Defining Hospitality

In this episode, Dan Ryan sits down with Michelle Finn, longtime industry fixture and the driving force behind Alis Design Plus, to trace the evolution of hospitality trade events from HD Expo's chaotic 1990s launch (earthquakes, riots and all) to today's design and investment ecosystem. Michelle unpacks her "dinner party" philosophy of hosting, the power of relationships over transactions, and how she scaled that intimacy from a dozen guests to thousands of attendees without losing the human touch. The conversation moves through mentorship, the rise of owner involvement in design, the new Alis Cala expansion into the Caribbean, and even a few fun detours into what a Vogue or Garden and Guns hotel might look like.

About the Guest: 

Michelle Finn heads The BHN Group's hotel design and construction events, including the launch of Alis Design Plus. Previously, she led the management and development of Hospitality Design Expo, HD Boutique, HD Summit, HD Awards, Hospitality Design, Boutique Design NY, Boutique Design West, the BD Forum Series, Boutique Design and Senior Lifestyle Design Match events, the Gold Key Awards, and more. A dedicated, long standing member of NEWH, she has earned numerous awards for innovation spanning trade fair development, publishing, leadership, and service, and is firmly established as a notable presence in Chicago's hospitality landscape.

Chapters:

00:00 Defining Hospitality Intro

00:35 Meet Michelle Finn

01:47 What Hospitality Means

03:38 Hosting Lessons Early On

06:00 Launching HD Expo Origins

08:48 Riots Earthquakes and Vegas Pivot

13:42 Winning Leadership Buy In

22:41 Why ALIS Design Plus Exists

25:21 Growth Plans and Industry Shifts

33:38 Analog Event Magic

34:36 Word of Mouth Wins

35:08 Hospitality Shifts

36:19 Product Categories Boom

37:47 Launching Alice Cala

39:59 Measuring Referrals

43:56 Hosting Like a Pro

48:11 Newcomer Event Playbook

52:22 Future Plans and Farewell

Quote of the Show:

"Identify a need, see something that doesn't exist. That's pretty much what we did." - Michelle Finn

Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on.

Links:

🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/ 

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