Hotel Technology Next Generation

CHICAGO AND BEIJING | March 20, 2013 – Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) and China Hospitality Technology Alliance (CHTA) today announced a program of strategic cooperation to enhance and expedite the sharing of information, development of global standards and integration of hospitality technology in both Chinese and Western hospitality markets.

Cooperation between HTNG, the membership association that unites the world's hospitality companies and technology innovators to solve industry challenges, and CHTA, an non-profit organization of Chinese hospitality technology leaders, will help hoteliers who operate in both China and other global regions. It will improve the availability and integration of technologies that meet the needs of both Chinese and non-Chinese hotels, and will also help Western hotels cater more effectively to the rapidly growing outbound Chinese travel market.

The alliance was announced at a day-long joint meeting of HTNG and CHTA representatives in Shanghai on March 13, attended by senior hotel technology leaders from Chinese and global hotel groups, and numerous Chinese journalists. Bernold O. Schroeder, CEO of Jin Jiang International Hotel Management Company, China's largest hotel operator, hosted a luncheon for the group, and said "Western hotel companies continue to expand in China, and Chinese hotel companies are expanding into the West. With technology having become such a critical part of the hospitality industry, hoteliers can benefit by closer cooperation between these two organizations, who seek to produce better technologies and lower costs through truly global standards and cooperation."

"The objective of the alliance is to facilitate the sharing of market knowledge, expertise, best practices and other information, and to help vendors more fully meet the needs of hotels in both markets," said Douglas Rice, Chief Executive Officer of HTNG. Zhu Jing, chairperson of CHTA, said "the hotel industry needs global technology solutions. This alliance will enable Western technology providers to better meet the needs of Chinese hotels, while also providing those outstanding Chinese technology providers with better access to global markets."

"Western hotels operating within China have very limited options for many of their technology systems," said Jeremy Ward, Senior Vice President of Information Technology at Kempinski Hotels and incoming President of HTNG. "Systems that are optimized for the Chinese market cannot be deployed globally. At the same time, however, many of the global solutions do not cater to the needs of Chinese hotel guests, either within China or, increasingly, as they travel abroad. The day is gone when Western hotels in China could thrive without appealing to resident Chinese travelers. Our systems need to cater to both."

About Hotel Technology Next Generation
The premier technology solutions association in the hospitality industry, HTNG is a self-funded, nonprofit organization with members from hotel and hospitality companies, technology vendors to hospitality, and other industry members including consultants, media and academic experts. HTNG's members participate in focused workgroups to bring to market open solution sets addressing specific business problems. HTNG fosters the selection and adoption of existing open standards. Where necessary, it also develops new open standards to meet the needs of the global hospitality industry.

Membership in HTNG is open to hotel and hospitality companies, technology vendors to hospitality, consultants, academics, press and others. Currently more than 400 corporate and individual members from across this spectrum, including most of the world's leading hotel companies and technology vendors, are active HTNG participants. HTNG's Board of Governors, consisting of 19 top IT leaders from hotel companies around the world, itself has responsibility for about 3.5 million guest rooms. HTNG publishes workgroup proceedings, drafts and specifications for all HTNG members as soon as they are created, encouraging rapid and broad adoption. Specifications are released to the public domain as they are ratified by the workgroups. For more information, visit www.htng.org.

About China Hospitality Technology Alliance
CHTA is a non-profit organization with a strong focus on leading-edge Chinese technologies, which aims to set global standards in servicing both Chinese and international hotel chains. CHTA is a vehicle through which Western technologies can be effectively deployed to properties in China, not only international chains but also local Chinese groups. CHTA consists of a group of leading hoteliers and technology vendors that strive to bring the true value of technology to hotel guests and the business. CHTA is strongly supported by numerous volunteers from both membership companies and non-membership individuals.

Contact
Bill Fallon
Executive Vice President, Keating and Co.
Phone: 212 925 6900
Mobile: 973 768 6764
Email: bfallon@keatingco.com

Organization
Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG) - AHLA
www.ahla.com/htng
1250 Eye Street N.W., Suite 1100
USA - Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 1 202 289 3100
Email: ewilson@ahla.com