Written By: Artak Gevorgian
I would like to start by linking this blog post to my pre-arrival blog post dated from last week on October 18: Dive in and Discover at the 2017 Annual Convention. I named this post “Learn as You Go,” since the experience is entirely so for the first-time attendee.
At arrival check-in on October 24 at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate in Florida, USA, I asked the front office attendant about the convention, and the assigned meeting rooms/venues. I was pleased to listen to exact guidance as to where I would have to go to find pre-arrival registration.
Here is where the first-time attendee story starts. I went to the assigned pre-arrival registration site and found the rooms, with show boards next to each room where dates and times were visibly displayed. At the desk of registration, I received additional magazine-styled guidance for the whole convention — day-by-day, by time, by assigned room/venue and by presenter information.
Along with the Morning Exercise Meet-Up at 6:30 a.m. and convention attendee registration, for those who arrived late on October 24, there was a clearly assigned First-Time Attendee Orientation session where HFTP® members communicated the process, parts and pieces of the convention in general. Later on, throughout the day on Wednesday, I recalled HFTP member Joshua Bergen’s saying about HFTP’s Annual Convention: “Have fun through participation.” His statement was precisely true.
Following the handy detailed schedule on the first day of convention, Wednesday, October 25, I found the following answers for myself, and am going to explore more throughout the end of the convention on Friday, October 27.
Below, I would like to share FAQs for those who are new to HFTP as well as list its activities in attempt to educate about the association’s benefits in the long run.
I asked these pre-arrival questions in my first blog:
- Why is the HFTP Annual Convention organized annually? Since HFTP has quite a big volume of events on the chapter level, and a variety of international conferences and events, having the HFTP Annual Convention annually becomes self-explanatory.
- What does the convention give to its participants? Great educational sessions affording F (finance), T (technology), E (ethics) and G (general) grades for continuous CPE reporting, qualified under NASBA.
- With whom is HFTP partnering? Around 30 organizations are participating as table top exhibitors.
- Who does HFTP support? They support exceptional, dedicated finance and technology hospitality professionals. HFTP supports students who want to find themselves in the above-mentioned and/or related occupancies. I am also quite sure that other hospitality-related occupational disciplines are benefiting from being part of HFTP and its conferences/events.
- Does HFTP work on awareness in markets other than the United States and Canada? Yes it does. This area is under more consideration and needs substantial workouts for creating interdependence between HFTP and fellow professionals based outside of North America. This subject needs more exploration and research.
- How successful is HFTP and what does it bring to its members? Networking, recognition and continuous learning ahead of time, 100% guaranteed.
- How well-organized is HFTP and its network in North America? In the world? It is well-organized, which is very obvious and notable throughout the convention. HITEC® is the business card of HFTP, worldwide.
- What rewards does HFTP offer? To this question, and some others, I would need more time to get answers, so I will meet you at the next sessions during day two and day three of the HFTP 2017 Annual Convention at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, Florida USA.
Already in Orlando, diving and discovering! #HFTP65
Artak Gevorgian, CHAE is the director of finance at the Jordan Valley Marriott Dead Sea Resort & Spa in Sweimeh, Jordan. Artak is a guest blogger for the 2017 HFTP Annual Convention (#HFTP65), held October 25-27 at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate in Florida.
