| AUSTIN, TEXAS; February 27, 2006 - This week, Hospitality Financial
and Technology Professionals (HFTP) will promote the standardized Request
for Information for Club Technology at the Club Managers' Association of
America's 79th World Conference on Club Management in Honolulu, HI. Developed
jointly by CMAA and HFTP, the RFI is a reference tool and guideline in
developing requests for information from technology vendors. The purpose
is to provide a starting point for clubs when beginning a relationship
with vendors.
"From listening to our members, both HFTP and CMAA realized that one
of the road blocks to acquiring a management system that fit right with
a specific club was that the possibilities were almost overwhelming," said
Frank Agnello, CHAE, CMA, HFTP immediate past president and controller
at The Wyndgate Country Club in Rochester Hills, Mich. "Knowing that, we
combined our resources to research and create this valuable tool that helps
both the club and the possible providers focus on specific needs best suited
for a particular club."
On Tuesday, February 28, Dr. Ed Merritt, the project's facilitator and
professor of management at California State University in Pomona, will
give a presentation as part of the conference's education program. Also,
as part of the document's promotion, HFTP is sponsoring the day's education
sessions and will exhibit at the 29th Annual Expo. Representatives from
HFTP include Frank Wolfe, CAE, HFTP CEO and executive vice president, and
Agnello.
| The RFI helps reduce difficulties for both clubs and vendors. For club
professionals, it provides a research starting point and ensures that they
gather the necessary information for a knowledgeable decision. It also
helps clubs make apples-to-apples comparisons with the information they
receive back from vendors. For vendors, it will help them be prepared in
advance with the type of information that will be requested.
"It makes the process unfold in a way that�s more organized," said Ed
Merritt, Ph.D., the project�s facilitator and a professor of management
at California State University (Cal Poly Pomona). "With the process better
organized, it�s easier to compare information through all stages of implementation."
The comprehensive document was created by members of HFTP, CMAA, club
technology vendors and other club professionals, and was facilitated by
Dr. Merritt. It has 8 sections, including vendor information, technical
requirements, investment considerations, customer service and support,
and references. The guide, created to anticipate as many operating elements
as possible, has prompts intended to capture complete details. Clubs are
encouraged to skip elements and or sections that are not applicable to
a club; or, if a club has operating areas not covered by the RFI, they
should be added in order to help ensure completeness of information. |
While in Honolulu, Wolfe and Agnello will both speak at the HFTP Hawaii
Chapter meeting. The chapter will meet at the Royal Hawaiian at 6 p.m.
on Tuesday.
CD copies of the RFI have been provided to all conference attendees.
The RFI is also available at both www.hftp.org and www.cmaa.org with the
intention for use by both club professionals and vendors.
About CMAA
The Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) is the professional
Association for managers of membership clubs. CMAA has more than 6,500
members who manage more than 3,000 country, city, athletic, faculty, yacht,
town and military clubs. The objectives of the Association are to promote
and advance friendly relations among persons connected with the management
of clubs and other associations of similar character; to encourage the
education and advancement of its members; to assist club officers and members,
through their managers to secure the utmost in efficient and successful
operations. Visit www.cmaa.org for more information.
Edward A. Merritt, Ph.D. - Profile
Dr. Ed Merritt is a professor of management at California State University
(Cal Poly Pomona), where he also serves as chair of graduate studies and
editor-in-chief of The Collins School�s Management Journal. Prior to entering
academe, he spent twenty-five years in the hospitality industry where his
primary focus was resort club development and management.
About HFTP:
Based in Austin, Texas, HFTP is the professional association for financial
and technology personnel working in hotels, resorts, clubs, casinos, restaurants
and other hospitality-related businesses. The association provides continuing
education and networking opportunities to more than 4,600 members around
the world, and produces the premiere hospitality technology show HITEC.
HFTP also administers the examination and awards the certification for
the Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive (CHAE) and the Certified
Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP) designations. HFTP was founded
in 1952 as the National Association of Hotel Accountants.
HFTP®, HITEC® and ONHTEC® are registered service marks of
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals. GUESTROOM 2010 and
ProLinks are service marks of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals.
|
