NEWH is a non-profit organization founded in 1984 in Los Angeles by a group of women working in the hotel, restaurant, and resort industries. At the time, Los Angeles had become a leader in the interior design of hotels, motels, resorts, restaurants, cruise ships, and other tourism properties, and these women were working in hospitality-related fields.
In October 1984, they gathered 10 women for a meeting at the Velvet Turtle restaurant in West Los Angeles. Additional women and their organizations at the time included.
Frances Farwell, Frances Farwell Sources
Karen Hirsch, Republic Furniture
Carol Judd, Barry Design
Claire Koch, Design Interpretation
Judy Rosen, Republic Furniture
Vicky Soffe, Keeler Foods
Liz Westley, Food Service Equipment Representative
Glenda Wong Yee, Hilton Equipment Company
These women formed the core of the organization and planned NEWH's first official meeting in November 1984 at the Cheesecake Factory in Marina del Rey, with 44 women in attendance.
NEWH's goal then and now is to promote high standards of achievement for women in the hospitality and related industries. As the organization became more established, the original idea of networking and mentoring evolved to include scholarships for young women studying to enter the industry.
In 1987, the South County Chapter was formed to serve women in Orange and San Diego counties in California, and NEWH publishes a newsletter several times a year, which is distributed to industry professionals across the country. Supporters (both men and women) from all over learned about NEWH, and many traveled to Los Angeles for the annual "Gala" each December. Many women became "regular members". As interest grew, women in many cities asked to form chapters so they could attend monthly meetings and receive other membership benefits.
Starting in the southern counties, NEWH quickly added new chapters.
1990 Atlanta
1991 Las Vegas, Dallas, Chicago, Greater New York, Rocky Mountains
1992 Houston, Washington, D.C. Metro Area
1993 New England
1995 Northwest, Arizona
1996 Sunshine Chapter
2000 North Central
2002 United Kingdom
2003 South Florida
2003 Virginia
2004 Toronto
2008 Atlantic City
2010 San Francisco Bay Area
2011 New NEWH Canada Incorporated
Regional group established in 2011, now located in Cincinnati, Memphis/South Central, New England (Boston), North Carolina, Orange County (CA), Pittsburgh, South Carolina and Vancouver.
2021 Milan
2021 Paris
As the organization has grown, membership has become more diverse, representing many areas of the hospitality industry. Each chapter has developed a brand that reflects the character of the industry in its region, and with more than 4,500 members worldwide, NEWH has grown to become one of the leading organizations in the hospitality industry.
With the formation of the new chapter, Los Angeles lost its identity as "NEWH" and became the founding Los Angeles chapter, and NEWH Inc. was born as the governing body of the organization. NEWH Inc. consists of representatives from all the chapters as well as an executive committee. NEWH Inc. consists of representatives from all chapters as well as the Executive Committee, which seeks to maintain contact with the chapters, provide guidance, and offer services to volunteer-run chapters.
Recently, NEWH has expanded its commitment to education by co-sponsoring leading industry trade shows, developing relevant seminars, providing continuing education opportunities, and establishing student representation on chapter boards.