do, but there's this intense creative arm that goes into creating the things that we see in the window, right in their retail window.
And what a wonderful trajectory. And if you pull that into hospitality, that's. That's unbelievable. If I can think of the things that we can draw on for popups or for holidays, the things that we do in hospitality environments that aren't just focused on everyday things that we have to do, right? It's not a renovation, it's not a conversion.
But other things that are above and [00:42:00] beyond that, they could have a home and could really offer us some richer ways of looking at it. Um, so. Try to think of other trajectories that might inform your decision. Cuz there really is no one route right to this. You're right. Back when, um, there was only one path to this.
You went to school, you trained, you got your relationship, and then you did the, did the work and you kind of moved up and then, you know, you ended your days. But, and I think that was great for many, for those who did it really well and you know, we were all richer for. But one of the things to ask yourself is, you know, depending on who you are and what, what your talents are, there may be far richer ways for you to pursue that same trajectory with much success.
Based on different things you can do, right? You don't have to sit in the office all day. Maybe there's a different avenue you can pursue [00:43:00] and meet different people and find your own voice of creativity, which for me is a far bigger value add than the same thing, right? Like we're not looking for. We're looking for someone with a different edge, right?
What, what, what, what do you bring to the table that none of of us have? And that's, that's the magic sauce, right? Totally. Um, so I, I think that's something to take away, uh, the trajectory. Think about it. I
Dan Ryan: love it. Um, okay, so your circuitous path, you're supporting parents, um, the way that they made you feel here, then.
You're working in a design firm, you work at Marriott, now you're ihg like, what is, and as you're looking at and taking your life experience, like, what's exciting you most about, uh, what's exciting you most from your vantage right now as you're charting a course forward?
Kavitha Iyer: The excitement for me is [00:44:00] how hospitality.
Constantly keeps re-imagining itself, right? Because the guests at every turn, ex is expecting something else. And what's far more intriguing to me now in the generation that we're in is how are newer guests and I talk about newer guests, our next generation of guests have everything on demand. They were so exposed to all the things I talked about, like I had to take a trip around the world to feel all that.
You don't have to do that. That's, you are able to really immerse yourself in that imaginative space so that when they go to on their business trip, their first business trip, or when they have buying power, their expectation is beyond. And I think that's exciting. That's a supreme challenge, right? Like how do we.
How do we really think about how to, how to [00:45:00] make discovery all over again for this highly challenging group of individuals. And so it's not just limited to that generation, right? I mean that's, I mean, everybody has access to it and, and being able to not just do it better, but to make it special at every turn.
Right? Because I think there's also this notion of all things should be the same. It's not the case, right? There's needs for every different market segment, which is what I love about companies like where I'm working, cuz you can actually really look at it from one end to another, right? And and really be able to address it in a variety of different ways.
But at the same time, keeping at the heart of it, the message of you wanna make it special for that, For that particular need, right? And don't get complacent, right? Don't get complacent in that you got there, right? That these guests keep you on your to. At every step of the way. Um, you know, there is a reason brand [00:46:00] companies look at this and look at it.
You know, our, our work is cut out for us. It's, it's by the minute. Um, by mo no means when they launch something, is it done right? They're, they're already thinking about it ahead of people going, Well, have you thought about this? Oh yeah, we've already thought about the 30 other things. We're totally we're on it.
Um, but it's exciting, right? Because again, it's query. Yeah. So
Dan Ryan: as you're, as you're talking, i two things are jumping into my mind. One is, which totally resounds with me, is whatever's gotten us as people or organizations to where we are at this moment, that's not gonna serve us going forward. Right? It, it gives us a foundation, but we, we continually need to adapt and improve to the changing psychographic of everything and demographic of everything.
The other thing that resonated was, or is this idea, And actually I was very pleased to see that you're, you find this challenge exciting cuz I find [00:47:00] it actually daunting where everyone has everything at their fingertips, right? So there's no surprises in theory. But the way that you said it is like, yeah, there are surprises.
