HITEC Houston Online Registration and Housing Bureau Open; Advisory Council Announced — Photo by HFTP

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), producers of the world's largest Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®), has announced that attendee registration for its HITEC Houston is now available online as well as hotel reservations. Selected by HFTP leadership for their experience and expertise, the HITEC Houston Advisory Council will determine event's education program. HITEC Houston will be the second, and largest, HITEC event of 2018, and will take place from June 18-21 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas USA.

"The selection process for HFTP's HITEC Advisory Council's is highly competitive, and the group chosen for HITEC Houston is truly outstanding," said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe. "Each individual serving on the HITEC Houston Advisory Council brings an established record of achievement, and a proven commitment to the hospitality technology sector. The combination of extensive industry experience from these individuals will result in an incomparable event program for HITEC Houston attendees."

In traditional manner, HITEC Houston Advisory Council met to plan the upcoming conference's educational program. Sessions planned by the group will address the issues of top concern to the hospitality technology field. The 2018 HITEC Houston Advisory Council includes:

  • Chairman James Bina, CHAE, CHTP, corporate controller, Rosen Hotels & Resorts, Inc.
  • Katerina Berezina, CHTP, assistant professor, University of South Florida
  • Michael Blake, CEO, Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG)
  • Carson Booth, CHTP, startup technology consultant
  • Amitava Chatterjee, director, Deloitte Digital
  • Michael Duffy, CHTP, director of technology, Seaport Companies
  • Jai Govindani, chief technology officer, Red Planet Hotels
  • Donna Hale, vice president of technology, Evans Hotels
  • Ted Horner, managing director, E Horner & Associates Pty
  • Danny Hudson, VP Business Solutions & IT Strategy, Wyndham Hotel Group
  • Laurent Idrac, group CIO, Accor Hotels
  • Ummara Marshall, director POS, POS Marriott
  • Shannon McCallum, executive director of hotel operations, ARIA Las Vegas
  • Wendy Mertz, VP of IT applications and strategy, Hard Rock International
  • Jeffrey Parker, vice president of hospitality systems, Red Lion Hotels
  • Neal Patel, CHIA, CHO, managing partner, Blue Chip Hotels
  • Henri Roelings, founder and CEO, Hsyndicate
  • Prakash Shukla, managing partner, Wayfare Vc
  • Richard Siegel, president and publisher, Hospitality Upgrade
  • Jason Smith, vice president of communications, HSMAI
  • Martin Stanton, vice president of financial information systems, Two Roads Hospitality
  • Michael Tinkey, CEO, OpenTravel Alliance
  • Andy Tjan, CHTP, director of technology and innovation, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts
  • Richard Tudgay, senior vice president of IT, Highgate Hotels
  • Lyle Worthington, CHTP, CIO, The Student Hotel

In addition to HITEC Houston, in 2018 HFTP will bring back its two, regional conferences: HITEC Amsterdam and HITEC Dubai. HITEC Amsterdam will take place from April 11-13 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. HITEC Dubai will take place in the fall. For more information about HITEC and HFTP's other international activities, contact the HFTP Meetings & Special Events Department at [email protected] or visit www.hftp.org and www.hftp.org/hitec.

About HITEC

Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC®) is the world's largest and oldest hospitality technology exposition and conference brand. HITEC offers a unique combination of top-notch education, and brings together the brightest minds and hottest technologies from across the globe to one place. The unparalleled event offers attendees essential education, access to top hospitality technology industry experts and the resources to find cost-effective ways to improve company bottom lines. Combined with the intimate opportunities to connect with fellow professionals, HITEC has everything to enhance your career.

Historically hosted annually in a different city throughout the United States, HFTP decided to break tradition in 2017 by hosting three HITEC events all taking place outside of U.S. borders– in Toronto, Amsterdam and Dubai. This was the first time the global association's largest HITEC event – featuring thousands of hospitality professionals from around the world –took place outside of the United States.

About HFTP

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) established in 1952, is an international, nonprofit association, headquartered in Austin, Texas, USA, with offices in Hong Kong, United Kingdom, The Netherland and Dubai. HFTP is recognized as the spokes group for the finance and technology segments of the hospitality industry with members and stakeholders spanning across the globe. HFTP uniquely understands the industry's pressing issues and assists its stakeholders in finding solutions to their challenges more efficiently than any organization. It does this via its expert networks, research, certification programs, information resources and conferences/events such as HITEC. HFTP also owns the world's only hospitality-specific search engine, PineappleSearch.com®.

For more information about HFTP, email [email protected] or visit the media center. Follow HFTP/HITEC on HFTP Connect, Facebook (@HFTPGlobal; @HITECconference), LinkedIn, Twitter (@HFTP), Instagram (@HFTP_HITEC), Flickr and YouTube for the latest news. Stay tuned to HFTP's industry-specific, informational news sites: HFTP News, HITEC Bytes, HFTP Club Bytes and HFTP Finance Bytes.

###END###

Jessica Blankenship
Public Relations Manager
HFTP