Clubs connect at HITEC.

Private clubs--traditionally a laggard when it comes to information technology--fielded a somewhat more significant presence at the recent Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) held this year in Los Angeles. The event is produced by the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP). Club Management is HFTP's official club industry publication.

HFTP and CMAA presented the RFI (request for information) document that was jointly developed by both associations. This comprehensive document allows clubs to develop a fully fleshed-out picture of their IT requirements and to vet out those vendors best suited to serve those needs.

In a well-attended session, Bill Boothe, director of club RSM McGladrey, reprised a Club Management article he had written on wireless communications for clubs as a presentation in cooperation with Curtis Kidd, CHTP, IT manager at Farmington Country Club. Booth and Kidd addressed the various wireless technologies and applications for those technologies in a club environment. In addition, they hammered home the need for strong security measures on wireless systems and regular club IT security audits.

In the HITEC exposition, Gunther Janek of ABC Solutions said that he saw a shift in tone and exhibitors toward the bigger end of the spectrum that was not necessarily beneficial to club vendors. "The show seems to be catering more and more to the bigger hospitality part of the industry. There was a time when I sold stuff at these shows and made a lot of good contacts. Now you've got giants like Microsoft and Siemens that don't directly sell a product to the industry with large presences at the show. I don't think it's still as good a show for club software," Janek said.

Gary Jonas Computing Ltd. Vice President of Product Development Steve Ecclestone had a slightly different take on the show and on the club software market. He said that Jonas is focused as an integrated provider across the spectrum of the golf segment of the hospitality industry and is therefore in a stronger position than most other vendors in the industry. Ecclestone noted that with the acquisition of Club Systems Group, Jonas is positioned across the golf market, from low-end fee to high-end fee and private clubs. "We want to be real experts in golf," Ecclestone said.

Club IT consultant Boothe observed that HITEC has always had a stronger focus on hotel and resort technology than on clubs, and that club comptrollers have broader educational opportunities at HFTP's regional comptroller conferences and national convention.

"The vast majority of people who attend HITEC are technology, and the club industry doesn't have many full-time technology people," he said.