AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA (May 25, 2016) — Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) has announced plans to raise funds in honor of hospitality industry legend John Cahill, CHA, CHTP with a tribute reception at the upcoming Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC℠) next month. The tribute will take place on Wednesday, June 22, 2016 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La. USA.
HFTP is donating 100 percent of the tribute admission to establish the annual John Cahill Hospitality Technology Research Assistantship at the University of Houston, Conrad Hilton College. This assistantship will be funded to provide support to the industry by conducting an annual research project germane to the industry. Due to a generous matching program, donations and tribute admission fees will be doubled to allow for this assistantship to last for many years.
Cahill, who passed away in April, was honored as an inductee to the HFTP International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame, HFTP’s highest level of recognition in the area of technology. He was also the HFTP Global President from 2001–2002, and HITEC Advisory Council chair in 2001. Cahill also co-founded and served as president of the HFTP Fairfield/Westchester chapter in the early 1990s. Cahill became a member of HFTP in 1981, and sat on almost every HFTP committee over the years. He was an extremely dedicated and active HFTP member, and had attended nearly every HITEC since 1973.
Cahill also served on and/or chaired various American Hotel and Lodging (AH&LA) Committees, International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IHRA) Committees, and was a prolific writer, and author of industry texts. In 1998, he was elected an Officier de la Confrérie des Amis de l'Hôtellerie Internationales by IHRA. Cahill also received the prestigious HFTP Paragon Award in 2004; the award recognizes individuals who have made a significant and lasting contribution to both HFTP and the hospitality industry.
“John was always way ahead of the curve,” explains HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe, CAE. “He was the very first IT Global President, and encouraged the early adaptation of the internet to communicate to HFTP members the successes and challenges we faced as an association. He had a great impact on the growth of the technology segment of HFTP, but actually the chapter he founded was mostly made up of finance members."
Tribute tickets will be offered at the door of the event at HITEC. For those who would like to donate securely but cannot attend the tribute, please email accounting@hftp.org.
HITEC 2016 is June 20–23 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La. USA. For the latest news, follow HFTP/HITEC on HITEC Bytes, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. For more information about HITEC, contact the HFTP Meetings & Special Events Department at education@hftp.org, +1 (512) 249-5333.
