Austin, Texas (September 28, 2023) — Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) is pleased to announce the return of the premier hospitality technology pitch competition Entrepreneur 20X (E20X) at three events in 2024. Startups will have the opportunity to present their cutting-edge platforms at HFTP’s inaugural Digital Horizons 360 (DH360) Symposium in Europe in February and at HITEC Dubai and HITEC North America in June. Applications to compete are now open.
Established in 2015, the upcoming E20X events will mark the fourth and eighth E20X competitions at HITEC Dubai and HITEC North America, respectively. DH360 in February will be the event’s return to the continent where it was last held at HITEC Europe in 2019.
“We are proud to bring even more of what makes our association great back to Europe in 2024,” said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe, CAE. “Entrepreneur 20X’s triumphant return at DH360 is a testament to the unbeatable spirit of innovation and enterprise that defines our global community.”
DH360, February 20–21 in Mallorca, Spain, is an invitation-only symposium for hospitality technology leaders to participate in roundtable discussions on the technologies set to have the biggest industry impact in Europe. The two-day event has centered this year’s programming on subjects including artificial intelligence, self-sovereign identity and cybersecurity, all of which are common focuses of industry startups in recent years.
“At an event concentrated on celebrating thought leadership and what’s next in hospitality technology, it only makes sense to invite the next generation of industry visionaries to present their solutions,” said HFTP EMEA COO Carson Booth, CHTP. “E20X is not just a competition; it’s a transformative journey that propels ideas into action and dreams into reality.”
HITEC Dubai, co-located with The Hotel Show is June 4-5 at the Dubai World Trade Center. HITEC North America is June 24–27 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C. USA.
Dozens of startups have participated in the competition, gaining invaluable insights and exposure to top industry mentors, investors, leaders and executives. Participants compete for two awards: the Judges’ Choice Award which includes a cash prize and the People’s Choice Award, a popular vote selected by event attendees.
Applications to compete at all three competitions are available on the E20X site. The deadline for E20X Europe is December 15, 2023 and the deadline for the Dubai and Charlotte competitions is March 15, 2024. For more information regarding the competition, email e20x@hftp.org.
