Redefining the Future of Living: LIXIL's American Standard and GROHE proudly support the Asia Pacific Property and Hotel Awards 2026

BANGKOK, May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- LIXIL, through American Standard and GROHE headline sponsorship, celebrated the region's visionary leaders in architecture, interior design, development, real estate and hospitality at The Asia Pacific Property and Hotel Awards 2026 at the Marriott Marquis Queen's Park, Bangkok. The prestigious event recognized four hundred and forty (440) winning projects from across the region and culminated in a gala event with the announcement and presentation of the American Standard Innovation Award, the GROHE Sustainability Award and the GROHE Luxury Award.

This year's awards centered on the theme of "Innovation". As the property industry faces challenges and opportunities of an ever-changing world, the creation and adaptation of novel ideas and evolving technology, design, materials, and construction techniques are crucial factors to deliver property excellence.

The rigorous judging standards and widespread recognition for award winners drew 814 entries. Every nominated and winning project was subject to judging by an independent panel of over 100 industry experts for its excellence in aesthetics, functionality, and originality. By country, Thailand garnered the highest number of awards (116), followed by China (74). Notable achievements were recorded by India (65), Singapore (48), Indonesia (47), Malaysia (45) and Vietnam (36).

"LIXIL is proud to partner with the IPA (International Property Awards) for eight consecutive years to celebrate and elevate excellence within the property sector across the Asia-Pacific," said Audrey Yeo, Leader, LIXIL Water Technology, Asia Pacific. "This year's focus on Innovation is especially timely as we continue to observe rising demand for self-wellness and sustainability in new homes and hospitality projects. At LIXIL, partnering with leading industry leaders enables us to co-create innovative solutions to meet changing demands with differentiated projects that appeal to homeowners and investors."

During the event, Antoine Besseyre des Horts, Leader, LIXIL Global Design, Asia, delivered a keynote seminar on "Elevating Water Experiences Through Innovation." He shared how LIXIL power brands with their diverse portfolios leverage innovation to enhance daily water rituals by addressing critical shifts in personalization, hygiene, and the rise of the home sanctuary. He concluded that true innovation goes beyond novelty and is not defined by technology alone, but by achieving a meaningful balance between the company's purpose, real human needs and environmental impact—ensuring that technology always serves a deeper living aspiration.

At the event, LIXIL brought innovation to life through immersive installations experiences that blended high-end design with latest technologies:

American Standard showcased its commitment to purposeful design with the official launch of the Acacia Supasleek Collection. The American Standard installation highlighted the design language of sleek minimalism. and multiple vignettes demonstrating the collection's sophisticated aesthetics and versatile application for residential and hospitality projects. Guests were also invited to experience an innovative VR bathroom journey, using virtual reality to visualize tailored designs in real-time.

GROHE SPA presented an innovative concept for personalization to the finest detail, creating a seamless, cohesive bathroom aesthetic in a collaboration between GROHE SPA and Buster + Punch. The curated space merges acclaimed design and collaborative innovation to create a new expression for bespoke shower experiences with industrial-inspired lighting accents, headlined by the Grohtherm Aqua Tile and Rainshower Aqua Tile and Atrio Private Collection in the striking Phantom Black finish.

The American Standard Innovation Award was presented to The Oasis by line+ studio, Chengdu, Sichuan, China for its innovative vertical villa concept, which seamlessly blends high-end design with sustainable, conscious living. By utilizing a bifurcated layout and a staggered balcony system, the project successfully addresses urban privacy and noise concerns, ensuring a secluded sanctuary within a high-density CBD. The design further enhances occupant well-being through an "Ecological Habitat" featuring 270-degree panoramic views and nature-integrated courtyards that dissolve the boundary between the interior and the landscape.

At the event, the Botanica Grand Modern Zen by Rhyme Design Group, Phuket, Thailand was honored with the GROHE Luxury Award. Inspired by the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, this villa redefines "New Luxury" through thoughtful design rather than excess. The architecture acts as a private sanctuary, seamlessly merging with nature via flowing layouts and passive environmental strategies. The result is a refined living environment that perfectly balances aesthetic excellence with long-term well-being and sustainability.

