HITEC 2011 Opens - Ready to Cover the Latest in Hospitality Technology
June 21, 2011 - The Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) opened on Monday in Austin, Texas and is welcoming over 4,500 professionals from 37 countries to explore the industry's best practices and latest innovations. HITEC runs through Thursday at the Austin Convention Center, and will offer a daily education program, including keynote sessions, and an exposition with hundreds of industry suppliers.
“It has been a very exciting start to the conference so far,” said Frank Wolfe, CAE, CEO for Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), producers of HITEC. “The sense of community is really strong at HITEC, and it's even greater for us at HFTP since we get to show off our hometown, Austin, Texas. Plus there's no better way to start a conference than directly addressing buzz-worthy topics such as PCI compliance and Social Media through our education program.”
Monday, featured a keynote presentation by Randi Zuckerberg, director of market development for Facebook. Over 1,000 attendees packed the room to listen to her insights on how social media has changed the world. The rest of this week's education program covers hot topics such as PCI compliance, mobile technology/apps, cloud computing and guestroom technology.
Monday also kicked off with the highest attended HITEC Welcome Reception at Buffalo Billiards. Over 1,800 attendees enjoyed the HFTP-sponsored event with live music from Seth Walker, Texas-style bar-b-q, pool hall games and more. Some new features for HITEC this year include:
- HITEC App
After the success of an iPhone app in 2010, HITEC added an Android version for 2011. The free app can be found by searching “HITEC” on iTunes or in the Android Market. There is also a mobile version (www.hftp.org/hitecmobile) available for all other smartphone users. - PCI Compliance Roundtable Update and PCI Compliance Boot Camp
Special PCI Compliance events were held on Monday, June 20 to discuss the importance of PCI compliance. You can find documents related to the subject on the HFTP web site. - TechTours
Attendees can get a hands-on review of hot technologies on the show floor from a specific product category (IPTV and guestroom controls) on Tuesday from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. (pre-registration is required). - Special Report
A series of articles based on the top technology trends was published to coincide with HITEC. The issue is now available online. - Session Recording and Streaming
By popular demand HITEC is recording a select number of educational sessions and offering them online for viewing after the show. In addition, a select group of sessions will be streamed live on Thursday, June 23. Sessions scheduled to be recorded/streamed are denoted in the online schedule and will be available on the HITEC web site. - HITEC Executive Vendor Advisory Council
The new council consists of executives representing HITEC exhibitors, selected randomly. The council worked with the 2011 HITEC Advisory Council to offer a vendor's perspective to HITEC planning. The council will be formed again for 2012 planning, with participation details available on the HITEC web site.
Produced by HFTP® (Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals), HITEC is the world's largest hospitality technology exposition and conference. It offers attendees 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.
Visit www.hitec.org for complete information about all conference and exhibition events, including a full conference schedule, Buyer's Guide with a list of exhibitors, a map of the exhibit hall and the most current HITEC news. For more information, contact the HFTP Meetings & Special Events Department at [email protected], (800) 646-4387 or +1 (512) 249-5333.
HFTP, Austin, Texas, USA and Maastricht, The Netherlands, founded in 1952, is the global professional association for financial and technology personnel working in hotels, clubs and other hospitality-related businesses. HFTP provides first class educational opportunities, research, and publications to members around the globe including, the premiere hospitality technology conference HITEC--founded in 1972. HFTP also awards the only hospitality specific certifications for accounting and technology --the Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive (CHAE) and the Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP) designations. HFTP was founded in the USA as the National Association of Hotel Accountants. For more information, visit www.hftp.org.
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