AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA | Over 100 hospitality professionals gathered last week, March 16 – 17, at the Westin Tampa Harbour Island in Tampa, Fla. for the popular Club and Hotel Controllers Conference, a service of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®). The thematic thread of discussion was how to keep ahead during a tough economy, but conference-goers also attended educational sessions addressing important industry issues such as taxes, internal controls, legal matters and technology. Held twice-annually, this was the first of 2009, with the second conference scheduled for June 16-17 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.

"This year’s conference came at a very critical time for the hospitality industry," said David Manglos, director of finance for The Club at Carlton Woods and a director on the HFTP Board. "As the economic crisis has hit all of us, we are often on the forefront of helping lead our organizations through these difficult financial times. The conference sessions and topics were extremely relevant to these times and the offline networking with other industry professional provided me with actionable plans for my club. I sent my general manager a 24-point memo on things for us to consider immediately upon my return from the conference."

The Club and Hotel Controllers Conferences feature identical education programs and networking opportunities. Along with the general sessions, the education program includes two industry-specific tracks, one for hotels and the other for clubs. Many topics addressed this year directly relate to the current economic crisis with sessions on habits successful people use to cope with hard times, how clubs can survive the recession, budgeting with a purpose, integrating systems to streamline costs and more.

Online registration is available now for the second Club and Hotel Controllers Conference, which is co-located with HITEC (Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference), the largest hospitality technology conference and exposition. Attending the June Club and Hotel Controllers Conference gives attendees the opportunity to visit the HITEC exhibit hall. In addition to the hundreds of companies exhibiting, the exhibit hall features the Club Technology Pavilion. Attendees are also invited to the HITEC Welcome Reception on Monday, June 22. For more information about the HTIEC 2009 education schedule, visit the HITEC web site.

For more information about the Club and Hotel Controllers Conference visit the conference web site or contact the HFTP Education Department at [email protected], (800) 646-4387 or +1 (512) 249-5333 x20.

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 more than 4,800 members globally, 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 .

Katy Walterscheidt
Public Relations & Social Media Manager
HFTP