AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA (May 3, 2011) — Industry professionals — representing more than 7,500 hotels, payment processors, consultants, resorts and QSAs — recently met in Dallas, Texas to discuss data security and PCI compliance at the HFTP PCI Compliance Roundtable. Hosted by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) and chaired by Jeremy Rock, CHTP, president of RockIT Group, the meeting was the first of its kind to attempt to bring together all segments of the hospitality industry to enhance data security and discuss potential resolutions to the ongoing issue of PCI compliance.

“We could not be more pleased with the ideas and potential solutions that were generated from this event," said Frank Wolfe, CAE, CEO of HFTP. "It is clear that hospitality is a unique industry that requires special solutions to PCI compliance. HFTP is determined to educate the industry on this topic and use our resources to find solutions to the problems created by a lack of understanding of how the hospitality industry operates.”

The initiative will ultimately result in a best practices document that both industry professionals and credit card companies can use to better understand how PCI compliance is impacting the industry and bring about dialogue between all parties. As a result of the meeting, HFTP is in the process of developing a PCI Boot Camp that will be offered at the 2011 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®), a repository for PCI documents on its web site and a series of educational programs geared toward both PCI compliance and data security for industry staff personnel. Roundtable representatives will present its findings to the industry during a special meeting at HITEC 2011. On Monday, June 20 at 10:15 a.m. at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas, attendees are invited to hear a report from the Roundtable and give their thoughts towards the final document of best practices.

For more information about the PCI Compliance Roundtable and its initiatives, please contact Katy Walterscheidt, HFTP public relations and social media manager at [email protected] , (800) 646-4387 or +1 (512) 249-5333 x27.

HFTP, Austin, Texas, USA and Maastricht, The Netherlands, founded in 1952, is the global professional association for financial and technology personnel working in hotels, clubs and other hospitality-related businesses. HFTP provides first class educational opportunities, research, and publications to members around the globe including, the premiere hospitality technology conference HITEC--founded in 1972. HFTP also awards the only hospitality specific certifications for accounting and technology --the Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive (CHAE) and the Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP) designations. HFTP was founded in the USA as the National Association of Hotel Accountants.