HITEC Houston Boasts Highest Attended Event in Its Association’s History
June 28, 2018
The Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) recently wrapped up its highest-attended North American event in its association’s 65-year history.
The annual event, which took place June 18-21 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, attracted more than 6,650 hospitality financial and technology professionals seeking to learn how to integrate the latest technologies in the hospitality space.
Produced annually by the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP),
HITEC is known as the world’s largest and oldest hospitality technology exposition and conference brand that has been showcasing the industry’s latest innovations while providing top-notch education for more than 45 years.
“Thank you to everyone who helped make HITEC Houston a huge success,” said Frank Wolfe, CEO of HFTP, a 65-year-old hospitality association headquartered in Austin, Texas that also boasts offices in Hong Kong, the U.K., The Netherlands and Dubai.
He continued, “HITEC Houston was not only the highest attended HITEC conference to date, but it was also the highest attended overall conference in HFTP’s 65-year history. HFTP looks forward to continuing to serve the hospitality technology community in years to come.”
HITEC Houston’s exhibit floor featured 397 exhibitors showcasing the latest in hospitality technology products and services, while the conference featured over 120 speakers, including futurist Mike Walsh and data security expert Theresa Payton as keynote speakers. Daily education sessions addressed top-trending topics including data security; IT initiatives; sustainability and CSR; AI; leadership development; blockchain and millennials reshaping the industry.
The Entrepreneur 20X (E20X) Houston innovation competition for hospitality startups featured 16 startups, an expert panel of six judges and 16 industry mentors who coached the entrepreneurs before their four-minute pitch, with Reply.ai winning the E20X Judge’s Award and Beekeeper chosen by conference attendees – via the HFTP Multi-event app – as the E20X People’s Choice Award winner.
Three hospitality technology industry leaders were recognized and awarded at HITEC Houston, including 2018 HFTP International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame recipients Tammy Farley and Jing Zhu, and 2018 CHTP of the Year recipient Sean Van Dyke.
During the event, HFTP also hosted its annual HITEC Helps social responsibility project, which raised funds for local nonprofit Compudopt, a local nonprofit that provides technology access and education to underserved youth in the Houston area.
As of 2017, HFTP produces three HITEC events per year: HITEC Amsterdam, HITEC Dubai and HITEC North America, the latter of which rotates cities annually and is the largest of the three shows.
HITEC Minneapolis is scheduled for June 17-20 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minn.
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HERE, hosting responsible meetings and caring for our communities are top priorities. Through its 'Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet' philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make an impact in the lives of employees, guests, and the communities in which it operates.
Water Stewardship Efforts
MGM Resorts understands the importance of using water efficiently, especially in the desert destination of Las Vegas. Conserving water has always been part of the mission, but MGM Resorts has expanded its ambition into water stewardship.
In 2022, MGM Resorts President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle signed the CEO Water Mandate—a UN Global Compact initiative mobilizing business leaders to advance water stewardship. MGM Resorts International was the first gaming company to take this important step.
MGM Resorts replaced 200,000 square feet of real grass with drought-tolerant landscaping in Las Vegas.
MGM Resorts pledges to reduce water withdrawal intensity by 33% by 2025 and by 35% by 2030.
From 2007-2021, use of more than 5.6 billion gallons of water was avoided because of conservation efforts.
Caring for One Another
MGM Resorts’ Food Donations Program collects and preserves unserved food from conventions held at MGM Resorts properties, then safely donates to food insecure people in the community. Since the program’s launch in 2016, more than 3.7 million meals toward a 2025 goal of 5 million meals have been donated into the community. Donations include:
Unserved perishable prepared foods from events
Perishable unprepared food from MGM Resorts’ kitchens
Nonperishable food items from minibars and warehouses
The collaboration with Southern Nevada’s primary food bank, Three Square, has developed the infrastructure needed to safely collect, transport, and store food from MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas, reducing food waste while serving the community.
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion
To MGM Resorts, a diverse and talented workforce is essential to success. By cultivating innovative strategies that consider multiple perspectives and viewpoints, the company creates an inclusive workplace culture that benefits its employees and community. MGM Resorts takes pride in being a welcoming home for veterans, individuals with disabilities, people from diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ community members, and more. This commitment to inclusion is reflected in the company's recruitment and hiring practices and its social responsibility initiatives. From the workplace to the community, MGM Resorts' commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion remains unwavering, and its efforts continue to create a more equitable and sustainable world for all.
MGM Resorts understands its responsibility to contribute to the social and economic progress of the communities in which it operates. HERE, we embrace humanity.
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