Awarded the GROHE Sustainability Award, The Right Life by Mana Projects, Bangalore, India is a biophilic township that seamlessly integrates nature-driven design with high-performance engineered systems. Aligned with IGBC Gold standards, the project implements sponge city principles and a triple plumbing system to achieve 100% wastewater reuse and local lake restoration. This living park ecosystem balances resource efficiency with microclimate engineering, and reduces ambient urban temperature to create a resilient model for future-proofed, sustainable urban living.

To view the complete list of winners at the Asia Pacific International Property and Hotel Awards, please visit https://winners.propertyawards.net/all-winners/?ucterms=winner-year~2026-winners.

About LIXIL

LIXIL (TSE Code 5938) makes pioneering water and housing products that solve every day, real-life challenges, making better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere. Drawing on our Japanese heritage, we create world-leading technology and innovate to make high-quality products that transform homes. But the LIXIL difference is how we do this; through meaningful design, an entrepreneurial spirit, a dedication to improving accessibility for all, and responsible business growth. Our approach comes to life through industry-leading brands, including INAX, GROHE, American Standard, and TOSTEM. With approximately 53,000 colleagues operating in more than 150 countries, we are proud to make products that touch the lives of more than a billion people every day. To know more, visit www.lixil.com.

About American Standard

American Standard is the industry leader in bathroom and kitchen products, providing an unmatched legacy of quality and innovation for 150 years. American Standard is passionate about improving daily living in ways big and small. From toilet seat innovations to best-in-class kitchen faucets, American Standard seeks to inspire people to create a home they will love every day.

About GROHE

GROHE is a leading global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings. Since 2014 GROHE has been part of the strong brand portfolio of LIXIL, a manufacturer of pioneering water and housing products. In order to offer "Pure Freude an Wasser", every product is based on the brand values of quality, technology, design and sustainability.

The brand offers life-enhancing product solutions as well as services with its dedicated portfolios GROHE QuickFix, GROHE Professional and its premium sub-brand GROHE SPA. All cater to the specific needs of GROHE's professional business partners and their differentiated target groups.

With water at the core of its business, the brand contributes to LIXIL's Impact Strategy with a resource-saving value chain: from CO₂-neutral* production, the removal of unnecessary plastic in the product packaging, all the way to water- and energy-saving product technologies such as GROHE Everstream, a water-recirculating shower.

*includes CO₂ compensation projects, more on grohe-x.com/sustainability

BANGKOK, May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- LIXIL, through American Standard and GROHE headline sponsorship, celebrated the region's visionary leaders in architecture, interior design, development, real estate and hospitality at The Asia Pacific Property and Hotel Awards 2026 at the Marriott Marquis Queen's Park, Bangkok. The prestigious event recognized four hundred and forty (440) winning projects from across the region and culminated in a gala event with the announcement and presentation of the American Standard Innovation Award, the GROHE Sustainability Award and the GROHE Luxury Award.

This year's awards centered on the theme of "Innovation". As the property industry faces challenges and opportunities of an ever-changing world, the creation and adaptation of novel ideas and evolving technology, design, materials, and construction techniques are crucial factors to deliver property excellence.

The rigorous judging standards and widespread recognition for award winners drew 814 entries. Every nominated and winning project was subject to judging by an independent panel of over 100 industry experts for its excellence in aesthetics, functionality, and originality. By country, Thailand garnered the highest number of awards (116), followed by China (74). Notable achievements were recorded by India (65), Singapore (48), Indonesia (47), Malaysia (45) and Vietnam (36).

"LIXIL is proud to partner with the IPA (International Property Awards) for eight consecutive years to celebrate and elevate excellence within the property sector across the Asia-Pacific," said Audrey Yeo, Leader, LIXIL Water Technology, Asia Pacific. "This year's focus on Innovation is especially timely as we continue to observe rising demand for self-wellness and sustainability in new homes and hospitality projects. At LIXIL, partnering with leading industry leaders enables us to co-create innovative solutions to meet changing demands with differentiated projects that appeal to homeowners and investors."

