NEWH Will Hand Out $57,500 in Scholarships During BDNY Week

NEWH, the hospitality industry's nonprofit network, will distribute $57,500 in scholarships to seven students during BDNY week in New York City. The awards span four events running Nov. 6 to 9, from a gala to a trade-show booth.

The dollar figure is modest against the scale of the industry's labor problem. For comparison, the AHLA Foundation awarded more than $817,000 to 256 students in September for the 2026-2027 academic year — roughly fourteen times what NEWH is disbursing. NEWH's program, however, targets a narrower pipeline: students in hospitality design and management.

Chris Tucker, NEWH CEO, framed the week as more than check-writing. "Our scholarship recipients exemplify the drive and creativity that keep our industry moving forward," Tucker said in a statement. "From the students we'll celebrate throughout BDNY to the industry leaders being honored for their lasting impact, this week reflects the full spectrum of talent and dedication that defines our hospitality community."

Who gets the money, and when?

The schedule, as announced:

• Nov. 6, Platinum Circle Awards Gala. Margaret McMillan of the New York School of Interior Design receives the $15,000 NEWH Interior Design Scholarship, sponsored by P/Kaufmann Contract. Yaman Kartay of the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design at George Washington University receives the $10,000 Deborah Herman Legacy Scholarship. Sejal Senorita Dsouza of Thomas Jefferson University receives the $5,000 Clifford R. Tuttle Scholarship, sponsored by ForrestPerkins/Perkins Eastman.
• Nov. 8, NEWH booth #373. Emma Harrison and Brooklynn Mertens of South Dakota State University share the $7,500 Green Voice Design Competition Scholarship, sponsored by Amtrend, Culp Hospitality, Florida Seating, Posh Textiles and Royal Thai. The award recognizes sustainable hospitality design work.
• Nov. 9, Power Players breakfast. Zoey Kristen Rinbrand of Florida Gulf Coast University receives the $7,500 BrandED Scholarship in the name of Virgin Hotels. Kimberly Benavides of the University of Houston receives the $5,000 Women Leaders Scholarship, sponsored by Boutique Design.
• Nov. 9, Gold Key Awards. Jessica Nassif of the Academy of Art University receives the $7,500 ICON of Industry Scholarship.

The Power Players event gathers women leaders from hospitality design, operations, investment and manufacturing to discuss industry challenges and trends. The agenda beyond that discussion was not disclosed.

What is the Stacy Garcia honor?

NEWH will also present its 2026 ICON of Industry award to Stacy Garcia at the Gold Key Awards. The association calls it its highest honor for leaders on the manufacturing side of hospitality, recognizing Garcia's career in hospitality design. NEWH announced her selection in May at HD Expo in Las Vegas. No cash amount attaches to the honor, and none was claimed.

Does the money move the needle?

Founded in 1984, NEWH connects hospitality professionals and supports students in hospitality, food service and related fields through scholarships, education, mentorship and industry recognition. The organization did not say how many students applied, how recipients were selected, or whether the awards are renewable. Most individual awards fall between $5,000 and $15,000 — meaningful against design-school tuition, but a fraction of total cost at institutions like the New York School of Interior Design.

What the announcement does establish is sponsor commitment: at least nine manufacturers and suppliers — P/Kaufmann Contract, ForrestPerkins/Perkins Eastman, Amtrend, Culp Hospitality, Florida Seating, Posh Textiles, Royal Thai, Virgin Hotels and Boutique Design — are funding named awards. That vendor-backed structure suggests the program's real function may be pipeline-building for the contract furnishings side of the industry, not general charity. Whether the seven recipients stay in hospitality design after graduation is the metric NEWH does not report, and the one that will decide whether the $57,500 was an investment or an event.