CHICAGO (MAY 15, 2012) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced that the “2012 Beijing Architecture Forum” will be held in Beijing on Thursday May 24. Coinciding with the “Pritzker Architecture Prize", which is often called “the Nobel Prize of architecture”, the conference will be co-hosted by the Beijing Municipal People’s Government and the Hyatt Foundation; and jointly organized by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning, Hyatt Hotels Corporation and the School of Architecture, Tsinghua University. It aims to provide a unique opportunity to gather many of the world’s most recognized international and Chinese architects, academics and future leaders in the field to collaborate on and debate a wide range of architectural topics of relevance today with a focus on urban harmony.
“The 2012 Beijing Architecture Forum comes at a critical milestone in China’s evolution in building and design,” said Mr. Thomas J. Pritzker, chairman of the Hyatt Foundation and Hyatt Hotels Corporation. “China has a long tradition of innovative architecture and design and in recent years has taken the global spotlight with many of its iconic buildings that are world-class in design."
“Over the coming decades, the success of China’s urbanization will be critical to its economic and social development. The challenge, as in any urbanization around the world, is to achieve urban growth that is in harmony with local needs and culture. We hope that the conference will provide an important forum for industry experts from China and around the world to gather and discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the architecture industry in the creation of sustainable, livable cities of the future.”
The 2012 Beijing Architecture Forum will comprise a series of moderated forums and academic discussions on a wide spectrum of urban-related architectural topics and will be attended by a diverse array of architecture and design industry, governmental, student and educational bodies and developer representatives, together with leading international and Chinese architects, Pritzker Prize laureates including Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, and the 2012 recipient Wang Shu, together with members of the Pritzker Prize jury, led by Lord Palumbo of Walbrook.
The full-day event will kick off at the Beijing National Conference Centre with moderated debates on topics including architectural globalization and localization, and architectural innovation and development. In the afternoon, the academic activities relocate to Tsinghua University, providing architecture students and professors from Tsinghua and some other universities in China with an opportunity to listen and debate with Pritzker Prize laureates.
President and Chief Executive Officer of Hyatt Hotels Corporation Mr. Mark S. Hoplamazian said: “Hyatt is very proud to be associated with the Beijing Architecture Forum. It is an opportunity for us to make a contribution to China and to the communities in which Hyatt hotels operate. Hyatt's mission is to provide authentic hospitality. We define that as making a difference in the lives of people that we touch everyday. Architecture and design can definitely improve the lives of the people who visit our hotels and the lives of people live and work in the communities where we operate. Over the years, Hyatt has sought to foster and inspire a culture of environmental responsibility in its operations and in its responsibility to our customers, our people and the community. We have been focusing on developments that create memorable public spaces and powerful experiences for our guests and local communities. We hope our collaboration with the Beijing Municipal Government and Tsinghua University will provide an opportunity for architectural students in China to learn from world architectural elites to become the future leaders of the urban design and innovation.”
Since the first Hyatt hotel opened in Greater China in 1969, Hyatt has earned a reputation for innovation and quality across the region. Hyatt hotels now operate under the Park Hyatt, Andaz, Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency brands and have expanded beyond the traditional metropolitan areas into many of the country’s secondary and tertiary cities. In addition to its 19 hotels in China, the company has more than 30 sites under development. New properties will include Hyatt Place and Hyatt House, select service brands with smartly designed, high-tech and contemporary environments, introduced to meet the needs of the growing numbers of Chinese consumers. China remains central to Hyatt’s global growth strategy, and the 2012 Beijing Architecture Forum, together with the announcement of the 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize award ceremony in Beijing, are the most recent milestones in the company’s long history here.
About Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a proud heritage of making guests feel more than welcome. Thousands of members of the Hyatt family strive to make a difference in the lives of the guests they encounter every day by providing authentic hospitality. The Company's subsidiaries manage, franchise, own and develop hotels and resorts under the Hyatt®, Park Hyatt®, Andaz®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Place® and Hyatt HouseTM. Hyatt House is changing its brand identity from Hyatt Summerfield Suites®. Hyatt Residential Group, Inc., a Hyatt Hotels Corporation subsidiary, develops, operates, markets or licenses Hyatt ResidencesTM and Hyatt Vacation Club®, which is changing its name to Hyatt Residence ClubTM. As of March 31, 2012, the Company's worldwide portfolio consisted of 488 properties in 45 countries. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.
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Farley Kern
Hyatt Hotels Corporation
312.780.5506
farley.kern@hyatt.com