HFTP Convention & Tradeshow General Sessions 2008

Focus on Improving Work Environment and Current Topics in Finance and Technology

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. October 14, 2008

AUSTIN, TX, April 10, 2008. The Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) Education Advisory Council is putting together a strong education program which uncovers numerous methods to improve your work environment and allows attendees to get up to speed on current topics in hospitality finance and technology. The education program includes three general sessions which reveal ideas on maximizing your professional potential, along with industry-specific concurrent session tracks - club, hotel, general, technology and leadership unlimited. The 2008 Annual Convention & Tradeshow, a service of HFTP, is September 24-27 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.

The education program opens Thursday morning with Tom Flick discussing new thinking for changing times in his session "Going to Our 'Go' Side." Flick uses his exceptional ability to communicate clear business solutions with humor, wit and sharp insight to show attendees how to take advantage of the opportunities change creates. He is a former Rose Bowl Champion, Pac-10 Conference "Player of the Year" and successful NFL quarterback for seven seasons.

Friday morning's general session features John DiJulius asking "What's the Secret?" to providing a world-class customer experience. As the best selling author of Secret Service - hidden systems that deliver unforgettable customer service, DiJulius has cracked the code and shares dozens of brilliant ideas on how the top customer service companies in every industry consistently exceed their customer and staff expectations. He is an international speaker and consultant that travels the world translating the behind-the-scenes systems used by top, world-class customer service organizations to fit small business models.

"Responding to attendee feedback, the Education Advisory Council has moved the Saturday general session to the end of the conference," said Richard Braa, CHAE, Education Advisory Council co-chair and COO of StoneFire Grill Inc. "This allows attendees to finish Annual Convention as a whole group and provides one last time to say goodbye to fellow colleagues and friends."

Annual Convention closes with Saturday morning's general session "Developing a Comic Vision" with Tim Gard, CSP, CPAE. Gard is a nationally recognized humorist and authority on stress reduction through humor and was recently inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame. During the session, attendees learn humorous and effective approaches to stress-diffusion and frustration-eradication by using a "Comic Vision(R)."

The full education schedule will be available on the HFTP web site soon. For more information, contact the Meetings & Special Events Department at [email protected], (800) 646-4387 or +1 (512) 249-5333 x31.

About HFTP

HFTP, Austin, Texas, USA and Maastricht, The Netherlands, founded in 1952, is the global professional association for financial and technology personnel working in hotels, clubs and other hospitality-related businesses. HFTP provides first class educational opportunities, research and publications to more than 4,800 members globally, including the premiere hospitality technology conference HITEC, founded in 1972. HFTP also awards the only hospitality specific certifications for accounting and technology - the Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive (CHAE) and the Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP) designations. HFTP was founded in the USA as the National Association of Hotel Accountants. For more information, visit www.hftp.org.