NEWH - Fall 2014 - 4

News

Leadership Keynote
Acclaimed designer Jeffrey Beers will keynote the 2015 Leadership Conference,
January 22-24th at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas.
Founder and CEO of New York-based Jeffrey Beers International, Beers has
put his signature artistic detailed touch on hundreds of projects throughout his
illustrious career, from multiple restaurants for chef Daniel Boulud to the Cove at the
Atlantis in the Bahamas and various spaces in the Fontainebleau in Miami, to most
recently, the restaurants at the New York Palace and the WestHouse Hotel in New
York.
His background set him up for his success: He studied at the Rhode Island
School of Design and learned from some of the industry's best before breaking out
on his own in 1986-Dale Chihuly, Oscar Niemeyer, and I.M. Pei.
During his talk on Friday, January 23rd, Beers will not only discuss highlights of
his career but also lessons learned, staying innovative in today's industry, and what
lies ahead.

Celebrating an Icon
Each year NEWH gives out its most prestigious award:
the Icon of Industry, which celebrates the leaders of
the manufacturing side of hospitality, those who have
uniquely impacted the industry through their innovative
work, consistently dedicated their time and efforts to
community or industry outreach through education and/
or corporate giving, and have been doing business in
hospitality for more than 30 years. This year's recipient
is 38-year industry veteran Bob Thomas, executive vice
president of sales, Signature Hospitality Carpets.
Thomas' first sales management position was
with Holiday Inn for 11 years, before he took on the
responsibility of overseeing John Portman's design
and purchasing firm for six years. Moving to the
manufacturing side in 1986, Thomas assembled and
managed numerous sales forces in fabrics, upholstered furniture,
casegoods, and many other hospitality products.

CALL FOR DESIGN!
Have a project that was recently completed and
photographed? Members can submit projects for
consideration for the next issue of NEWH magazine.
Email newh.magazine@newh.org.

4

www.newh.org

But his proudest professional accomplishment is
founding Signature Hospitality Carpets some 12 years
ago along with his two partners, Brenda Smith and
Bryan Ownbey. As a totally vertical mill, every carpet
manufacturing process including yarn extrusion,
twisting, heat setting, tufting, primary and secondary
backings, and final coatings are owned and controlled
in-house.
Thomas will be honored at the Gold Key ceremony
in New York on November 10th at the Mandarin Oriental,
held in conjunction with BDNY and the International
Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show.
In addition, each year an international scholarship
is given to two exemplary students in the recipient's
honor, who have completed at least half of their program
toward a degree in the hospitality industry, have a minimum 3.0 GPA,
have participated in an industry internship, and exemplify the highest
standards of professionalism and scholarship.

Looking for an Intern?
NEWH has a new section on its Career Network
page specifically for internships, and postings are
free. Visit newh.org/resources/career-network for
more information or email career.network@newh.
org. This is a great place to connect with up-andcoming talent!
http://www.newh.org/resources/career-network http://www.newh.org
NEWH - Fall 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - Fall 2014
