Southern Hospitality Conferences

• 2018 HFTP Club Summit
• Hospitality Law Conference 2018
• PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference
• CHART 96 Hospitality Conference
• 10th Annual Hotel Data Conference

Like vacationers, hospitality conferences are increasingly flocking to the Southeast to provide workshops on travel and tourism in the warm, luxurious Sun Belt. The Southeast greatly contributes to the industry’s $1.5 trillion economic output, especially in tourist havens like New Orleans, Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Charleston. Home to Walt Disney World, Florida alone welcomed 113 million guests in 2016. The Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee is the United States’ most popular national park with 10 million entrants yearly. The Southeast also has the longest known cave system at Mammoth Cave and tallest brick lighthouse on Cape Hatteras. Enjoy the sights while meeting with the Southeast’s leading lodging minds at these 2018 conferences on hospitality.

1. 2018 HFTP Club Summit: New Orleans, LA

March 19-20, 2018

Priced at $450, the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals will hold its 2018 HFTP Club Summit in mid-March at the Omni Royal Orleans Hospital on St. Louis Street. Interested club managers can make reservations until February 23rd for two days of hospitality industry strategy sessions on topics from compliance to social media. Coordinated by Paula Lerash, CEM, the agenda offers 12 CEUs along with networking lunches, New Orleans tours, and tabletop exhibits.

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2. Hospitality Law Conference 2018: Houston, TX

April 12-13, 2018

Sponsored by Fisher Phillips and HVS Asset Management, the 16th Annual Hospitality Law Conference will take place this April at the DoubleTree Greenway Plaza Houston. Not only for lawyers, this two-day, 12-CEU hospitality event covers legal compliance issues in three tracks: Food & Beverage, Lodging, or Human Resources & Labor Relations. For $799, registrants may attend the keynote address by Stephen Barth, Global Travel Risk Summit, and Anthony G. Marshall Award ceremony.

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3. PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference: New Orleans, LA

June 3-6, 2018

At the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street, the Public Relations Society of America will host the 2018 PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference in June for the Early Bird rate of $859. Sponsored by Delta Vacations, it’s one of the longest Southeast hospitality conferences giving 360-degree insights into today’s fast-paced media market. Featuring keynote speaker Chef Jeff Henderson, the four-day agenda lets PR managers attend 50+ breakout sessions, the Newcomers Reception, CVB Roundtables, and morning fitness.

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4. CHART 96 Hospitality Conference: Boca Raton, FL

July 28-31 2018

For the 96th year, the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART) will invite its 500+ members to the Boca Raton Resort & Club this July for the 2018 Hospitality Conference. Costing $925 until June, the four-day event will primarily attract training and development directors from companies like Hilton, The Westin, Rubio’s, and Perkin’s. Special opportunities include attending the Personal Branding Session, Training High Five, CHT Certification Review, and Silent Auction for Scholarships.

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5. 10th Annual Hotel Data Conference: Nashville, TN

August 15-17, 2018

Starting with the Data Dash, the 10th Annual Hotel Data Conference will kick off in August at the Omni Nashville Hotel for hospitality IT gurus to discuss the latest analytics trends. Attracting speakers like AirBNB’s Peter Coles and Marriott’s John Cook, it’s one of the few conferences for hospitality operations to utilize Big Data for revenue growth. Agenda items include morning networking breaks, tech talks, keynotes, and airline industry updates for $745 total.

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Since 2018 is right around the corner, it’s time to create your conference schedule for professional development in the New Year. Attending hospitality industry events lets you learn new guest-centered tips, network with colleagues, meet food and beverage vendors, obtain CEUs for certification, and travel to other luxury lodging. Heading south of the Mason-Dixon Line for these Southeastern hospitality conferences can help your next promotion take flight.

See also: Top 15 Online Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Programs