23rd HFTP/Hospitality Upgrade CIO Summit Gathers 80+ Hospitality Tech Executives for High-Level Tech Trend Discussions

The Summit presented experts covering AI deployment, data security and emerging risks, industry economic outlook and more; plus contributed to Vancouver’s Directions Youth Services.

Last week, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) and Hospitality Upgrade successfully hosted 80 chief information officers (CIO) and hospitality industry professionals for two days of high-level exploration of tech and business trends impacting the hospitality space. In its 23^rd year, the CIO Summit was held Sept. 3–5 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. In its two decades, the CIO Summit is known as a unique, invitation-only event for CIOs from hotel brands, management companies, cruise lines, gaming and independent hotels. The Summit program offers a mix of expert-led sessions and fun social activities that highlight the host city’s local treasures.

“There’s nothing quite like getting a group of smart, passionate hospitality CxOs in one place — not just to talk shop, but to really dig into what’s next for our industry,” said Brian Kirkland, CIO for Choice International. “From swapping ideas to tackling big challenges, the energy is real. And the laughs don’t hurt either. This event always reminds me how lucky we are to be part of a community that’s pushing boundaries, collaborating openly, and genuinely rooting for each other to succeed. Transformation and innovation aren’t just buzzwords here — they’re what this group is driving every day.”

A highlight this year was an activity supporting Vancouver’s Directions Youth Services, an organization that provides 24/7 support to youth facing homelessness, poverty, or other barriers. The collaborative effort had attendees assemble backpacks filled with essential items for at-risk youth in the local community. Through sponsor donations, the backpacks were filled with supplies that directly benefit young people in the area.

“Each year, we choose a local charity, but this year we enlisted the support of our great sponsors who funded and directly donated to our local cause,” said Geneva Rinehart, HFTP SVP, Media Division. “We’ve heard of other events creating a ‘charity challenge’ and wanted to put our own spin on it, so the CIOs could contribute in a hands-on, meaningful way. We look forward to adding this experience and evolving our community service as part of the unique week that is the CIO Summit.”

One of the main presentations in the 2025 CIO Summit’s program was the session, “Thwarting Nation State Attacks” presented by Bob Flores, former chief technology officer (CTO) for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Following his CIA career, Flores founded Applicology, Inc. and is a visionary leader at the intersection of cybersecurity, intelligence, and advanced technology. Flores’ presentation provided insights for a series of discussions aimed at addressing the industry’s most pressing challenges, including AI, data security and operational efficiency.

In addition to Flores’ presentation, the 2025 CIO Summit held the following sessions:

• Tariffs, Travel and Trouble – A Canadian and US Hotel Industry Economic OutlookPresented by Nicole Nguyen SVP, Head of Hotels Valuation & Advisory, Canada • CBRE Hotels
• Where and How AI is Being Deployed in Hospitality
  A panel including Tim Kinsella (moderator) who oversees global sales at Canary Technology • Michael Lederman, VP of IT at Leading Hotels of the World • Nick Price, co-chair of DIF Hospitality & Travel SIG
• A CIO’s Legal Compass: AI, Data Protection, Digital Identity and other Emerging Risks in HospitalityPresented by Greg Duff Principal • Foster Garvey PC
• AI Agents, APIs, and What’s Next: A CIO’s Guide to the Coming Wave
  Presented by Michael Goldrich Founder and Chief Advisor • Vivander Advisors
• Finally! Some Free Consulting (No Strings Attached)Presented by Julian Bish, Global Director IT for Hyatt Hotels Corp. • Mark Haley, Partner at Prism Hospitality Consulting, LLC • Scot Campbell, Principal Advisor with Integrated Resorts Advisors • John Burns, President at Hospitality Technology Consulting
• Reconnaissance Mission: Decoding Professional Development and Career IntelligencePresented by Justin Taillon Professor & Department Head • Highline College & Central Washington University • HFTP Global President
• CIO Summit Round Table
  Moderated by Cameron Hammond SVP, Global Field Technology Services • Hyatt Hotels Corp.

On top of the industry-focused sessions, attendees were treated to a Whale Watching Tour as well as a dinner cruise that showcased the city’s skyline. To glimpse the activity of this year’s CIO Summit in pictures, view the photo gallery.

Thank you to the 2025 sponsors: Canary Technologies, Agilysys, Blueprint RF, Enseo, Nomadix, POST Hospitality Payments and Sertifi by flywire; as well as transportation sponsors IBS Software, Cloud5 and WorldVue.