During the event, Antoine Besseyre des Horts, Leader, LIXIL Global Design, Asia, delivered a keynote seminar on "Elevating Water Experiences Through Innovation." He shared how LIXIL power brands with their diverse portfolios leverage innovation to enhance daily water rituals by addressing critical shifts in personalization, hygiene, and the rise of the home sanctuary. He concluded that true innovation goes beyond novelty and is not defined by technology alone, but by achieving a meaningful balance between the company's purpose, real human needs and environmental impact—ensuring that technology always serves a deeper living aspiration.

At the event, LIXIL brought innovation to life through immersive installations experiences that blended high-end design with latest technologies:

American Standard showcased its commitment to purposeful design with the official launch of the Acacia Supasleek Collection. The American Standard installation highlighted the design language of sleek minimalism. and multiple vignettes demonstrating the collection's sophisticated aesthetics and versatile application for residential and hospitality projects. Guests were also invited to experience an innovative VR bathroom journey, using virtual reality to visualize tailored designs in real-time.

GROHE SPA presented an innovative concept for personalization to the finest detail, creating a seamless, cohesive bathroom aesthetic in a collaboration between GROHE SPA and Buster + Punch. The curated space merges acclaimed design and collaborative innovation to create a new expression for bespoke shower experiences with industrial-inspired lighting accents, headlined by the Grohtherm Aqua Tile and Rainshower Aqua Tile and Atrio Private Collection in the striking Phantom Black finish.

The American Standard Innovation Award was presented to The Oasis by line+ studio, Chengdu, Sichuan, China for its innovative vertical villa concept, which seamlessly blends high-end design with sustainable, conscious living. By utilizing a bifurcated layout and a staggered balcony system, the project successfully addresses urban privacy and noise concerns, ensuring a secluded sanctuary within a high-density CBD. The design further enhances occupant well-being through an "Ecological Habitat" featuring 270-degree panoramic views and nature-integrated courtyards that dissolve the boundary between the interior and the landscape.

At the event, the Botanica Grand Modern Zen by Rhyme Design Group, Phuket, Thailand was honored with the GROHE Luxury Award. Inspired by the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, this villa redefines "New Luxury" through thoughtful design rather than excess. The architecture acts as a private sanctuary, seamlessly merging with nature via flowing layouts and passive environmental strategies. The result is a refined living environment that perfectly balances aesthetic excellence with long-term well-being and sustainability.

Awarded the GROHE Sustainability Award, The Right Life by Mana Projects, Bangalore, India is a biophilic township that seamlessly integrates nature-driven design with high-performance engineered systems. Aligned with IGBC Gold standards, the project implements sponge city principles and a triple plumbing system to achieve 100% wastewater reuse and local lake restoration. This living park ecosystem balances resource efficiency with microclimate engineering, and reduces ambient urban temperature to create a resilient model for future-proofed, sustainable urban living.

To view the complete list of winners at the Asia Pacific International Property and Hotel Awards, please visit https://winners.propertyawards.net/all-winners/?ucterms=winner-year~2026-winners.

About LIXIL

LIXIL (TSE Code 5938) makes pioneering water and housing products that solve every day, real-life challenges, making better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere. Drawing on our Japanese heritage, we create world-leading technology and innovate to make high-quality products that transform homes. But the LIXIL difference is how we do this; through meaningful design, an entrepreneurial spirit, a dedication to improving accessibility for all, and responsible business growth. Our approach comes to life through industry-leading brands, including INAX, GROHE, American Standard, and TOSTEM. With approximately 53,000 colleagues operating in more than 150 countries, we are proud to make products that touch the lives of more than a billion people every day. To know more, visit www.lixil.com.

About American Standard

American Standard is the industry leader in bathroom and kitchen products, providing an unmatched legacy of quality and innovation for 150 years. American Standard is passionate about improving daily living in ways big and small. From toilet seat innovations to best-in-class kitchen faucets, American Standard seeks to inspire people to create a home they will love every day.

About GROHE

GROHE is a leading global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings. Since 2014 GROHE has been part of the strong brand portfolio of LIXIL, a manufacturer of pioneering water and housing products. In order to offer "Pure Freude an Wasser", every product is based on the brand values of quality, technology, design and sustainability.