You just gotta know how to deliver them and how to find them, knowing that there are no surprises. Yeah, it's, it's a, it's almost like we've entered the upside down, but like when my wife is planning a trip, I don't like to be super involved because, I don't wanna see what everything looks like. I like suspending disbelief.
That's just me. And I like the surprise. I like it when things go sideways because that's exciting and it's a really great memory. Um, but I don't know. I, I'm, I'm impressed by your excitement over that challenge.
Kavitha Iyer: Well, it makes you not, it, it pulls you away from, There's nothing more, there's nothing more terrible to double up on that is [00:48:00] than being complacent and believing that it's it, right?
Like you've arrived. Um, and that goes for everything that we do in our own lives because that's, that's not what brings continuous joy, right? We are constantly evolving and, and I, for me, in my, where I am in my life today, . You know, I put myself in the shoes of all of these young people, and I learn so much every day from my team.
It was a group of very young, creative, unbelievably creative crew. And I learn every day from them through their eyes, through the lens of what they believe is the thing, right? What made them amazed? What jazz is them? And frankly, the things that jazz me, don't jazz them. Right? And I wanna know, and I wanna know why.
And I, and to me, that exploration is what is exciting in, in larger companies like this, because you've never arrived. Right. And totally you. And, and the fact that [00:49:00] you have the opportunity to better, which I think is also a, a mantra that I, I carry close to my heart. You can do better, right? Yes, you're doing great, but you can do better.
We'll push you to lead that sort of environment, right? And, and I think guests appreciate that cuz they, they also don't like complacency, right? No one likes a tired place where you're like, Well, that's all you get. . Um, you know, any, anyone who's worked in a hotel environment will tell you, you know, there's a guest that goes to their room and they're like, Me, will pick up the phone.
Do you have this? Do you have that? What time does that open? You know, I have questions. And every one of those queries is different for the millions of people that, that travel every day because you're, you're displaced, you're uncomfortable, and the one thing that makes it better is where you are, right?
The one thing that you have at your advantage is, That space. And we have the unbelievable [00:50:00] power to make that one thing better for them.
And
Dan Ryan: Totally until, uh, until you hang up the phone and three seconds later you get a text message that says, Hey, how did I do ? I know . It's better on that. We could do better.
And remember, I just found out from my daughter speaking about like, I, I'm cha, I'm, I'm intrigued by what the next generation. Finds interesting or offensive? I just found out, I gave my daughter a via text, like a thumbs up, and she did not like that. She's like, apparently the thumbs up emoji is a no more.
Kavitha Iyer: Oh. So, oh, well that's good to know. I've learned something today. Yeah,
Dan Ryan: exactly. So for all of you, uh, communicating with 14 year olds, um, don't use a thumbs up emoji. Apparently it is a sign of, um, boredom and lack of engage. It's just a flippant way to acknowledge something.
Kavitha Iyer: I can see that [00:51:00] it's lazy.
Dan Ryan: And then I was like, Well, what if I write something and put a period at the end of the sentence?
And she's like, No, don't use punctuation. That's rude. And I'm like, Oh my God.
Kavitha Iyer: Well look, how do I, I'm, I'm willing to hear, I'm willing to listen. I'm here for it.
Dan Ryan: You know? See, you're a better person than I am. .
Kavitha Iyer: Well, we were all them at one point, right. Dan? We were there. Totally. We were. So, we, we, we can, we can learn from.
Next
Dan Ryan: crew. Yeah. And as you're saying that this is David Bowie has this song changes to, to, to changes. You know that one where, and there's some lyric in there that is like, Yeah, these kids don't worry about them because they're gonna figure out their own future and because like, we're trying to like just understand what's going on for us.
They're going a different path and we just gotta be cool with.
Kavitha Iyer: I mean, there is no memor memorializing when one pathway, right? Mm-hmm. , because nowadays you [00:52:00] have the advantage of, of pursuit, and that pursuit has made them far richer, right? Yeah. And that's the world that we're living in their world, and I, and I love that.
