hyp has been thriving in the Hunter Region for over 30 years!

hyp originally started as an incorporated association named ‘Newcastle & Hunter Junior Chamber of Commerce’ in 1993, which used to be part of the Junior Chamber International, however, it was decided by the members that the affiliation wasn’t providing many benefits and it was therefore ceased. Throughout our history, we became closely linked with the Hunter Business Chamber and continue our association to this day. The ‘of commerce’ was eventually dropped in its name, and then was again shortened to NHJC. In July 2013 we rebranded to become Hunter Young Professionals or hyp (pronounced ‘hype’) for short.

hyp launched a digital community in 2018.

We started with facebook, so that our members can network and collaborate online with other young professionals and supporters of hyp. This same year we also introduced the Community Partner program, where we collectively get behind a cause each year by engaging a local charity to raise funds and awareness for their cause, and underwent a strategic planning process to identify hyp’s Vision, inclusive of formalising our values, purpose, and mission to guide future generations of the hyp Board.

In 2019, hyp redesigned the website and introduced the Speaker Spotlight feature to catalogue the impressive lineup of speakers who offer up their precious time, and share their knowledge and insights with us each and every year. Later that year hyp partnered with Forsythes Recruitment and HR to provide complimentary leadership coaching via the Member of the Month program.

In 2023, the Newcastle community celebrated 30 years of hyp. Among the ones celebrating, was their record number of sponsors (eight in total). A special mention to two of the most iconic Newcastle brands, Newcastle Permanent and the University of Newcastle who are the current hyp Major Partners. 2023 also saw the launch of hyp’s Most Valuable Professional (MVP) awards program in collaboration with MVP Sponsor, Out of the Square Media.

That brings us to 2024. This year we have refreshed our brand and launched our new website. For the first time we used a paid facilitator for our strategy day to help us redefine our mission and our values. This extra resource invested into the reason why hyp exists and why we all want to be a part of it was an outstanding way to start the year with momentum and purpose.

Over the years hyp has continued to grow through the ongoing support and commitment of our members and sponsors. Today we are over 3,000 members strong and continue to upskill and empower our members through skill development workshops, social networking, masterclasses and social or cultural events and experiences.

Where to next for hyp? We are committed to supporting current and future generations of leaders in the Hunter:

Our Mission: Creating authentic opportunities for young professionals to connect and grow.