docontract MAD, the showroom promoted by AMBIT —the cluster that brings together leading companies in the contract, interior design and equipment sector— hosted a professional event focused on the challenges and opportunities of international hospitality, under the theme “Hospitality without borders: executing interior design and fit-out at an international scale”.
The event gathered key industry players to explore, from a practical perspective, how to move beyond design and make projects viable in global contexts.
The main session featured Juan Pemán Cubillo, CEO of CIDON Interior Design & Contract, who shared the firm’s experience in delivering international projects, highlighting the regulatory, logistical and coordination challenges involved in operating across different markets.
The event also included contributions from Carlos Castillo (Commercial Director at Aistec) with the talk “Attention bridges distance”, addressing the importance of acoustic studies in enabling proximity in international projects executed from Spain, and Andrés Romero (Commercial Technician at Faro Barcelona), who discussed the importance of designing globally and executing locally from the perspective of a lighting partner.
One of the most relevant topics addressed during the session focused on international manufacturing and procurement. During the roundtable discussion, a shared reality emerged: the difficulty of competing exclusively with national products in certain categories.
While the value and quality of Spanish industry were strongly defended, it became clear that there are segments where local production is limited or unfeasible in terms of cost or specialization. This is the case of outdoor furniture with woven finishes or the use of teak wood, whose production is largely concentrated in Asia.
Structural market factors were also discussed, such as the protection of raw materials at origin —for instance, Indonesia does not allow the export of raw teak— directly impacting global supply chains. In large-scale projects, where volumes are significant, these constraints make it essential to work with an international network of suppliers.
From left to right: Andrés Romero, Commercial Technician at Faro Barcelona; Juan Pemán Cubillo, CEO at CIDON Interior Design & Contract; Carlos Castillo, Commercial Director at Aistec
Another key topic highlighted during the event was triangular coordination, which defines any international project. These developments involve designers in one country, manufacturers in another, and on-site construction teams at the destination —each with their own timelines, standards and operational constraints.
This natural misalignment makes coordination one of the most critical challenges. CIDON emphasized its role as an integrator, ensuring all elements align: from technical design validation to manufacturing, logistics and final installation. In this context, execution depends not only on design quality, but on the ability to orchestrate multiple stakeholders in complex and changing environments.
In this scenario, the concept of coopetition emerged strongly, understood as collaboration between different industry players to respond to the growing complexity of international projects.
CIDON highlighted its role as a procurement agent in landmark projects in collaboration with GILLES&BOISSIER and Lazaro Rosa Violán at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz Madrid and The Palace Hotel respectivelly, as well as its positioning as a contract partner for interior design studios looking to scale their projects in manufacturing, logistics and installation phases.
This model allows design studios to focus on concept and creativity, while CIDON acts as an integrator, coordinating production across different countries, ensuring regulatory compliance and aligning all processes with the hotel’s opening schedule.
The event concluded with a Q&A session and open discussion, reinforcing a key idea: in global hospitality, value lies not only in design, but in the ability to execute successfully in complex environments.
In summary, internationalization requires anticipation, operational expertise and a strong network of partners, capable of adapting to changing regulations, diverse cultural contexts and increasingly demanding supply chains.
As highlighted by participants, the real challenge today is not just designing spaces, but turning them into fully operational hotels, on time and on budget, anywhere in the world.