The organization known as the International Association of Hospitality Accountants — which six years later became HFTP — was using the name HITEC for the first time. Established in 1972, HFTP’s hospitality technology event was known under many names over its five decades, but since 1991 HITEC has stuck. And whether it's Tech Connect or HITEC, the event has established a place within the industry, as it has grown into the world’s largest hospitality technology conference in the world.

That year for HITEC was historic in two other ways. First, Hospitality Technology Hall of Famer Bill Oates and I almost single-handedly set back hotel video conferencing by a decade (a story for another time). The second was that at HITEC 1991, Rich Siegel launched his canary-yellow publication which became Hospitality Upgrade. Fast forward 34 years and this publication is now the world’s largest and oldest hospitality technology publication. Of course, Rich is still irreverent and quirky as ever.

My very first interaction with Rich was that year as the IAHA education director, chasing him up and down the HITEC aisles to prevent him from “littering” the exhibit halls with his newsletter. It took almost throwing him out of HITEC before he believed me when I explained that companies had to pay money to promote their products.

As illustrated above, Rich started out with HFTP a bit rough, but he became a trusted partner. From all outward appearances, Rich was running a very successful business and was taking all kinds of risks that were moving the industry forward. But it wasn't until we became friends, did Rich disclose that for his first nine years, his credit cards funded the entire business. He never gave up because of his love for the job and his determination to succeed.

Rich has always been a big risk taker. In 2002 we were at a conference in Paris and after hours, we discussed the idea of bringing together CIOs for a small conference. Although Rich was still running a budget business and HFTP had not grown enough to take such a risk, he decided to go all in. Because of that risk, Hospitality Upgrade’s CIO Summit is the best boutique conference among all hospitality conferences.

Aside from being a risk taker and smart, Rich also has had some luck. Probably the luckiest thing to happen to him, aside from convincing Fiona Zimmermann to become Mrs. Siegel, was hiring Geneva Rinehart for her first job. After Siegel Communications acquired Hotel Online, the first digital, daily newsletter, Geneva became a minority partner and together they grew the company into a force to be reckoned with. Prior to her new career with HFTP, Geneva was honored as an HFTP Paragon Award winner, primarily for her efforts in promoting hospitality technology globally.

At the end of April, Rich is going to be officially named Publisher Emeritus of Hospitality Upgrade magazine. At that time, he will end his contractual obligations to HFTP and his former staff. But one thing that won't end is his commitment to his friends, the industry, hospitality technology, and his love for horses.

Rich isn't going to be gone or forgotten. But he is an icon, legend and even a technology rockstar!