AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA (October 28, 2015) – Over 560 Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) members and other hospitality industry professionals recently gathered for HFTP's 63rd Annual Convention & Tradeshow. The convention was held October 21 – 24 at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue in Bellevue, Wash. USA. Attendees celebrated the association's successful year with a convention full of topic focused education sessions, multiple networking opportunities and access to leading industry suppliers at the trade show.
The education sessions presented a spectrum of crucial concepts and trends from top industry experts and practitioners. The three keynote sessions covered how to make personal connections, motivation and stress management. The concurrent education sessions allowed attendees to discuss hot industry topics like smart financial oversight, hospitality technology, workplace ethics and career success.
"The HFTP Education Advisory Council works hard to design a program that is valuable to the attendees, and it was a pleasure to serve and work alongside my fellow council members,” said Marney Zellers, CHAE, hospitality manager for Peterson Sullivan LLP and chair of the Education Advisory Council. “We hope everyone was able to gain useful knowledge from the education and the new features brought to the convention this year.”
With a Welcome Reception and Exhibits on opening night and the elegant President's Evening, attendees had the opportunity to network and socialize throughout the convention with colleagues and vendors. Meanwhile, the tradeshow featured a broad spectrum of exhibitors representing a variety of hospitality products and services for the finance and technology professional.
At the Welcome Reception HFTP debuted its new site: Pineapplesearch.com. The site is an aggregated content destination that focuses on news, articles and reports of primary interest to the hospitality industry, with priority placed on information-based results. The site is a super-charged resource, with numerous functionalities to help customize a hospitality-specific search.
For HFTP the Annual Convention is a time for recognition of individuals and chapters who represent the success of the association. Ralph Miller, CPA, CA, CBV, CHA, CHAE president of Inntegrated Hospitality Management, Ltd., was awarded the Paragon Award for his support of HFTP. David Meyer, CHAE, controller for the Crowne Plaza and DoubleTree hotels in Saint Paul, Minn., was honored as the CHAE of the Year for scoring the highest on the CHAE exam in the past year. HFTP also awarded the Chapters of the Year. The winners, awarded in three tiers based on the chapters’ membership number, included the New Mexico Chapter (1-35 members), Florida Manasota Chapter (36-70 members) and Mid-Florida Chapter (71+ members). The Student Chapter of the Year Award was given to the University of Houston Cougar Chapter.
The 2015-2016 new leaders of the association were installed as part of the week’s events. Arlene Ramirez, CHAE, CHE, CHIA, MBA, assumed her role as the HFTP Global President and the newest members of the HFTP Global Executive Committee were installed as well as the Board of Directors.
The 2016 HFTP Annual Convention & Tradeshow will be October 19 – 22 at the Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. USA. For more information, contact the HFTP Meetings & Special Events Department at education@hftp.org, (800) 646-4387 or +1 (512) 249-5333.