Dan Ryan: Mm-hmm. . Totally. Um, so Kha, this has been awesome. Like, if people wanted to learn more about you and like what you guys are up to, like what's the best way for them to, to find you or learn more about IHG and kind of what you guys have
Kavitha Iyer: going on? Absolutely. Well, you can, you can connect with me on LinkedIn, obviously, uh, tried and true.
You can also follow me on my Instagram page. I do try to post as much as possible. About everything that we're doing that's cool behind, without giving you way too much of the secret sauce, but giving you little peaks into, into our every world, everyday world of, uh, creativity. Um, and obviously@ihg.com, um, you know, all the, all the new openings and things that we're doing globally.
Um, and feel free, you know, you know where I [00:53:00] live and I always will take, I will always take a message and I'm always happy to meet you and. Come to DC you will find me running on the weekends at Rock Creek. So always happy to, uh, feel free to connect with me if you are interested in a run.
Dan Ryan: Oh, definitely.
Um, oh, one question I forgot to ask you, which I always like to ask, and I think let's go back to, uh, Oroville. You're there, you're wearing flip flops, you're casting concrete. Um, But the, the you that I'm speaking to right now appears in front of your younger self. Before you go on this circuitous journey to where you are now, what advice do you have for yourself?
Kavitha Iyer: Wow. Um, I think I would, I would've told myself be resilient. Hmm. Because when you're young, you don't, you don't know resilience, Right? You go day to day, and so, [00:54:00] Exhaustion would hit you. And I didn't have the confidence I did at the time, but I would've said, keep on the path. Be resilient. That's what I would've told myself, um, to help myself through my everyday, cuz I know how it felt back then.
Um, and something, you know, something bigger than me allowed to keep me on that path. But it would've been helpful to have had that advisor tell me that, um, day in, day out.
Dan Ryan: Be resilient. Re Yeah. Resiliency is pretty awesome. And it, I don't know how to teach it. It's gotta be like learned on your own. Yeah.
Just,
Kavitha Iyer: you know, you, you have to be, There's so many that come before you that have knowledge, right? Mm. And you may not agree with everything that they have to offer, but. There's a richness to where they come from. Right. And that thing, feedback, you know, that's what I tell my team. You know, sometimes when you, you [00:55:00] hear feedback, it's, it's hard.
And you know, as young people, especially those in architecture and design school, they get it all the time. Right. You charette, you present, Oh, Chris, hate your design. Um, but if you have, if you're taught resilience and you're advised resilience, you'll know. You are going to be far more richer for it, right?
Because it comes from a place of wisdom. Somebody's offering a few thoughts because they have some wisdom that is beyond what you have or even might offer you food for thought, for changing the way you think, but you have to be willing to be open to it and not let it beat you up because there, there is a bigger journey and the journey is rich.
It's fabulous. And you know, it's, uh, it's grand. Like I, I see my life. I think it's grand. Um, so yes, Resiliency, love it.
Dan Ryan: Resiliency. Um, Kha. I wanna say thank you so much for your time. I mean, this has just been a wonderful [00:56:00] conversation. I can't wait to run with you. I can't wait to see you in New York City for B D N Y coming up.
Lovely. Um, and thank you so much for your time and, and experience. I think it benefits all of us.
Kavitha Iyer: Well thank you Dan. Always a great time chatting with you and see you soon. Yeah.
Dan Ryan: And I'm here today with Emily Kip, who is the Senior Vice President of Design Services for Hyatt Hotels Corporation in Chicago.
And just wanted to check in with you really quickly, Emily, about B D N Y and what you love about it.
Emily Keip: Great. Well, excited to talk to you about that. Um, I'd love to go to Bdn y It's one of my favorite trade shows, in fact, probably my favorite. Um, there's so much creativity and you see a really curated assortment.
Products and booths and vendors and brands that are all, um, geared towards the lifestyle area of what we're doing. So I think that's what makes it really fun, is you see a ton of new ideas at the show. Particular, uh, LA. Particularly design spaces, I would [00:57:00] say. And it looks like that's your segue.
