Expanding its global scope, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), a leading hospitality association and producers of the world-renowned Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®), will host a membership event for HFTP members and prospective members in London for the first time on Monday, 6 March 2017 at the prestigious Rosewood Hotel London – named "Best UK Business Hotel 2016" by Condé Nast Traveler (UK) at last year's Readers' Travel Awards. The program, sponsored by Keystep, a specialist provider of IT solutions to the hospitality and retail sector, will start at 18:00 and take place in the hotel's The Manor Club meeting room on the third floor. Hospitality professionals interested in attending the premier London event can RSVP to attend.
Guests are invited to join HFTP and top European hospitality executives for an evening of interesting speakers and discussion. Top hospitality experts will speak on trending topics in a series of 20 minute intervals, followed by a question-and-answer session. Speakers include: Stephen Minall, owner at Moving Food and a member of the HITEC Amsterdam Advisory Council; Barry Thomas, CHTP, area director of information technology at Rosewood Hotel London and a member of the HITEC Amsterdam Advisory Council; Carl Weldon, FIH FHOSPA, COO Europe at HFTP; and HFTP Global President Lyle Worthington, CHTP, CIO at The Student Hotel.
"HFTP is delighted to continue its global expansion with a membership event in London – a city with a strong and proud passion for hospitality," said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe, CAE. "We are committed to serving the European demand for hospitality finance and technology resources. This event will demonstrate some of our core values – knowledge sharing, innovation, personal growth and fun!"
Weldon will kick-off the event with a welcome and introduction. Following up, Thomas will speak about "The Broad IT Challenge of Different Guests in Varying Markets of the Luxury Hotel Segment;" Minall will speak about "Online Opportunities for Hotels Utilising the Retailers Approach;" and Worthington will explain "The Art and Science of User Experience Design – See Real Examples of Why It Is Important, and Discuss Ways to Improve the Overall User Experience." HFTP Global Board director and HITEC Amsterdam Advisory Council vice chair, Derick Wood will also be in attendance.
In recent years, HFTP has been expanding its programs globally, and in 2017 the association will produce three HITEC events in 2017 – including two inaugural events – all taking place outside of the United States borders. HFTP's inaugural HITEC Amsterdam will take place 28–30 March at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The largest event of the year, HITEC Toronto, will take place 26–29 June at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario Canada. Ending the year, HFTP's inaugural HITEC Dubai will take place in November and is produced in partnership with Naseba.
For more information about HFTP's London membership event, contact Carl Weldon, FIH FHOSPA at Carl.Weldon@hftp.org or +1 (512) 220-4164. For more information about HITEC and HFTP's other global activities, contact the HFTP Meetings & Special Events Department at education@hftp.org or visit www.hftp.org and www.hftp.org/hitec.
