HFTP News
March 31, 20215 min read

HFTP Forms Global Hospitality PII Management Task Force to Develop Guidance on Secure Data Collection

The growing use of high-tech interfaces and digital applications in hospitality operations present a need for thorough, hospitality-specific direction on data management, thoughtfully developed by the experts who implement the solutions.

HFTP Forms Global Hospitality PII Management Task Force to Develop Guidance on Secure Data Collection — Photo by HFTP
Information Technology

The movement toward high-tech solutions to engage guests and customers has greatly increased in the hospitality industry and has especially accelerated over the past year as hospitality enterprises implemented health safety protocols to address distancing guidelines. As a result, the implementation of property-wide technologies using personal identifiable information (PII) has presented a conundrum to hospitality organizations: how to safely manage this data — to use it for meaningful guest services, while also protecting it from malicious cyber activity.

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) is taking the step to put together the Global Hospitality PII Management (GHPM) Task Force of prominent hospitality technology experts to thoughtfully examine and develop guidelines for hospitality companies to follow as best practice. The information presented will have an international perspective, with participants representing countries across the globe. This is especially important as data privacy regulations vary internationally and will be an essential consideration in the development of the resource.

"By the nature of today's technologies, companies now collect vast amounts of personal data to assist in providing seamless and personalized services to their customers. Artificial intelligence, facial recognition and other future technologies will change the way the entire world operates," said HFTP Global President Mark Pate, Sr., CHAE, CHTP, MBA, assistant controller and IT director for Highpointe Hotel Corp. "Developed by experts specifically knowledgeable of the hospitality space, our goal for these guidelines and directives is to stay focused on the data issue and assist with solutions to challenges the industry is facing today and into the future."

The GHPM Task Force includes:

"Since 1952, HFTP has been the global spokesgroup for hospitality finance and technology professionals. The association has an obligation to provide our stakeholders with trusted information to help make their jobs better," said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe, CAE, FIH. "Expanding the industry's access to curated knowledge is another reason that HFTP is granted nonprofit status and entrusted with experts who volunteer their time to provide solutions to everyday industry problems."

Because the panel of experts will represent the global hospitality industry and the resulting resource will be published as guidance for the global hospitality industry, HFTP has left positions open for additional volunteers. The selection of individuals to fill these spots will be done by the entire task force. To submit your interest in volunteering, visit the task force web page.

HFTP has recently completed a similar project for the club industry in partnership with the National Club Association (NCA). The guidance will be available to HFTP and NCA members at the end of May 2021 during both associations' member conferences.

To keep up-to-date with the task force's initiatives, follow HFTP News and visit the HFTP website.

About HFTP

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), established in 1952, is a hospitality nonprofit association headquartered in Austin, Texas USA with an offices in the EU. HFTP is recognized as a group supporting the finance and technology segments of the hospitality industry with an international network of members and stakeholders. HFTP offers expert networks, educational resources, career development programs, research, leadership opportunities and conferences and events. HFTP produces international events throughout the year, including the world's largest hospitality technology tradeshow and conference brand: HITEC. In addition, it oversees the hospitality-specific Pineapplesearch.com® and the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI), Hotel-Online and Hospitality Upgrade Magazine. For more information about HFTP, visit www.hftp.org.

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