Source: HFTP
Source: HFTP
Source: HFTP
Source: HFTP

The hospitality technology community came together last month to explore the industry's best practices and latest innovations at the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®). 2014 was one of the highest attended HITEC's with 5,745 hospitality professionals representing 57 countries. The conference addressed important issues, including system selection, ethics, mobile and guestroom technology, data security, PCI Compliance and more.

HITEC 2014, a service of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), was held June 23–26 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, Calif. It offered a one-stop shop for essential education, access to experts and hospitality technology vendors, networking with top leaders in the industry and the resources to find cost-effective ways to improve company bottom lines.

"HITEC may be over for 2014, but there are many resources that will remain available to attendees year round," said Frank Wolfe, CAE, CEO of HFTP. "The HITEC Mobile Experience® site is a great place to start when trying to recall information from the busy four day event."

The HITEC exhibit hall featured hundreds of exhibitors announcing new products and showcasing their signature technologies. Details on participating exhibitors and their products and services are available via the online HITEC Buyers Guide. Attendees also have access to a number of presentations from the education sessions available on the HITEC.org web site. New this year, was the opportunity for attendees to participate in the HITEC Virtual Trade Show. Attendees can watch as the Los Angeles Convention Center's West Hall was transformed from an empty space through a time-lapse of the set-up to the final reveal of the big show.

HITEC's education program officially began with the Opening Keynote from former Google CIO, Douglas Merrill, who spoke on analyzing security budgets and how to identify unmanaged risks. Tuesday's Keynote Session featured social innovator and global thought leader Rachel Botsman, who explained how the power of collaboration and sharing through digital technologies is transforming the way we live, work and consume. To close HITEC on Thursday afternoon, Eric O'Neill, the former FBI agent and security expert explored a number of steps corporations and individuals can take to secure critical information.

To recognize innovation in the hospitality technology industry, HFTP inducted Barry Shuler,CIO and IT consulting principal with Design Management Associates, Inc., into the International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame. Shuler was recognized for his role in developing a model for hotel industry enterprise architecture and IT strategic planning.

HITEC 2015 is slated for June 15–18 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. For more information about HITEC, contact the HFTP Meetings & Special Events Department at [email protected], (800) 646-4387 or +1 (512) 249-5333.

About HFTP

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), established in 1952, is a hospitality nonprofit association headquartered in Austin, Texas USA with offices in the EU and Middle East. HFTP is recognized as the spokes group for the finance and technology segments of the hospitality industry with an international network of members and stakeholders. HFTP uniquely understands the industry's pressing issues, and assists its stakeholders in finding solutions to their challenges more efficiently than any organization. HFTP offers expert networks, educational resources, career development programs, research, leadership opportunities and conferences and events. HFTP produces international events throughout the year, including the world's largest hospitality technology tradeshow and conference brand: HITEC. In addition, it oversees the hospitality-specific Pineapplesearch.com® and the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI). For more information about HFTP, visit www.hftp.org. For the latest news, visit the HFTP News page at news.hftp.org and the HFTP Connect blog at blog.hftp.org.

Sara Shafer
Public Relations Manager
+1 (512) 249-5333
HFTP