HITEC offers a unique combination of top-notch hospitality technology education, led by industry peers and experts.  With over 300 companies showcasing the latest products and services and approximately 5,000 attendees, this year HFTP went through the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau to utilize Passkey for the 11 hotels that blocked rooms for HITEC.  .

The HITEC 2008 participating hotels include:

•Courtyard Austin Downtown/Convention Center
•Embassy Suites Austin Downtown
•Four Seasons Hotel Austin
•Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown
•Hilton Austin
•Hilton Garden Inn Downtown
•Hyatt Regency Austin
•Omni Austin Hotel Downtown
•Radisson Hotel & Suites Austin Town Lake
•Residence Inn Austin Downtown/Convention Center
•Sheraton Austin Hotel

"Almost every major city now offers Passkey," adds Frank Wolfe, CEO of HFTP.  "It seems that the Passkey solution is becoming universal, demonstrating flexibility within the group market.  We were able to manage our reservations through day of arrival, and throughout the event booking process we were able to send broadcast email communications to our attendees and exhibitors.  Being able to reach your group in real-time is crucial when you have thousands of registrants attending a conference.  We are thrilled that Anaheim, CA offers Passkey so we can use it again for HITEC 2009!" With Passkey, HITEC 08 shifted over 50% of reservations online and with 0% of the reservations booked via phone, there were no call center costs for this event.  As of cut-off, the group block was 93% sold.  That is a 5% increase over last year's event.    About HFTP HFTP, Austin, Texas, USA and Maastricht, The Netherlands, founded in 1952, is the global professional association for financial and technology personnel working in hotels, clubs and other hospitality-related businesses. HFTP provides first class educational opportunities, research, and publications to more than 4,800 members globally including, the premiere hospitality technology conference HITEC--founded in 1972. HFTP also awards the only hospitality specific certifications for accounting and technology ---the Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive (CHAE) and the Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP) designations. HFTP was founded in the USA as the National Association of Hotel Accountants.   About Passkey Passkey (www.passkey.com) is the worldwide leader in online group reservations.  The Boston-based technology company offers event planners and providers a powerful web-based solution for managing group hotel reservations.  The heart of the Passkey system is an innovative online booking engine that lets group attendees make their hotel reservations online in the contracted group block, while allowing event planners and hotels to access real-time reports and event information. Offered as an onDemand solution, Passkey delivers benchmark speed, security and scalability. The Passkey-enabled global network includes over 85% of major U.S. Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs), as well as thousands of hotels, trade associations, meeting planners and meeting management companies.