Year in review: 12 months of networking from NEWH UK Chapter

NEWH is an international not-for-profit organisation with 29 chapters across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Bringing together professionals from all facets of the hospitality industry, NEWH provides opportunities for education, professional development, and networking. To date, it has awarded in excess of $7 million USD in scholarships that give students opportunities to pursue careers in the hospitality industry.

Scholarships are made possible thanks to the dedicated members and events held throughout the year, plus the generous sponsors who help make them happen. The NEWH UK Chapter was delighted to award a main and a runner-up scholarship this year. Shortlisted entrants presented their work to the esteemed judging panel, which this year was chaired by NEWH UK scholarship director Annette Culhane, senior associate in Spa Development, ESPA International. Jurors included Simon Kincaid, partner at Conran and Partners; Xavier Boudin, hospitality sales manager Europe and Africa, Lutron; Vitalija Katine, Technical Services Manager EMEA, Six Senses Resorts and Spas; Toby Walters, CEO of Elite Exhibitions; and Hannah Rogers, Owner, Tessere and NEWH UK board member for more than 10 years.

Image credit: NEWH UK

The winner of this year’s NEWK UK scholarship award was Christy Jo Runagall. In her second year at Middlesex University and studying for a BA in Interior Design, her entry strived to embody unique, unseen aspects of the city. Runner-up Rahema Machuka is in her second year at Sheffield Hallam University and is studying for a BA (Hons) in Interior Architecture & Design. She created a concept for the Bulgari brand that was inspired by a jewel’s precision whilst blending sensorial references to Italian and French cultures.

Image credit: NEWH UK

In addition to supporting the next generation, the UK Chapter also honoured the creative talents of chapter members who are aligned with NEWH’s mission of scholarship and education. The prestigious TopID Awards were sponsored for the fourth year running by Roca and hosted at its Zaha Hadid Architects-designed Roca Gallery in London. The awards, filmed by CUBE, night took place on March 31, recognising three leading studios from the UK: THDP Ltd.; Sparcstudio; and AD Associates.

Image credit: NEWH UK / Conor Beary

The 20th anniversary party was a key event in the NEWH UK calendar, and one that will certainly be remembered. Held in June at the rooftop bar of TT Liquor in Shoreditch London with the most glorious sunshine, it was a joyful celebration of the thriving community the NEWH UK chapter has built up over the years. UK Chapter President and Associate at HKS Interiors, Libby Bull, and the dedicated NEWH UK team of board members welcomed founding members from the USA and Canada along with past and current members, scholarship recipients, TopID Award winners, industry collaborators, and friends of the UK Chapter.

Image credit: CUBE

In addition, the NEWH UK chapter hosted many events throughout the year. The Postcard Art Auction, sponsored and hosted by Porcelanosa in its showroom on Hanover Square and organised by Indigo Art, was a highlight this summer.

Image credit: NEWH UKAs well as attending pretty much every interior design trade show in the region this year, the NEWH UK Chapter hosted a brunch during HIX.

More recently, the UK Chapter supported CUBE‘s premier of its thought-provoking original documentary Sustainability: A Broken Record. Held at the Barbican Centre, the event included an engaging panel discussion hosted by James Hakesley, Co-Founder of CUBE, with Jeremy Grove, Managing Director and Head of Design at Sibley Grove; Rachel Hoolahan, Architect at Orms; Owen Riseley, Lead Producer at CUBE and Richard Naylor, Group Sustainable Development Director at Hypnos Beds.

Image credit: NEWH UK

Other events this year included the UK chapter’s popular hotel tours. Always well-attended, guests get to peek behind the scenes and see the design inspiration behind London’s most talked-about venues. The 2022 calendar of events kicked off with a very exciting tour of the newly opened Pan Pacific Hotel London, sponsored by Kaldewei and Roca. The hotel was designed by Toronto-based Yabu Pushelberg, which also designed of The Londoner in Leicester Square that became the venue for NEWH UK’s second hotel tour in 2022.

The main annual fundraiser, designed to celebrate the achievements of the student scholarship recipients, took place at Hilton Tower Bridge, with the event sponsored by Northern Lights; Cruise Ship Interiors Expo; Sanderson Design Group; Eric Brand; Ege Carpets; Agua Fabrics; and GROHE.

In addition, roundtable discussions were held prior to the scholarship presentation, giving NEWH members the opportunity to hear from a wide range of industry experts across the hospitality sector. Conversation flowed as leading lights from the hospitality community hosted a series of friendly debates. Thank you to Tina Norden, partner, Conran and Partners; Joey Goei-Jones, senior design manager, IHG; Nicholas Hickson, founder, THDP; Vitalija Katine, technical services manager EMEA, Six Senses Resorts and Spas; Marie Soliman, Founder and Creative Director, Bergman Design House; Arun Rana, Design Manager Northern Europe, Accor Hotels; Beverley Bayes, Director, Sparcstudio; and Ashley Mooney, Managing Director, Blue Moon Procurement, for such engaging conversations.

As a media partner with NEWH UK, Hotel Designs is delighted to support the calendar of events designed to reconnect those working in the hospitality industry, and in doing so, support the next generation by raising scholarship funds for students studying interior design and architecture.

Main image credit: NEWH UK