Sitting at my departure gate at LAX, I am reflecting upon the events of the that took place during the Club and Hotel Controllers Conference. It will take some time for all of the information to settle into my mind, so I can fully appreciate the true value of the experience.
The conference center felt overwhelmingly large at the beginning as my colleagues and I were learning to navigate our way from one session to the next or through the exhibitor booths. The exhibits addressed all the technological needs, opportunities and dreams our properties could ever have. Everyone was very helpful, welcoming and above all knowledgeable about the products they were marketing. The one thing I would complain about is that the sessions rooms were on the cold side, which meant that I ended up spending half my breaks warming up in the sun instead of browsing through the exhibits.
The educations sessions were very informative and addressed a variety of subjects that I found relevant for improving my daily work, from information security, to career advancement, to revenue management and fraud detection. All of the speakers were inspiring and passionate about their subject. I was happy to note that the subjects were general in nature, which made them relevant to all properties internationally.
On Thursday morning I had the opportunity to attend the HFTP international committee breakfast. It was wonderful to listen to all the effort the association is putting into making a difference on the international scene. Proof of its success is that HITEC attendees came from over 50 different countries. Even though I am a fairly fresh member of the organization I recognized a while ago all the benefits I receive from the membership, and now I have learned that there are endless opportunities for members to give back and add value to their local, national and international communities.
I cannot conclude my review of the week without mentioning the wonderful parties we had the opportunity to attend and the charms of the City of Angels. The opening night at the Belasco Theatre was a unique opportunity to mingle and explore this wonderful establishment. We were told that some of these old theatres like the Belasco and the Mayan, which we had the fortune to explore on Wednesday night, were built in the early nineteen hundreds and have been closed for several years because they were not up to city fire and earthquake codes. Thankfully in recent years there has been a lot of interest in bringing them up to code while maintaining their unique history.
I was asked to keep my blogs down to 400 words, I find this very challenging considering that I am returning home with more than 400 pictures. Overall it was a great experience. Thank you for everyone who came up to me to say hello and made me feel welcomed. See you all next year!
Monica Henegar is the controller at Capilano Golf and Country Club in West Vancouver, British Columbia and is a member of the HFTP British Columbia chapter.
