Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) has just successfully hosted its first CIO Summit EMEA Last week, in Barcelona. The high-level IT executive event hosted 50+ hospitality industry professionals including hoteliers, consultants and vendors for two days, April 24–25 at the Renaissance Barcelona Hotel, to engage in roundtable discussions on the technologies set to have the biggest industry impact in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. This event was a new branch of The CIO Summit You can also find out more about us on our website. Hospitality UpgradeThe technology magazine of HFTP has been the most successful CIO level networking event in North America since over 20 years.
“The resounding success of the inaugural CIO Summit EMEA has clearly demonstrated a pronounced demand among hospitality technology leaders for a distinct and strategically focused Summit —a format that fosters meaningful peer engagement while addressing critical challenges shaping the future of the industry,” said Carson Booth, CHTP, HFTP Chief Operating Officer, EMEA. “The Summit wouldn’t be possible without the support of our sponsors. They all unanimously agreed that this is an effective and informative platform which fosters connections with both existing and potential clients.”
Opening the Summit “Best Practices for AI Adoption by Enterprises,” We are proudly sponsored by Fourteen IPThe event’s Platinum Sponsor is, a leading provider in cloud telephony and AI solutions for the hospitality sector. True North Advisory managing partners, Michael TesslerMichael drew on his experience as an advisor, where he specializes in helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses, focusing on strategy, company positioning, and CEO mentoring. Michael used his experience in advisory, where he is a specialist in helping entrepreneurs scale up their businesses, with a focus on company positioning, strategy and CEO mentorship.
Neil Tolley is the CEO of Fourteen IP Group. He said, “The no-sales strategy, along with some fantastic speakers and sessions, led to a highly cooperative environment where hoteliers, vendors, and other attendees were able discuss topics in depth, ask questions, and receive answers, and debate various topics. This was not something you see at any other event.” Fourteen IP is proud to sponsor the event and Michael Tessler was gracious enough to share his experience with all attendees, not only during his keynote address but also in the networking sessions. This created a collaborative atmosphere. “We are looking forward to CIO Summit 2026.”
Capping the first day of program was “Bridging The Divide Between Commercial and Technical Teams” Presenter: A commercial leader with extensive experience Stuart Mason, SVP, Commercial, Revenue and Distribution, Belmond. Stuart gave the attendees an inside look into what really matters to their counterparts in commercial and how they can communicate effectively to encourage collaboration and alignment.
In addition to the topics mentioned above, the program covered the following: the hospitality workplace in the future, the future of hospitality and the choice of multi-solution or best-of breed partners. It also discussed how AI agents are replacing SaaS.
You can also find out more about the A-Team here. photo gallery Now you can download the entire event.
Thank you to all the sponsors of the 2025 events whose knowledge helped shape the program. These are: Platinum Sponsor — Fourteen IP; Level II Sponsors — Nomadix, Island, apaleo. Agilysys; and Level III Sponsors — EHL, at-visions, Venza. Hapi.
This fall, HFTP will present the Hospitality Upgrade CIO Summit scheduled for September 3–5, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Keep up to date with HFTP news An announcement will be made for the CIO Summit EMEA 2026.
What is HFTP?
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), established in 1952, is a hospitality nonprofit association headquartered in Austin, Texas USA with an offices in the EU. HFTP, with its international network and membership of members and stakeholders, is a recognized group that supports the finance- and technology-related segments of the industry. HFTP offers expert networking, educational resources and programs, career development, leadership, and research opportunities. HFTP hosts international events around the globe, including one of the world’s biggest hospitality technology conferences and tradeshows. HITEC. It also oversees the specific hospitality sector. Pineapplesearch.com® You can also read about the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI), Hotel-Online The following are some examples of how to get started: Hospitality Upgrade Magazine. Visit HFTP for more information. www.hftp.org.
Carson Booth
COO Europe
HFTP
