Recapping Yesterday's Tech Pitch Competition

As the AAHOACON23 Trade Show floor activity was beginning to wind down, the doors of the LACC’s 411 Theater opened for the Tech Pitch Competition - Co-powered by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP).

Attendees filled the 411 Theater to hear from eight pre-selected group of presenters, all of whom made a pitch centered on products and solutions intended to help hoteliers make money, save money, and protect their investments.

“At the end of the day, we’re hoteliers,” said AAHOA Chairman Nishant (Neal) Patel, as he introduced the competition and underscored its big-picture importance for the industry. “We aren’t technology professionals, which is why one of our priorities at AAHOA this past year has been on addressing this. It’s imperative for the future of our industry that we be more forward thinking when it comes to considering and implementing new technology solutions.”

Outlining the qualifications that would be weighed for each pitch, event emcee RP Rama, AAHOA Education and Professional Development Chair, cited cost of implementation, return on investment, and how the product/service benefits hoteliers. A panel of five judges weighed eight presentations of five minutes each, each of which were followed by a Q&A format with the judges. Concepts pitched included employee payment services, AI-powered solutions, an EV charging network, a passive parking revenue generator, IoT-enabled utilities monitoring, and more. Once all presentations had been made, the judges huddled to select a winner. After intense deliberations, SaaS provider Virdee emerged as the victor for the company's pitch on its virtual reception platform. Thank you to ALL the participants and judges in this exciting challenge. Here's to seeing the continued evolution of this competition