HOSPACE 2012 expert panel to debate: Can outsourced IT services really support the needs of Hospitality IT and does a cloud hang over the future of the industry’s IT managers?
Taking the Investment Forward – Making the Most of the Investment in Your People and Business to Create Value’ is the title of HOSPACE 2012, HOSPA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition for Hospitality Finance, Revenue Management, IT and Commercial Professionals to be held on 22 November
The pressing issue of whether outsourced IT services can really support the needs of Hospitality Industry IT for both internal business requirements and guest services, is to be debated by an expert panel of leading hospitality IT professionals at HOSPACE 2012 on 22 November.
The 2012 HOSPACE IT Debate panellists will include: Jeremy Ward, Senior Vice President IT, Kempinski Hotels; Chris Huggett, Senior Vice President Networking Business, EMEA, Hewlett Packard; Paul Missen, Vice President Technology EMEA, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group; Joanne Stanford, Group IT Director, De Vere Group; and Raman (RP) Rama, Principal Vice President and Chief Technology Officer/Chief Information Officer at JHM Hotels, and President of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP).
Under the adroit guidance of HOSPA IT Community Chair Bryan Steele, Managing Director of Jireh-Tek, the panellists will be discussing the motion: ‘Can outsourced IT services really support the needs of Hospitality IT for both internal business requirements and guest services?’
“Due to the cost of keeping up with the rapid advances in technology, its growing complexity and ever increasing customer IT expectations, there is an increasing trend for hospitality operators to turn to outsourced ‘above the property, cloud-based IT services’ for their technological support,” explained Bryan Steele. ”The big questions the HOSPACE panel has to address is whether such outside services really support both the back-of-house and customer-facing needs of the industry; and in the future, will there still be a place for the hospitality IT manager?
“Do outsourced IT services suppliers, for instance, really understand the individual needs of the hospitality industry with regard to specialist back-of-house operations, or could they be better suited to providing support services for customer-facing technology? Find out about this and much more by joining us at HOSPACE 2012!”
In addition to the ‘IT Panel Debate’, other highlights of HOSPACE 2012 – designed for Hospitality Finance, Revenue Management, IT and Commercial Professionals – include: a special ‘Leaders Panel’ of distinguished hotel industry executives examining the current hottest hospitality issues, trends and developments; a top-level Finance Panel discussion on ’Getting the Wheels of Finance to turn again’; a Revenue Management session asking the question: ‘What is the Revenue Management contribution to strategy and future leadership in hospitality?’; and a programme of industry specific educational workshops – all led by leading specialists in their subjects.
As in past years, HOSPACE will be held at the Sofitel London Heathrow, Terminal 5, and supported by a growing and increasingly influential exhibition of hospitality technology solutions – providing delegates with a ‘one stop shop’ to view and interact with the latest and ‘best in class’ technologies – covering all eventualities for any hospitality business, whether they be start-up, established independent, or multi chain-owned, operations.
For regularly updated information on HOSPACE 2012 (HOSPA’s Annual Conference and IT Exhibition), visit the HOSPACE 2012 Website at: www.hospace.net . For bookings and further details for HOSPACE 2012, contact the HOSPA Membership Services Office on telephone: 01202 889 430; fax: 01202 887 967; or email: [email protected]
HOSPA (‘Hospitality Professionals Association’ for Finance, Revenue Management and IT) is a non-profit educational organisation which has evolved from BAHA (British Association of Hospitality Accountants) which was formed in 1969. The aim of HOSPA is to bring together those hospitality industry professionals involved in Financial Management, Revenue Management and IT. Whereas BAHA has been recognised as the UK’s authoritative voice in the hospitality industry on financial management, technical accounting issues, taxation, and hotel valuation, HOSPA now is additionally the leading arena for debate on hotel systems and Revenue Management topics through their annual Conference and meetings programmes. The membership has expanded to over 1,000 members. HOSPA – which has provided an industry specific, hospitality focused programme in Financial Management for over 23 years – has just introduced similar programmes for Revenue Management and IT. For more information, visit: