Lucky Sevens
Seven years can pass in the blink of an eye. As I was registering my daughter for kindergarten for this fall, it struck me how quickly time goes by. My son will be starting Jr. High School in September, and Hospitality Technology, my third baby, is all grown up as well. I remember not so long ago when HT was still trying to define itself and the meaning of hospitality technology. ("No it's not hospital technology, it's hospitality technology.")
Now in 2006, HT will play host to more new events, special reports on loyalty, wireless and hotel guestroom technology, as well as in-depth restaurant, self-service and lodging studies--all designed to help restaurant and hotel operators make better technology decisions. It's shaping up to be a very exciting year!
As publisher it has been a pleasure to watch as HT continues to grow and mature. HT grew 15 percent, in part because we continue to expand well beyond the magazine that started it all.
A major part of that growth is the dedicated and valuable team we have assembled here. The editorial team of Reid Paul, Lindsay Elkins and John Hall have made sure that high-quality content continues to be the hallmark of HT. On the sales side, Ryan Baxter has been a valuable asset with his persistence getting our message across.
Behind the scenes many others play critical roles in putting this magazine together. Lauren Balsamo has been designing the pages of HT for six years and Kim Hartman, who handles production, has also been a long-standing member of the team. I am thankful to have a team that enjoys working together.
One of the things I've learned over the past seven years is just how difficult it is to get quality information and to sit down with the right people and find a solution. Hospitality Technology, is focusing on putting decision makers together. This year, in addition to MURTEC, we will host the second Hotel Technology Forum, the second Restaurant Executive Summit and the new Point of Service Summit. Each of these events are designed to bring people together for exclusive and networking-rich opportunities.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the loyalty of so many of our readers. The fact that more than 16,000 of our online and magazine subscribers take time out of their busy schedules to read HT means a lot to me. The feedback we get--and the friendships we have built at our conferences-- continues to guide the magazine.
I also want to thank the technology companies that have supported HT since its birth. As they have grown, we have grown hand in hand. I have been privileged to get to know many of our supporters and build strong friendships through good and bad times.
As publisher, I am very excited about all the things we have planned for 2006 and I look forward to what this year has to bring. Hopefully, the lucky sevens will carry over to the craps table at MURTEC and HTF. See you there!
