AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA (June 8, 2016) — Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) Global Vice President and Global Technology Consultant Lyle Worthington, CHTP was selected by the International Hospitality Information Technology Association (iHITA) to deliver the keynote address at its 2016 Annual Conference. The 23rd Annual iHITA Research Conference is co-located with HFTP’s 2016 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITECSM) event and will take place on Sunday, June 19, 2016 in room R05 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana USA.

Worthington’s topic, "Solve for (U)X – The Industry's Need for User Experience Research," will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, and is based on his foundation as a recognized expert in the field in hospitality as well as a number of other industries. He will also assist in awarding the “HFTP-iHITA Best Research Paper” award which will be the highest honor presented at the event, and will recognize the top-ranked research paper submitted.

"We are thrilled to sponsor such a wonderful award in partnership with our friends at iHITA,” said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe, CAE. “HFTP is committed to providing the industry with top-notch research and resources and we are happy to reward the time and efforts of these authors in any way possible.”

"The creation of this generous award is a testament to the foresight of previous leaders of iHITA who have established a lasting partnership with HFTP to help bridge the gap between academia and the industry," said Dr. Mehmet Erdem, president at iHITA.

HFTP will provide the winner of the “HFTP-iHITA Best Research Paper” award a monetary prize of $2,000 USD as well as a complimentary full conference registration to the world's largest hospitality technology show, HITEC. Additionally, an executive summary of the award-winning paper will be featured in HFTP's The Bottomline publication as well as HITEC Bytes, the latest news site from technology sources around the world. HFTP will also provide a monetary award for the paper that earns the “Honorable Mention/Best Presentation” award.

For more information about HFTP or the roundtable, contact the HFTP Meetings & Special Events Department at [email protected] or +1 (512) 249-5333.