The brand offers life-enhancing product solutions as well as services with its dedicated portfolios GROHE QuickFix, GROHE Professional and its premium sub-brand GROHE SPA. All cater to the specific needs of GROHE's professional business partners and their differentiated target groups.

With water at the core of its business, the brand contributes to LIXIL's Impact Strategy with a resource-saving value chain: from CO₂-neutral* production, the removal of unnecessary plastic in the product packaging, all the way to water- and energy-saving product technologies such as GROHE Everstream, a water-recirculating shower.

*includes CO₂ compensation projects, more on grohe-x.com/sustainability

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

Redefining the Future of Living: LIXIL's American Standard and GROHE proudly support the Asia Pacific Property and Hotel Awards 2026

Redefining the Future of Living: LIXIL's American Standard and GROHE proudly support the Asia Pacific Property and Hotel Awards 2026

Redefining the Future of Living: LIXIL's American Standard and GROHE proudly support the Asia Pacific Property and Hotel Awards 2026

Redefining the Future of Living: LIXIL's American Standard and GROHE proudly support the Asia Pacific Property and Hotel Awards 2026

Redefining the Future of Living: LIXIL's American Standard and GROHE proudly support the Asia Pacific Property and Hotel Awards 2026

Redefining the Future of Living: LIXIL's American Standard and GROHE proudly support the Asia Pacific Property and Hotel Awards 2026

XI'AN, China, May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the past year, the conversation around artificial intelligence in Silicon Valley has undergone a subtle yet significant shift.

From OpenAI introducing Agent-based solutions, to Anthropic launching Computer Use and Claude Cowork, and the emergence of autonomous AI systems like Devin and Manus, the industry focus is no longer centered solely on model performance or parameter competition. Instead, a new theme is becoming increasingly dominant: AI is moving beyond the "tool layer" and entering the "organizational layer."

When financial giants like Goldman Sachs begin referring to AI coding assistants as "employee number one," and SaaS companies shift discussions from "adding AI features" to "whether AI Agents could eventually take over the software control plane," one thing becomes increasingly clear: AI is no longer just a copilot for human workers — it is beginning to function as an actual organizational participant.

This transformation is no longer limited to discussions in Silicon Valley. At eclicktech, a growing number of AI Agents have quietly "joined the workforce." They are taking briefs, conducting analysis, drafting proposals, managing workflows, optimizing campaigns, and even operating with their own KPIs.

Drawing from eclicktech's recently completed "AI Implementation Hackathon" and its large-scale AI Agent practices, a new question is emerging:

What happens when AI Agents start owning KPIs? And how will that reshape the growth systems of global enterprises?

Why Global Marketing Became One of the First Industries to "Organize Around AI"

"The rise of organizational AI wasn't accidental — it was driven by the complexity of the business itself," said Aodi Zhang, Chief Product Officer at eclicktech.

Global marketing today is no longer a competition of isolated creative ideas. It has evolved into a highly complex, real-time operating system involving multiple markets, platforms, languages, and creative assets running simultaneously. Millions of impressions, clicks, and conversions are generated daily, all requiring immediate analysis and response.

In this environment — one defined by high-frequency decisions, data intensity, and rapid iteration — traditional linear growth models built on scaling headcount are quickly reaching their limits. They can no longer match the increasing complexity or real-time responsiveness required by modern global businesses.

At the same time, AI capabilities have crossed a critical threshold.

Previously, AI functioned primarily as an assistive tool for isolated tasks. Today, AI Agents are capable of long-chain execution, tool orchestration, autonomous collaboration, contextual understanding, and independent decision-making.

For the first time, AI is beginning to meet the standard of an "organizational teammate." It no longer requires constant human supervision at every step. Instead, it can understand objectives, autonomously plan execution paths, and deliver outcomes.

According to the 2025 China Enterprise AI Agent Application Research Report published by First Voice Research Institute, China's enterprise AI Agent market reached RMB 23.2 billion in 2025, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 120% from 2023 to 2027. Behind this rapid growth is a strong enterprise demand for efficiency gains, cost optimization, and smarter decision-making.

Global marketing — with its complexity and need for real-time responsiveness — has naturally become one of the first large-scale testing grounds for organizational AI.

