Source: China Hospitality Technology Alliance
Source: China Hospitality Technology Alliance
Source: China Hospitality Technology Alliance
Source: China Hospitality Technology Alliance
Hospitality Technology Expo

The inaugural Hospitality Technology Exhibition® (HTx®) has wrapped up its 3-day run, held from 13 to 15 April 2016. A joint collaboration between China Hospitality Technology Alliance (CHTA) and InfoCommAsia, the exhibition is a concerted effort to take the hospitality industry to the next generation through cutting-edge technology. Held concurrently with InfoComm China at the China National Convention Center, HTx attracted 9,968 local and overseas visitors from the hospitality industry.

The first-of-its-kind exhibition in China, HTx promotes and showcases the entire spectrum of technologies impacting the hospitality industry. The technologies benefit sectors including AV, emergency management, entertainment, guest application and service, marketing and sales, operation application, security, self-service solutions as well as terminal devices.

Such a comprehensive showcase of solutions offered an eye-opening and meaningful show experience for the visitors. "HTx is a very grand show, with many new technologies to see. I also found the products that I needed at the show," says Runshang Daqi, Senior Product Manager, SLT.

For exhibitors, taking a chance and exhibiting at the inaugural show proved to be a wise investment. Jonathan Wu, Vice President, Sales Support and Operations, Vodoke, praised the "fantastic response" his team received at the show. "Many hotels expressed interest in our products; in fact we've already arranged with a customer to conduct a demonstration right after this tradeshow is over. This being the first year of HTx, we had only wanted to build brand awareness in the Chinese market. To our surprise, the results far exceeded all our expectations."

SUCCESS OF HTx BUOYED BY CO-LOCATION WITH INFOCOMM CHINA

HTx was held in conjunction with InfoComm China, Asia Pacific's most definitive professional audiovisual (pro-AV) and information communications technology (ICT) showcase. Such a co-location underpinned the success of HTx. InfoComm China 2016 saw a record-breaking visitor attendance of 26,728, registering a 15% increase despite a bullish economic climate.

Exhibitors and visitors at both shows benefited from the joint effort and co-location. HTx participants had the chance to network with channel and end-users operating in other industries. In turn, they broadened their networks of contacts and gained new business opportunities.

"HTx focuses on hospitality, and its visitors come from the hospitality and F&B sectors. That said, we also received a high number of system integrators at our booth, all of whom have expressed keen interest in our products. We are definitely looking forward to next year's show," Ashish Tijare, Vice President, Business Development, CasaDigi.

LINE-UP OF TOP AND INNOVATIVE INDUSTRY PLAYERS HEIGHTENS HTx'S AUTHORITY

HTx's winning formula lies in its ability to rally an impressive roster of international and local industry players. Global ICT solution purveyor Huawei and Chinese electronics company Xiaomi were on deck to showcase their newest products. As a well-connected entity, CHTA has also inked strategic partnerships with leaders such as Plug and Play as well as IngDan. These partnerships will birth a professional intelligent hardware development platform; and a platform to heighten technology development capabilities. Beyond engendering new innovations and resolving IoT-related problems faced by hoteliers, these two platforms are poised to raise the profile of the hospitality industry.

On the show floor, Hangzhou GreenCloud S&T Co., Ltd (GreenCloud) introduced i-Hotel, an information platform. With this open platform, hoteliers can establish a direct-selling platform; send electronic direct mailers with SMS, email, comment and questionnaire fields; perform intelligent room control; and connect with third-party partners for management of its social media platforms, revenue, car rental services and more. This brainchild of GreenCloud connects businesses and in turn spurs the development of the tourism industry.

A purveyor of media hubs, Shanghai Canall Technology's solutions are preferred by top hotels in China. In particular, its HD8660, a HD multimedia platform, is already deployed in White Swan Hotel Guangzhou, Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort, Hilton Shanghai and more. The platform boasts wireless display functions, allowing guests to stream online videos or media contents on BYOD solutions or in-room HDTVs. Slick in aesthetics and thin in size, the unit can also be tucked away in secret compartments to eliminate clutter.

Wowing visitors with its array of office and conference system hardware is Hubei Anxin Intelligent Home Science & Tech Co., LTD (Anxin). Its iPad mini holder can be built "into" the wall, and it charges the device automatically. The anti-theft lock structure eliminates any chance of the iPad mini being stolen too. Anxin is the first manufacturer in the industry to issue this nifty product.

EnGenius Networks Singapore also upped the ante with its Neutron Series Distributed Network Management Solution. This solution enables users to deploy and manage a few or over 1,000 Neutron Series access points and controller switches to support more than 10,000 concurrent users. This centrally-managed, enterprise-class WLAN requires no subscription fees, licensing or tech support, making it an affordable and attractive solution for budget-conscious hoteliers.

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ELEVATE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Held in tandem with the exhibition, the 3-day HTx Summit featured learning sessions with select panel discussions. These conferences were geared to provide illuminating insights on emerging trends as well as current issues affecting China's and Asia Pacific's hospitality industries. The Summit is a complementary learning platform, offering opportunities for professionals from China and the region to gather insights in a key industry.

SHOW ORGANIZER

About China Hotel Technology Alliance (CHTA)

CHTA is a non-profit organization with a strong focus on leading-edge Chinese technologies, which aims to set global standards in servicing both Chinese and international hotel chains. CHTA is a vehicle through which Western technologies can be effectively deployed to properties in China, not only international chains but also local Chinese groups. CHTA consists of a group of leading hoteliers and technology vendors that strive to bring the true value of technology to hotel guests and the business. CHTA is strongly supported by numerous volunteers from both membership companies and non-membership individuals. For more information about CHTA, please visit www.chta.com.cn/en.

About InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd

InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd is the Asia Pacific regional subsidiary of InfoComm International®, the international trade association of the professional audiovisual and information communications industries. Established in 1939, InfoComm's 5,000 members include manufacturers, systems integrators, dealers and distributors, independent consultants, programmers, rental and staging companies, end-users and multimedia professionals from more than 80 countries.

InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd extends its influence through three marquee shows: InfoComm China, InfoComm India and InfoComm Middle East & Africa. Together, the shows give industry players direct access to key pro-AV and ICT markets, enabling them to tap into the vast potential. China, being the world's largest pro-AV market, offers a wealth of opportunities. India, with its digital and smart-city milieu, is a hotbed of innovative ideas. Home to a fast-growing pro-AV market, The Middle East and Africa is a draw for a multitude of project developers.

Each show comprises a trade exhibition and Summit, both of which bring together industry players as well as decision-makers across all sectors. The trade exhibition is a showcase of the world's most cutting-edge and sought-after inventions. The Summit offers complimentary learning opportunities to all trade professionals and end-users. Buoyed by these two platforms, InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd takes the lead in furthering the expertise of all stakeholders with up-to-date knowledge.

For more information, please visit: www.infocomm-china.com, www.infocomm-india.com and www.infocomm-mea.com.

Han Lai | 黎曦
China Hospitality Technology Alliance