Well, it’s finally that time of the year again…HITEC! To be honest, we love going to this show. Yes, it’s a chance to speak to our current and future customers, but we really just love the atmosphere of innovation you get there. Everyone is thinking about new ideas and how to use technology to make our industry better.
But there is so much to see and do, it’s almost a little overwhelming. So we have put together some highlights that are on our lists that we think you should also check out.
The Exhibitors
These are a just a few of our favorite companies that we check out every year to see what hey have been doing and what is coming to market next:
Ingenico Group (Booth 2403): Payment technology providers. Yes, payments are complex and sometimes boring stuff, but the innovation these guys bring to the table make the mobile service model complete by enabling payments to be taken anywhere.
Duetto (Booth 110): The founders of this dynamic company decided to totally re-think revenue management and have created a tool set that makes it easy to optimize pricing on a granular level. They have been able to move the REVPAR needle like no one else. We always like to stop by to see what they are up to next.
Lightspeed POS Inc. (Booth 351): We like this Montreal company because they have the same point of view on cloud, SaaS, good UX design and mobility that we do. Only they bring these concepts to your POS (both retails and restaurant).
Travel Tripper (Booth 1652): Booking engine and CRS – the foundations to your goal of lowering reservations costs. We like these guys because of the reach of their distribution and the design of their user interfaces. They have really taken the science of conversion to the next level.
Salto Systems (Booth 735): The door lock guys. Your future includes door locks that will open with your phone. It’s a fact. And these guys have already perfected it. Definitely worth a visit.
The Sessions
Here are some things that we are going to try to see.
Is IOT Relevant in the Hospitality Industry? “What is the future of IoT? Is there any new market? If any, what is the impact of IoT in the hospitality industry?” – The Internet of things. This IS the current hot topic in technology in other verticals. What is the play in our industry? We’re not sure but we’d like to find out.
Clearing Up the Cloud, Tuesday at 4pm (716A): “The panel will explain a number of important aspects [of the Cloud] including benefits and challenges.” — We’re big on the Cloud, but we are always interested in seeing how other present the concept.
Data Scientist, Wednesday at 8:30am (7178 AB): “This session will look at the entire process of “data science” – collecting it, analyzing it, deriving knowledge and wisdom from it with the end goal of actually making use of it to improve our businesses and the way we interact with our customers.” – Big Data is a concept that many people invoke yet few understand it. We think it may have a big impact on the future of hotels, so we’ll be checking this out.
The Fun
Let’s not forget, like all trade shows, there will be many dinners, receptions and parties. While HITEC is about meeting with prospects and learning about trends, it is also very much about relationship building in a social setting. So of all the parties and cocktail hours, which is going to be the best? We have the answer: The HITEC VIP Party at The Rosewater Room in Toronto on June 27 from 7-9:30. Canadian beers, wines and canapés, and Toronto’s own Paul James will be playing. James is a Canadian Icon and will be playing the classic rock he is famous for.
But here’s the catch! It’s a tickets only event. But we have you covered. Just come by the StayNTouch booth (Booth 309) for your free tickets. But that was on your to-do list anyway, right?
