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Howdy HFTP Members,
I woke up early on the morning of January 1st. I was embarking on a new experience: A polar bear plunge. Simply explained, a polar bear plunge is a daring tradition where individuals jump into icy waters on January 1st. In retrospect, I wish I had chosen a warmer climate. Instead, I was facing Okanagan Lake in the Cascade Mountains. There was light hail falling from the sky when I jumped into the water that afternoon. My parents, who hail from frigid Toronto and rural Quebec, used to say something along the lines of, “"Cold water feels nice when it’s warmer than the air around it.” I call foul on this wisdom. The cold water felt icy with the air at 35°F and the water at 39°F. Why would thousands of people jump into water, some for under 30 seconds like me and some for more than 10 minutes like members of the Canadian Water Polo team who joined The Plunge?
A January 1st polar bear plunge has numerous symbolic and metaphorical significances that align with how we enter a new year. It was a sign I read as a spectator at a polar bear plunge last year that turned me from spectator to participant this year. The sign mentioned renewal and fresh starts, embracing challenges, building community through shared celebration, and a sense of freedom. These resonate with how I want to experience 2025 in our association.
HFTP is embarking on a promising 2025. Let’s not forget 2024 though! I see the social media posts where people claim to be tripping into 2025; this is not HFTP. I have been astounded by the progress, innovation, and collaboration of the Board of Directors, HFTP staff, and all the members I had a chance to meet and work with this year. We accomplished more in 2024 than I imagined. 2025 is set up to be even better.
HFTP’s 2024 was a banner year. We (polar bear) plunged into 2024 with ambitious projects, having fully overcome COVID times. Our accomplishments serve as a testament to our collective dedication and a springboard to what we will succeed with in 2025. The noteworthy achievements in 2024 that I am most proud of include our commitment to providing world-class education (e.g., HFTP Academy), fostering global partnerships, our new strategic plan, and our diversified and sustainable investment strategy. These, coupled with continued USALI growth, global expansion into new countries, excellence in technology, and consistency with industry-leading event planning, make HFTP a standard-bearer professional association industry-wide.
Our HFTP Academy exemplified our commitment to education. For example, we introduced three new micro-credential courses inspired by Annual Convention sessions. These additions addressed evolving needs of our membership while keeping an eye on generational differences. We will be redesigning our standard-bearer CHAE and CHTP certifications to have specialized tracks for club and hotel professionals. This ensures these credentials remain relevant. Furthermore, later this year our exams will feature online proctoring software like that which many universities already rely on. After all, should a technology association not be a leader in tech adoption? The launch of our USALI Licensing Program — which was embraced by Aptech Computer Systems, Inc. and PAS — underscores our ability to deliver innovative solutions while fostering global collaboration. Finally, we are having active discussions with higher education institutions with the aim being to embed the USALI framework into hospitality curriculums.
Technological innovation was another cornerstone of 2024. For example, we adopted our first AI with the introduction of chatbot programming! Also, our websites for HFTP, HITEC, and USALI were reorganized to better showcase resources. Our focus is on elevating user experiences across all platforms.
We have additional projects that are aligned with emerging hospitality technology. First, we are overseeing a Business Intelligence project. This is underway, with an accepted focus on a KPI metric dashboard to ensure data-based decision-making is possible and effective. At the same time, the completion of Microsoft Encarta and Intune security upgrades fortified our infrastructure, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to cybersecurity.
On the global stage, HITEC continues to shine as our flagship event. Eighty percent of the exhibit floor sold out and a record number of booths were contracted in a single week! Registration is open now and housing reservations are set to open on January 7, 2025. Seamless access for a global audience is integral to our organization’s effectiveness, especially at live events. Our global footprint continues to expand — and it is much more than opening a new chapter. Regulations, tax structures, exchange rates, cross-cultural communication, legal concerns, and much more are a part of an organization growing internationally. Our partnerships in regions such as Indonesia, India, Middle East (e.g., UAE, Saudi Arabia), Mexico, Peru, Canada, England, and the European Union further solidified HFTP’s international presence and impact. These collaborations underscore our ability to connect diverse communities and foster innovation across borders.
We introduced our new badging software. Our Leadership Excellence series issued 80 badges in 2024! This effort celebrated our members – and future association leaders – who partook in a culture of professional growth in 2024. And now the 2025 program is sure to be excellent as well, with this year's program filled to capacity.
The enrollment and completion of our Club Summit Education Program also set a new benchmark. Be sure to join us in March 2025 in Myrtle Beach for our next Club Summit! Also of note, our Compensation and Benefits Survey Report is now available for HFTP members. We are proud that this has become another industry standard-bearer that HFTP oversees.
The spirit of the polar bear plunge continues to guide us as we look to 2025. We are embracing challenges and connecting with our community. Our updated governance strategy will sharpen our focus on global objectives and long-term planning, streamlining decision-making processes and enhancing accountability. These changes will empower HFTP to respond more effectively to the dynamic needs of our members and the industry. I am especially excited about what the new strategic plan means for our youngest members, those who will lead us into the future.
Finally, my top two priorities as Global President in 2024-2025 are education and strengthening international partnerships. We will expand the reach and relevance of our offerings, and specifically our education offerings, as we move to being a more global force. Education will remain a cornerstone of our efforts. In a short period of time, our HFTP Academy introduced a redesigned CHAE and CHTP certification, the USALI Bridge Course for NASBA certification, and numerous short-term certificates. The soon-to-be-available print copy of the USALI, 12th Revised Edition will mark yet another milestone in our commitment to delivering valuable resources to our members.
Just as a polar bear plunge represents renewal, courage, and shared celebration, so too does our journey as an organization. The accomplishments of as we enter our 73rd year have set a powerful precedent. The possibilities of 2025 are boundless. I may regret, slightly, jumping into the freezing water right now. It is merely January 2nd as I write this. Hopefully I can warm up by next week. But the experience will prove worth the leap soon. Together as members, staff, and leaders, we will dive into the challenges and opportunities ahead. HFTP’s waters are much warmer. Just look at the destinations for our upcoming events to see how much warmer the waters will indeed be!
Thank you for your unwavering support and commitment to HFTP. Here’s to a year of bold leaps and shared successes!
Justin Taillon, CHTP, CHIA, MBA, Ph.D. is the 2024–2025 HFTP Global President. He is also a professor and department head at Highline College & Central Washington University.