Over 1,100 hospitality industry professionals from around the globe came together in AmsterdamÊlast week to explore the industry’s best practices and latest innovations at the inaugural HITEC Amsterdam. Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), producers of the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC), exceeded its goal to successfully produce a European counterpart to its recognized, 45-year-old North American event.
HITEC Amsterdam was held from March 28Ð30 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre. Based on this year’s successful show, HFTP has already scheduled HITEC Amsterdam 2018 for April 11Ð13 at the RAI Convention Centre.
The conference served as a regional, concentrated forum to discuss the ins-and-outs of hospitality technology via networking, education and exhibits. The event’s educational program featured 30+ speakers, including two keynote presentations, which addressed trending topics such as: EU data privacy legislation, disruptive technologies, e-payments, technology for profit, IT and more. Attendees also had access to an exhibition hall that was home to 83 exhibit booths showcasing the latest in hospitality technology products and services.
“Thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly to make HFTP’s inaugural HITEC Amsterdam an overwhelming success,” said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe, CAE. “We had early indications foreshadowing the event’s popularity with the exhibit floor selling out in 72 hours last June to high pre-registration attendance numbers. HFTP is humbled to have surpassed its goal in producing the first European extension of HITEC, and look forward to the future.”
Expanding on industry innovation, HITEC Amsterdam also offered attendees the chance to witness HFTP’s thrilling Entrepreneur 20X (E20X) innovation competition for hospitality startups Ð contestant Hyre won both the Judge’s Award and the People’s Startup Award. Exclusively sponsored by HoReCa.digital, HITEC Amsterdam served as the platform for HFTP to debut its popular E20X event in Europe for the first time.
HITEC Amsterdam was the first of three HITECs that HFTP will produce this year. Next up, the larger HITEC Toronto is slated for June 26-29, 2017 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario Canada. Ending the year, the inaugural HITEC Dubai Ð a Middle Eastern counterpart Ð will take place November 14-15 at the Conrad Dubai in Dubai, UAE in partnership with Naseba.