What Do These "AI Coworkers" Actually Look Like?

eclicktech's recent "AI Implementation Hackathon" served as something closer to an organizational-level A/B test — placing AI directly into live business workflows to observe how organizations evolve around it.

"We no longer think of AI as a tool sitting in a browser bookmark bar," Zhang explained. "We think of it as a teammate that can be assigned tasks, held accountable for outcomes, and integrated into operational workflows."

Several standout projects emerged from the hackathon. But viewing them simply as "efficiency tools" would significantly underestimate their value. Once these systems are viewed through an organizational lens, it becomes clear that eclicktech has already introduced a new category of "AI coworkers" into its business operations.

These AI systems collaborate directly with human employees across the full global marketing workflow.

Hubert: The Always-On Collaboration Hub

In traditional workflows, communication between sales teams, account managers, campaign optimizers, and designers often resembled a relay race full of information leaks and disconnects.

Now, an AI system called Hubert has taken over much of that coordination.

Functioning like an always-online executive assistant, Hubert listens to fragmented requests across teams, automatically structures client information into centralized systems, and proactively alerts relevant stakeholders whenever updates occur.

Instead of relying on fragile human memory, Hubert transforms organizational knowledge into a shared operational intelligence system.

Dexter: The Data Specialist Built for Operational Problem-Solving

Anyone working in campaign optimization knows that analysts often spend the majority of their time reconciling data, identifying discrepancies, and tracing traffic sources.

Dexter now automates much of that process.

The AI system continuously monitors monetization and campaign performance dashboards. When anomalies occur, Dexter can identify root causes within minutes and generate attribution analysis and optimization recommendations before the workday ends.

By handling repetitive analytical work, Dexter enables senior analysts to focus on higher-level strategic decision-making while preserving organizational expertise as scalable operational intelligence.

Hunter & Link: AI Systems Reshaping Customer Acquisition

Within eclicktech's business development and operations teams, two additional AI systems — Hunter and Link — are redefining sales workflows.

Hunter functions like a constantly active prospecting engine, scanning emails, LinkedIn, and websites to identify high-potential leads. It can autonomously generate personalized outreach emails and even optimize messaging through automated A/B testing.

Meanwhile, Link operates as an intelligent workflow assistant inside messaging platforms, automating inquiry collection, order notifications, and operational coordination.

Together, these systems allow human business development teams to focus less on repetitive prospecting and more on high-value negotiations and strategic relationship building.

AI Agents Are Becoming Infrastructure

These examples represent only part of eclicktech's broader AI ecosystem.

Today, dozens of AI coworkers are embedded across eclicktech's operations, supporting creative generation, campaign optimization, budget allocation, data attribution, intelligent customer service, and technical operations. Together, they form a goal-oriented organizational AI ecosystem.

Zhang emphasized that this does not mean organizations can completely remove humans from the loop.

"The more powerful AI becomes, the more important clear operational boundaries become," he said. "AI handles execution and operational tasks, while humans remain responsible for oversight, judgment, and final decision-making. That human-AI collaboration model is critical for maintaining operational safety and business reliability."

The scale of adoption is already significant.

According to preliminary estimates, eclicktech's internal AI systems currently consume more than 4 billion tokens per day. Behind that figure is a growing number of AI Agents operating across real production environments, transforming AI computing power into measurable business growth.

Supporting this ecosystem is EC-Agent, eclicktech's proprietary enterprise AI Agent development platform. The company says customized AI Agents can now be built in as little as five minutes, reducing development costs by up to 80% and enabling large-scale AI deployment across the organization.

From Silicon Valley's evolving AI conversations to eclicktech's real-world implementation, one trend is becoming increasingly evident:

When AI Agents begin owning KPIs, they are not simply improving operational efficiency — they are fundamentally reshaping how global enterprises function.

AI is no longer just an assistive tool. It is becoming an organizational participant working alongside humans. And as AI systems continue evolving, enterprises that successfully redesign themselves around human-AI collaboration may gain a significant competitive advantage in the next era of global business.

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

eclicktech Explores What Happens When AI Agents Start Owning KPIs