Every year, this lifetime achievement award is given to individuals who make a significant contribution in the field of hospitality design. These individuals are honored at a gala during HD Expo, providing an ideal networking event for all industry members. This year’s event will take place Thursday, May 14th, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., and will honor: Brad Friedmutter, Friedmutter Group; James Looney, Looney & Associates; and Pierre-Yves Rochon, PYR. The Manfred Steinfeld Humanitarian award will be given to Steve Wynn, Wynn Resorts, Ltd. Reserve your ticket now] or call 508.743.8502

            Founder and CEO of Friedmutter Group, Brad Friedmutter began his career as vice president of design and construction for Steve Wynn and Mirage Resorts, followed by a senior position with Bally’s Inc. He began Friedmutter Group in 1992, which now boasts offices in six cities around the world, including Hong Kong and Dubai. His designs and Friedmutter himself have won multiple awards, including the 2007 Sarno Lifetime Achievement for Casino Design.
            Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, Friedmutter came by his career genetically: his mother was director of cultural arts for the New York City Board of Education. His degree: Cooper Union School of Art and Architecture.
Friedmutter’s specialty has been the creation of large and lavish casinos and hotels throughout the world, with clients such as Harrah’s, Foxwoods, Trump, MGM Mirage, and Ritz-Carlton.
            “We work on tremendously exciting projects in very desirable locations around the world,” he says. “And we participate on collaborative teams with the most creative people in the industry. The satisfaction comes in the creation of a product that millions of people from every continent will enjoy.”
www.friedmuttergroup.com

Select Projects
Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, Las Vegas
Isle of Capri Casino, Biloxi, Mississippi
Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City
Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas
Green Valley Ranch, Henderson, Nevada

The creative head of more than 425 hospitality projects in the U.S., the Middle East, Africa, Mexico, and Asia, Jim Looney was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and educated at the University of Mississippi and the University of Arkansas. It was during an interview with a local Mississippi architect, Fay Jones, for a college paper (Looney was originally a history and English major) that he first thought seriously about a career in architecture. “I’ve been seeing the world in a different way ever since,” he says.
            Trained in hospitality at the legendary Wilson Associates he started his own firm in 1995, and since then has created hotels and resorts that exemplify creativity, impeccable taste, and innovative style. His clients include Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, Hyatt, Westin, and Sheraton.
            “Each day in this industry,” says Looney, “regardless of our roles, we are privileged to work with bright, highly motivated, and creative individuals. ‘Average’ and ‘ordinary’ are not in the vocabulary of our colleagues. When people in other fields get a glimpse into our world, they are astounded at not only the pure pleasure we derive in creating spaces that delight others, but also the lasting bonds we form.”
www.looney-associates.com

Select Projects
Grand Hyatt New York
Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco
Westin Riverwalk, San Antonio
Casa Marina Resort, Key West, Florida
Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Maui
The Saratoga, Saratoga Springs, New York

Born in France’s Brittany region, Pierre-Yves Rochon traveled widely as a child, soaking in international culture and opening his eyes to a wide range of influences, cultures, and art forms. Music intrigued him, as did filmmaking. But it was the world of interior design that happily proved the most seductive. Rochon worked for several designers, largely creating offices and banks, before launching his own firm in 1979, swiftly gaining a reputation for some of the most luxurious properties on earth.
            “Ever since I was asked to renovate the Chateau Les Crayeres in Reims, I have been captivated by luxury hospitality,” he says. “Each hotel has its own life—new or old, the location, the owner, and the guests—I help reveal this. I love to create hotel rooms that are retreats for the busy traveler. The guest needs to feel that he or she is somewhere that feels like home but is also a special indulgence away from home.
            “Luxury can be summarized in three words: quality, truth, and simplicity. My greatest rewards are a happy owner and operator. And an enchanted guest.”
www.pyr-design.com

Select projects
Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris
Hotel Keppler, Paris
Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort
Four Seasons Hotel Ritz, Lisbon
Sofitel Chicago Water Tower
Sofitel St. James London
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Paris, New York City,
   London, Hong Kong
Alain Ducasse’s Benoit Tokyo

Manfred Steinfeld Humanitarian Award

A legend in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and international hospitality, Steve Wynn has enjoyed a 42-year career as a hotelier and developer from his first job at the Frontier Hotel, through the transformation of the Golden Nugget. From ordinary to first-class, to his current holdings that include Wynn Las Vegas, Wynn Macau, and Encore, he has embodied the spirit of entrepreneurship, leadership, and boldness that has led to not only impressive success, but also admiration.
            By raising the bar for the city’s design, style, and service, Wynn helped transform Las Vegas into one of the world’s most desired destinations. Not surprisingly, he was cited by Time magazine in 2006 as one of the World’s 100 Most Influential People.
            But Wynn’s reach extends far beyond the sites where his hotels stand. His philanthropy and humanitarian endeavors extend to his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, where he has served on the Board of Trustees; an advisory board position at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC; an award for Global Vision and Philanthropy from the Order of the Sons of Italy; honorary doctorates from the Culinary Institute of America; a seat on the Board of Trustees for the JFK Center for the Performing Arts; the creation of the Golden Nugget Scholarship Fund to help worthy Nevada students pay for college; and a member of the International Advisory Council for the Moran Eye Center.
            For his generosity, civic spirit, and bountiful good will, we honor Steve Wynn with the 2009 Manfred Steinfeld Humanitarian Award.
www.wynnresorts.com