Each year, HFTP strives to enhance and improve the constituents’ overall experience at HITEC — and this year is not any different.
With so many things to accomplish pre-show and onsite, HFTP staff welcomes volunteer assistance.
The HFTP Global Board of Directors lead the strategic direction. The HITEC Advisory Council and HITEC Executive Vendor Advisory Council do an amazing job in setting the ground work for HITEC’s education and exhibits.
But what about all the back ground details?
With over 60 speakers, 689 booths, registration and the GUESTROOM 20X special display—HFTP relies on student members to assist throughout the conference. So students and universities that are not current HFTP student members or have an HFTP student chapter — listen up.
Several years ago, the HFTP Global Board approved the HITEC Student Volunteer Program.
The program enables young hospitality professionals to experience HITEC in exchange for volunteering at the conference. HFTP provides the students with a full conference registration, assistance with housing and a few other student benefits.
This year HFTP will host 23 student volunteers, representing the following HFTP Student Chapters:
- Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Lynn University
- Penn State University
- University Central Florida
- University Nevada Las Vegas
- University of Delaware
- University of Guelph
- University of Houston
- University of S FL Sarasota-Manatee
- UNLV-Singapore
Participating students begin the week by arriving the Saturday prior to HITEC to assist with the first volunteer duty — stuffing registration tote bags.
Someone has to do it and now you know who. So the next time you pick up a registration tote bag, thank a student volunteer.
Throughout HITEC, the students will assist staff in other areas as well.
They are assigned volunteer duties for a few hours a day so that they are able to enjoy the conference too. You will see the students scanning badges at the Opening Party, assisting at the registration desk, guiding attendees through GUESTROOM 20X, attending the educational sessions to provide short summaries of the sessions and assisting as needed.
As the designated schoolmarm (although I don’t fit that description I’m old enough to be their older sister….much older sister), I’d like to ask hospitality professionals attending HITEC to keep an eye out for the HITEC student volunteers and welcome them to your industry.
Learn more about HFTP Student Membership>
Lucinda Hart, CAE, is the Chief Operations Officer of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP). She often speaks on HFTP membership and student programs. Follow her on Twitter @lucindahart.
