MURTEC Buzzes with Talk of Compliance, R.O.IT

At the recent 10th annual Multi-Unit Restaurant Technology Conference (MURTEC), held March 9-11 at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, the buzzword on the strip was compliance. Whether it was Visa credit card, or Sarbanes-Oxley, concern for new mandates captivated the nearly 200 restaurant executives.

Buoyed by a generally optimistic outlook for new year, the conference focused on generating a return on information technology (R.O.IT). Speakers ranged from keynotes delivered by Michael Schrage, author and MIT media lab research associate, and Jeff Chasney, EVP and CIO of CKE Restaurants to more intimate sessions with speakers representing Disney Resorts, Red Lobster, White Castle, HostMarriott and Margaritaville among many others.

In the sessions and especially during topic-table lunch discussions, attendees focused on emerging trends in restaurant technology, including self-service, the wide-spread adoption of broadband network connections as well as the struggle to handle new compliance standards mandated by credit card issuers as well as Sarbanes-Oxley.

New this year was the popular opening-day golf outing, held at the championship-level course at the Rio Secco Golf Club.
MURTEC will be held again next year at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, March 5-7, 2006.