Dan Ryan: Yeah. So that's my perfect segue because I remember last year specifically sitting with you in, um, the unapologetically Thompson booth, um, that you guys did, and you guys had such amazing content.
Um, it was obviously very well designed, but it was such a gathering place where, um, I just wound up learning a lot. So if you speak. About like from your experience doing that unapologetically Thompson booth, what did you and your team and I think also the industry get out of that?
Emily Keip: Right. So we loved doing the booth and it was unapologetically Thompson.
I think Thompson as a brand, um, does not want to. Um, compromise what it's all about or what the design aesthetic or kind of, um, backbone of the brand is. So what we did for this booth is we came up with a concept, um, and the concept was a highline in New York City. So the whole booth was based on what would a Thompson Hotel lounge, um, be like [00:58:00] if it were designed for the, the Highline in New York City.
Um, and we. Cues from the architecture of that, from the materials, um, and sort of the overall vibe of the place. So in doing that, we ended up building a booth that was, you know, 600 tons of steel in the booth and it was quite a challenge to build, um, incredibly heavy but so authentic for what we wanted to do.
The centerpiece of the booth was a big bar obvious for Thompson, so we had a great time there. And as you noted, it was a real gathering place where people wanted to come in, have a drink, we. Signature cocktails that we designed outside of the typical, you know, convention menu, um, for the booth that were specific to Thompson.
And we had our mixology team work on those cocktails. We had our own Thompson DJ there spinning music. Um, and we had lots of sessions in the booth to, to highlight our team in all of their hard work on it.
Dan Ryan: And additionally, aside from just the space, the structure, and the design of it, I, I remember walking away.[00:59:00]
Thinking about, I think it was, and you might, I can't remember if it was you or Sarah who introduced me to the head of f and b for Hyatt. Uh, or for Thompson, I forget his name, but he basically was saying for any new bar or restaurant going in, if they're not spending. A lot of time and effort developing their non-alcoholic or mocktails or whatever they're calling it.
The, the hotel or the, the, the venue is kind of missing the boat because, so I, it was like a real learning thing for me. I didn't think that such an effort was being put into developing cocktails for a, a different wellness and lifestyle.
Emily Keip: Right. So Frank Ja is our head of Yep. Restaurant bars and events. Um, and he, uh, is passionate about, you know, doing the zero proof lifestyle.
And it's obviously something that we're all interested in taking care of our own health. Um, you know, having a good time when you wanna have a good time, but also focusing on different lifestyle choices and being inclusive to, you know, people that are looking out for their health or have their own reasons for not [01:00:00] indulging in the alcohol.
Dan Ryan: Totally. Again, in the, in the early part of this conversation, you mentioned that, you know, lifestyle and I think we've said lifestyle about four or five times, and why B DNY is so great for lifestyle. What do you think specifically as it pertains to lifestyle separates B D N Y from the rest of all the shows that are out there?
Emily Keip: Well, I think the other shows mean you take Vegas for instance, right? Um, HD Vegas. Larger shows, more vendors that really are, are providing product kind of for the masses and you're gonna get a much larger, um, assortment of product vendors. I think BD and y is much more curated. It's a little bit smaller.
Um, I think the quality of what you see there always seems to be new product launches. People are focused on, um, the experience of delivering those products and even in their booth design. So I think it does a great job. You know, as you look around the trade show, interesting things to look at, not just the products themselves, but the way that they're displayed.
Dan Ryan: I [01:01:00] couldn't agree more. And again, there's a place for everything, but I, I think on the curated side, I think that's really what I agree with you. It does bd and y does separate. And I'm just so excited to get together with everyone in mass again, and I'm so excited to see you and thank you. Um, and I can't wait to see you there.
Emily Keip: Yeah. Can't wait to see you.
Dan Ryan: Um, and also I don't wanna forget our listeners cuz again, we keep growing every week. It's humbling, it's amazing. Um, if this has changed, Idea on a path or a journey or hospitality, please share it with someone else who you think would benefit.
Thank you everyone, and we'll catch you next time.