NEWH South Florida · Scholarships
The Connected Guest Scholarship Challenge
Design a piece of hospitality furniture that changes how people come together, and compete for a $5,000 scholarship sponsored by C2C.
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Scholarship
$5,000 -
Submissions close
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Winners announced
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Who can enter
Design and architecture students in Southern Florida
Hotels no longer behave like hotels. Lobbies double as workplaces, restaurants double as social clubs, and lounges double as community hubs. The furniture in those rooms decides whether people talk to each other or sit in parallel silence.
NEWH South Florida is asking students to take that problem on. The Connected Guest Scholarship Challenge is a design competition with a $5,000 scholarship attached, sponsored by C2C. Entrants design one piece of hospitality furniture, document it to professional standards, and submit it for judging by the chapter. NEWH is a global nonprofit community connecting people across hospitality and adjacent industries through education, scholarships, networking, and leadership, and this challenge is one of the clearest routes in for a student starting out.
Submissions are due Friday, October 9, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST. Read the brief and the requirements below, then send your entry to the chapter.
Sponsored by C2C
The Challenge
Design a hospitality furniture piece that enhances how people connect with one another in shared spaces. As hotels continue to blur the lines between social clubs, workplaces, and community hubs, furniture plays a critical role in shaping interaction. Design a piece for a lobby, lounge, restaurant, outdoor space, or guest room that encourages connection, conversation, collaboration, or gathering.
Your design should reflect
Human connection and experience
Encourages social interaction, engagement, collaboration, or community-building while creating a welcoming and comfortable environment.
Functionality and innovation
Thoughtfully responds to contemporary hospitality needs through adaptable, multifunctional, or unexpected design solutions.
Aesthetic impact
Demonstrates strong design sensibility, craftsmanship, materiality, and relevance to today's hospitality environments.
Winning prize: $5,000
Submission Requirements
Design concept statement
In 300 to 500 words, explain how your design fosters connection, the inspiration behind the concept, key functional features, and its relevance within the hospitality industry.
Design documentation
- Plan view and two elevations
- Material and construction details
- Four or more 3D renderings
- Materials schedule
- Optional exploded axonometric, diagrams, or user interaction studies
Format
- PDF format only
- Maximum file size: 10 MB
- Include a cover page
- File name:
firstnamelastname_connectedguest.pdf
Judging criteria
- Concept and narrative strength
- Promotion of human connection
- Creativity and innovation
- Functionality and user experience
- Aesthetic quality
- Commercial viability
Scholarship Criteria
Entrants must meet all of the following:
- Actively enrolled interior design or architecture students, in a four-year programme at sophomore or second year and above, or at graduate level, attending college in Southern Florida.
- The competition can be completed individually or as a team. A team can be composed of no more than two students who meet the criteria. If awarded, students split the $5,000 scholarship.
- A cumulative GPA of 3.0, an overall “B” average, or a grade percentage of 83% to 86% equivalent.
- Financial need through college for past, current, or upcoming tuition, or for programme approved books and supplies.
- A major and career objective within a hospitality related field.
- Winners must be available to attend the awards event on Saturday, October 24, 2026 at the Golden Palm Awards. Attendance is mandatory for the winner or winners, otherwise funds will not be transferred.
- All submittals are due Friday, October 9, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST.
Important Dates and How to Enter
Key dates
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Submission deadline
11:59 pm EST -
Winners announced
At the Golden Palm Awards
How to enter
- Prepare a single PDF, no larger than 10 MB, named
firstnamelastname_connectedguest.pdf, with a cover page. - Email it to [email protected] with the subject line The Connected Guest Scholarship Challenge.
- Send it before 11:59 pm EST on Friday, October 9, 2026.
Questions about your submission? Email Stella Pena at [email protected].
