The Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) continued to be a strong show, with many of…
The Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) continued to be a strong show, with many of the attendees saying they were there to buy. HITEC 2003, produced by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), was the fourth largest HITEC held in 32 years. The event, held at New Orleans` Morial Convention Center, featured over 600 booths and more than 4,500 attendees. According to an attendee survey, 19 percent said they were planning on purchasing between $100,000-$250,000; 12 percent said $250,000-$500,000 and 20 percent said they were spending over $500,000.
It was encouraging to see such a good attendance at this year`s HITEC despite the overall depression in the economy and corporate travel restrictions, said Frank Wolfe, CAE, HFTP`s executive vice president and CEO. This signifies that the industry still places a high importance to progress and thinks of HITEC as a place to learn about the latest trends.
It was our first HITEC and we are thrilled with the exposure, professionalism and cooperation, said Frances Schultz from NCIC, a HITEC 2003 exhibitor. We will be at the next show and are making HITEC our priority expo to attend.
Exhibitors use HITEC as a place for product launches, with many HITEC 2003 attendees announcing new products and alliances. The HITEC exhibit hall featured the most current in hospitality products and services for audio/visual, energy management and conservation, Internet, information processing, security, fire safety and telecommunications. Companies offered wireless services, in-room movies, reservation systems, self check-in and check-out devices, call center services, guest room telephones and much more. Many of the exhibitors were very happy with the response they got from attendees, as well as the overall show.
HITEC remains an important industry event for Pegasus for a number of reasons, said Michael Brophy, public relations manager for Pegasus, a HITEC 2003 exhibitor. The conference provides an excellent forum to introduce applications and services to hoteliers. We also have come to appreciate the high caliber of HITEC`s attendees – truly an audience that understands technology and how its effective use can impact the industry. We look forward to HITEC 2004, in our headquarters city of Dallas.
This is Travelweb`s first HITEC experience and it has been a very successful show for us, said Fred Bean, vice president of sales and relations for Travelweb, a HITEC 2003 exhibitor. HITEC provided us with an opportunity to speak with current customers and to educate potential customers as to how Travelweb enables hotels to distribute discount inventory online. We`ll be back.
The service we`ve received from HITEC`s show management has really illustrated what the hospitality industry should be all about, said Linda Gillis, director of marketing for Squirrel Systems, a HITEC 2003 exhibitor. HFTP is a first-rate organization that we will want to do business with again.
Already 63 percent of the exhibit hall is sold out for next year`s show at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas on June 22-24.
At Tuesday morning`s Opening Session, best-selling author, Terry Pearce, explained what makes a leader in his presentation Leadership – Building Culture, Inspiring Change. He defined a leader as someone who inspires people to willingly take action to effect change. Pearce is founder and president of Leadership Communication, and is co-author, with Dave Pottruck, of Clicks and Mortar: Passion Driven Growth in an Internet Driven World.
After Pearce`s speech, two technology leaders were honored. First, the CHTP of the Year, Ab Echenberg, CHAE, CHTP, was acknowledged, although he was unable to attend the ceremony. Echenberg earned the honor by scoring the highest score for the Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP) exam within a set period. Next, Richard Siegel, president and publisher of Hospitality Upgrade, was inducted into the HFTP International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame. Siegel was selected for influencing the progress of hospitality technology by providing a publishing forum for information on the industry.
Wednesday`s general session, How to Achieve a Positive ROT – Return on Technology was presented by Don Neal, chief marketing officer for Marsh Affinity Group Services. Neal explained that companies need to establish a customer-centric business model to get a return on investment. Neal is an expert in both business and marketing strategy. His experience includes the design and implementation of integrated advertising, marketing, loyalty and sales processes based upon a media-neutral Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategy.
Wrapping up the education conference was Peter Greenberg in his presentation, Marketing on the Net. Greenberg discussed the new state of the travel business, from the airlines and bankruptcies to hotel occupancies and consumer rights. He emphasized that the use of high-technology won`t mean a difference for the travel industry if the low-tech, like the human touch, isn`t working. Greenberg is the travel editor for NBC`s Today Show and author of the eagerly anticipated The Travel Detective: Secrets You Can`t Leave Home Without.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
