Keisha Byrd Named Vice President and Brand Director at Emerald Design Group

New York, NY — Keisha Byrd was appointed Vice President and Brand Director at Emerald, a leading developer of dynamic live events and integrated market platforms. In this role, Byrd will manage the overall event strategy for the Hospitality Design Group brands including BDNY and BD’s portfolio of non-tradeshow events, including the BD Forum series, BD Match, and Gold Key Awards, as well as HD Expo + Conference and HD’s networking and awards events, including HD Summit, HD NextGen Forum, the HD Awards, HD Platinum Circle, HD SiteSeeing, and CitySCENEs.

Prior to this appointment, Byrd played an integral role in the success of both Boutique Design (BD)- and Hospitality Design (HD)-branded conferences and events for 11 years. Her past roles, including as Director of Strategic Events for HD and BD, and most recently Brand Leader for BDNY, have given her a unique perspective on both brands as she has played an essential role in overseeing and executing their portfolios of media and networking events—connecting the hospitality design industry through shared experiences and conferences.

“Keisha has been vital in the evolution of the hospitality design brands at Emerald,” said Kevin Gaffney, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Emerald Design Group. “This important new role allows us to continue to produce exceptional events, elevate the HD and BD brands, and bring the hospitality design community together under the Hospitality Group umbrella.”

“I’m honored to step into this role to help our team usher our hospitality design brands into the next chapter,” said Byrd. “These events are invaluable to the industry, and I am committed to producing engaging, relevant experiences and content that benefits all of our partners and community members.”

BDNY will take place November 10-11, 2024, at Javits Center New York, and the HD Expo + Conference will take place in Las Vegas on May 6-8, 2025.