HFTP Blog
July 10, 2018

Meet HFTP's Newest Chartered Chapters

Blog HFTP Chapters HFTP Membership
Written by Briana Gilmore

Chapters provide a wide array of benefits to an association's membership — not the least of which is the collaborative building of knowledge and camaraderie among local and like-minded industry professionals....HFTP is excited to announce that three new local chapters have recently been chartered, to include:

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  • The Greater Louisville chapter in Louisville, Kentucky;

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  • the New York University student chapter;

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  • And the Kansas State University student chapter.

Having a local chapter helps industry professionals in the area expand their network, increase their educational opportunities and build strong face-to-face connections with peers. Moreover, a local chapter can give members support, tools and resources to advance in their hospitality career....
...Greater Louisville chapter president Josh Bergen had this to say about the development of their local chapter and the charter process:..."I recently moved from Florida and when I arrived, I realized we did not have a [local HFTP] chapter. However, I was aware of a few great hospitality companies in the area — and now moving here, I see there are MANY! Being that I started in a student chapter with HFTP and have participated at many levels, I wanted to give back to my new home town, and help them start a chapter. This is to benefit the members, as much as being a member of HFTP has benefited me in my career development....The charter process was AMAZING, as the corporate office of HFTP really has amazing support. We are still in the set-up phase. HFTP has a great support system from forms to suggestions, to bylaws to the website. I know we will need some hand-holding in the beginning, but having a great circle of peers to help me will make all the difference....With our new chapter, my hope is to continue to share the knowledge among the diverse group to better the local hospitality industry. We plan to support local charities, host face-to-face meetings and also be sure we can include our members virtually due to the wide area we cover....I hope to show the future members (and current) that HFTP has directly and positively impacted my career and many of the people that worked with/for me over the years. We have had amazing times at the conventions, learned of new tech and accounting rules, have great stories to share, and are able to hear from amazing speakers on all sorts of topics. I have personal relationships with so many people all over the world that I can call or email and chat about key topics. My career path has been a crazy one, but the one constant in my world has been HFTP."...The Greater Louisville chapter held their first chapter meeting in May and look forward to hosting the Annual Convention in Louisville, Kentucky this fall. Register to attend the Annual Convention today....If you do attend Annual Convention, be sure to meet with Josh Bergen and the rest of the Greater Louisville chapter at their exclusive Thursday night event. (More details to come on the HFTP website.)...Student chapters are very important for engaging young professionals and helping them foster strong connections with industry veterans and gain valuable knowledge before the launch of their careers in hospitality....Hartanto Yuwo, New York University student chapter president, had this to say about the opportunity to create and lead a local student HFTP chapter:..."It is such an honor to join the HFTP family. Our goal here at New York University is not only to educate, but to support students in building a strong and sustainable network, connecting hospitality and tourism students with the industry's financial and technology professionals in New York City. We believe that networking is a skill as important as our lessons in the classroom. It is critical for hospitality professionals to stay up to date with economic and technology trends in the industry, but what really differentiates great leaders are interpersonal skills and connections gained through networking — and we are excited for our students to meet both of these goals through membership with HFTP."...HFTP is an international association which offers finance and technology professionals the professional support, network and tools to strengthen and grow their career. There are currently more than 75 local HFTP chapters in operation throughout the world which allow members to connect with their local network and share solutions with hospitality industry professionals in a given community....Becoming an active member of a local chapter presents many unique opportunities to make meaningful connections, gain industry knowledge, advance your career, develop new skills, participate in association events at the local and regional levels, and access useful professional and educational tools....Learn how to charter an HFTP chapter in your local area or become a local HFTP chapter member today....Briana Gilmore 
is the HFTP communications coordinator. Briana can be reached at [email protected] or +1 (512) 220-4017.
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