IHG EAPAC Conference & Launching New Concepts in Bandung
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to speak at the IHG EAPAC F&B Conference in Bandung, Indonesia. It was one of those rare moments when a project years in the making finally came to life, just as an audience of industry leaders arrived in town to experience it firsthand.
For the past four years, we’ve been working closely with Hotel Indigo Bandung on the development of their new rooftop venues: KARBON, a modern live-fire restaurant, and VINYL, the hidden cocktail bar tucked behind it. Our team at LEVELS led the food and beverage strategy, concept development, branding, and collateral design, shaping not only how these venues look and feel, but how they operate, what they stand for, and how they speak to their guests.
What made the week even more special was the timing. Long before IHG decided to hold their F&B conference in Bandung, we had already been deep in development on the rooftop venues at Hotel Indigo. The fact that KARBON and VINYL launched the same week, in the same hotel where the entire regional team had gathered, wasn’t something we could have planned, but it couldn’t have worked out better. It was a rare and welcome coincidence to share the finished product with the very people who helped shape the broader brand it belongs to.
On Day One of the conference, I was invited to take the stage to speak about the role of a food and beverage consultant. It was a full 45 minutes in front of over 100 executive chefs, directors of F&B, and corporate leaders from across IHG’s Asia Pacific network. I walked through what we actually do in our work — from shaping the early strategy of a venue to helping hotels align design, branding, and operations into something coherent, creative, and commercially viable. KARBON and VINYL served as real-world case studies, and it was incredibly rewarding to share the journey with a room full of people who could appreciate the complexity behind the scenes.
On Day Two, I had the honour of moderating a panel discussion called “My Story” — a candid conversation with a group of chefs whose careers I’ve followed and admired: David Myers (The Gypsy Chef, Adrift), Tamara and Daniel Chavez (Canchita, Vino Tinto, Tomatito), and Bastien Jarry (Burnt Ends). Each of them brought something honest and deeply personal to the table. We talked about the realities of being an independent operator, the losses they’ve weathered, the resilience they’ve built, and how those lessons can inform hotel dining today. It was raw, generous, and a reminder that good hospitality is always about people first.
To cap it all off, the week ended with the official launch party for KARBON and VINYL. The rooftop came alive. The grills were lit, cocktails were flowing, and the venues were filled with some of the most respected names in food and beverage. It was a proud moment — not just to see the spaces finally open, but to see them resonate. The feedback from everyone in town that week was energising and a true validation of the work that went into every decision, every detail, every plate.
Moments like this are why we do what we do. Strategy is important, but seeing an idea cross the finish line is what makes it real. It’s in the atmosphere, the way people move through the space, the conversations about the food, the music, the energy. That’s the part that stays with you.
Huge thanks to the IHG team for the invitation and the trust. And to everyone who helped bring these venues to life, this one was special!
