Reflecting on Smash Success of HITEC 50th Anniversary, AAHOA, CHTA, HSMAI and iHITA Help HFTP Carry It into the Future

The hospitality technology event showcased what it does best, gathering thousands of professional experts to share the latest ideas, trends and best practices

Reflecting on the smash success of the momentous 50^th Anniversary of the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®), the global hospitality technology event is well-positioned to carry on the demand for a knowledge-sharing event of its kind into its next era and beyond. Produced by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), HITEC 2022 hosted just over 6,100 attendees on June 27–30 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida USA. The five-decade event showcased the industry's latest technology innovations from 331 exhibitors in a 78,000 sq ft exhibit hall and provided a top-notch education program with over 50 education sessions. Already preparations for year 51 have begun with almost 70 percent of the show floor contracted for HITEC Toronto scheduled for June 26–29, 2023. HITEC is the only global, nonprofit event in the world and is also the largest and oldest.

“This year’s HITEC was like none I have seen, and I have been to 32 iterations,” said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe, CAE, FIH. “Throughout the four days in Orlando you could feel a positive buzz throughout the event space and exhibit hall, conversations in progress all around you. There is no better indication of this success than the positive interest from exhibitors and potential exhibitors that flowed through the exhibit office onsite. Because of our priority program, we were forced to create a waiting list for newcomer companies who want to exhibit. Additionally, HFTP had a record number of new members who joined the nonprofit association onsite.”

The exhibit hall featured hundreds of companies, from small start-ups to large global brands, displaying their wide-ranging, technology solutions for the hospitality industry. Product categories included point-of-sale (POS), door locks, data security, mobile apps, digital screens and signage, payment systems, network management and more. Exhibitors were enthusiastic about this year’s outcome. The three days of exhibits at HITEC offers companies the opportunity to capture long-lasting business connections.

“This year’s HITEC has yet again been a wonderful event for M3 to connect with current and future customers,” said Haley Wolf, marketing and public relations manager for M3. “Not only does the event allow us to drive bottom line revenue, but it also allows us to connect with the incredible people of the hospitality industry."

"As a startup based in Austin, Texas, we specifically chose HITEC as our first tradeshow to showcase the launch of our Autonomous Inventory Management Platform,” said Don Ward, founder and CEO of Laundris Corp. “We appreciated the opportunity to discuss our solution with potential customers and forward-thinking business leaders who are considering new and emerging trends in the hospitality industry. It was great to meet new friends. And most importantly, Laundris appreciated the help of the entire HTFP team for putting together a top-notch event and experience for our team. Looking forward to Toronto in 2023!"

A highlight of the week was Entrepreneur 20X, exclusively sponsored by PROVision Partners. The start-up pitch competition featured eight start-ups pitching hospitality technology solutions to a panel of six judges. The Judge’s Choice Award, selected by the judges panel, went to ROBOSIZE.ME and The People’s Choice Award, which was the popular vote, went to Beachy.

The continued success of HITEC is supported by the participation of HFTP allied association partners. Annually, Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Americas co-locates its ROC Americas event with HITEC. In addition other partner associations participating in Orlando were the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the International Hospitality Information Technology Association (iHITA) and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA).

2023 priority sales for previous and current exhibitors is in progress. General sales opens up on August 9, 2022. To register your interest, contact [email protected]. For more information about HFTP's events, visit www.hftp.org or contact the HFTP Meetings & Special Events Department at [email protected].

View photos from HITEC Orlando. Follow HITEC on LinkedIn with #HITEC.

About HFTP

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), established in 1952, is a hospitality nonprofit association headquartered in Austin, Texas USA with offices in the EU and Middle East. HFTP is recognized as the spokes group for the finance and technology segments of the hospitality industry with an international network of members and stakeholders. HFTP uniquely understands the industry's pressing issues, and assists its stakeholders in finding solutions to their challenges more efficiently than any organization. HFTP offers expert networks, educational resources, career development programs, research, leadership opportunities and conferences and events. HFTP produces international events throughout the year, including the world's largest hospitality technology tradeshow and conference brand: HITEC. In addition, it oversees the hospitality-specific Pineapplesearch.com® and the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI). For more information about HFTP, visit www.hftp.org. For the latest news, visit the HFTP News page at news.hftp.org and the HFTP Connect blog at blog.hftp.org.