HITEC 2003 Conference

By Rebecca Oliva, Technology Editor -- HOTELS Magazine, 5/1/2003

This year’s HITEC (www.hitec.org), which takes place at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, June 23-26, will host more than 5,500 attendees. More than 600 vendor booths will showcase the latest in hospitality technology.

Featured speakers will discuss selected topics that are definitive of HITEC. Topics include leadership, technology investment and the travel industry. Inaugurating HITEC 2003 is Terry Pearce, best-selling author of Leading Out Loud and co-author of Clicks and Mortar: Passion Driven Growth in an Internet Driver. Pearce will discuss how a leader succeeds only by creating a culture for success and by communicating in a way that inspires change in others. Another key speaker is Donald L. Neal, senior vice president of Rapp Collins Worldwide, an interactive direct marketing agency, who will provide insight on “How to achieve a positive ROT—Return on Technology.” And finally, Peter Greenberg, travel editor for NBC’s Today Show, will discuss the new state of the travel business—from the airlines and bankruptcies to hotel occupancies and consumer rights.

The conference seminars schedule covers current technology topics extensively. More than 25 seminars will be presented by some of the industry’s best, including industry experts, consultants and field experts. Some of the topics include wireless, energy management, ASP, e-learning, business intelligence and revenue management to name a few.