SilverNeedle Hospitality Group has rebranded, changing its name to Next Story Group and acquiring media marketing agency, Brand Karma, to help bring brand building, storytelling, marketing and more all under the one umbrella.

Together with SilverNeedle’s in-house architecture and design agency Virsa, SilverNeedle will become highly-specialised in marketing and design, maximising return on investment on real estate assets.

The group also announced its hotel management division is now branded Next Hotels (formally SilverNeedle Hospitality). Together Next Hotels, Virsa and Brand Karma form Next Story Group.

Anand Nadathur, Chief Executive Officer (pictured above) of Next Story Group commented, “The hospitality landscape is changing and we’re evolving in important ways.

“Over the past year we’ve developed in-house architecture and design capabilities via Virsa, identified new media marketing competency as a must-have which led to the acquisition of Brand Karma, strengthened our employees and Board, and studied the impact of the sharing economy on urban spaces.

“We now have the right set of specialised services, and are ready to move forward to help asset owners futureproof their real estate by giving consumers something fresh and relevant. Hence we’re launching as Next Story Group today.”

Next Story Group is based in Singapore, with regional offices across Asia-Pacific, and offers best-in-class services to hotel owners in branding, marketing, design and development on top of its hotel management services.

From the acquisition and development of spaces, to conceptualisation of design, to management of operations and innovative marketing, Next Story Group will pioneer a multi-disciplinary approach and blend services so that each property in its portfolio can adapt with agility to the needs of tomorrow.

“The hospitality and real estate industries are experiencing unprecedented shifts, with new consumer expectations giving quick rise to disruptors,” explained Morris Sim, previously Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Brand Karma, now Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for Next Story Group.

“It is difficult for asset owners to ensure what they have today will be relevant and monetisable for tomorrow’s consumers. Being a part of Next Story Group means asset owners can count on us to differentiate and respond to market changes faster.”

Next Story Group comprises of the following businesses:

• Next Hotels: Named after the group’s flagship hotel brand, Next Hotels is a specialised developer of hotels across Asia-Pacific and the market leader in technological innovation and rapid adaptability within the hotel industry.

• Brand Karma: Award-winning new media marketing agency that builds brands through virtual reality experiences, digital-marketing and creative storytelling. Past clients include Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, AccorHotelsGroup, IHG, Marriott, Tourism Australia, Gap Inc., Honeywell, and Lincoln Motor Company.

• Virsa: Architecture and design agency pushing the limits of modern design, Virsa leads the design and development of all hotel, F&B, and urban spaces within Next Story Group, as well as the group’s innovations in building tech. Led by Matthew Lai, Virsa creates spaces for the future, collaborating with partners across Asia-Pacific to offer specialised one-stop shop design services.

Along with the launch, Next Story Group also announces the appointment of veteran hotelier Patrick Imbardelli to its Board of Directors.

Commenting on the developments of the group, Patrick Imbardelli remarks, ‘’I’m excited about Next Story Group because it has the elements needed to ensure that a hotel owner’s asset can continually stand out to the end consumer.

“The approach the company has developed will create new value in the marketplace for the owners and the consumers, and I look forward to guiding the team to expand their vision.”