The fourth and last day of HITEC 2016 was all about lessons of entrepreneurship and strategies for building a loyal customer base. As the trade show wound down and exhibitors dismantled their booths, conference-goers settled in for the closing keynote.
And that's a wrap! Thanks #NOLA and #HITECnola for another great year! Met old friends and made some new ones! pic.twitter.com/9U15oTOZfT
— Customer Direct (@CustomerDirect_) June 23, 2016
From the start, it was clear that conference-goers were most excited to hear from Johnny Earle, the founder and CEO of Johnny Cupcakes, which brands itself as “the world’s first t-shirt bakery.” The company’s moniker is based on a nickname given to Earle by his co-workers when he was employed at a comic shop, and the cupcake and crossbones motif splashed across its apparel comes from t-shirts he made as a joke while he was touring with his former band, On Broken Wings.
Over the years, Johnny Cupcakes has amassed a cult following. Earle’s die-hard fans camp outside his stores and some even get tattoos of the cupcake and crossbones. And so, as he took the stage for his keynote, Earle emphasized the importance of loyalty to oneself and one’s customers in building a successful brand.
Creative packaging @JohnnyCupcakes Vh1 case holds tshirt.
Be creative, customers will remember#HITECnola pic.twitter.com/0bQ1MOdvhR
— Sherry Marek (@SherryMarek) June 23, 2016
16 businesses before age 16!? @JohnnyCupcakes was a busy child. #TWCBCxHITEC #HITECnola
— Spectrum Enterprise (@SpectrumEntUS) June 23, 2016
"If you want customer loyalty, be loyal to your customers" #marketing @JohnnyCupcakes #HITECnola #HITEC2016 #customerexperience
— Dmitry Koltunov (@DmitryKoltunov) June 23, 2016
"I believe in every work force, creative thinking MUST be applied" @JohnnyCupcakes @iDashboards @HFTP @Da_Paradise #HITECnola
— Marisa Pierron (@RisaPierron) June 23, 2016
Built a unique experience and your customers will do the talking#socialmedia @JohnnyCupcakes #HITECnola pic.twitter.com/V5rAn5hJKI
— Sherry Marek (@SherryMarek) June 23, 2016
Major theme of the @JohnnyCupcakes keynote at #HITECnola: make time. Where you invest your time is everything. #TWCBCxHITEC
— Spectrum Enterprise (@SpectrumEntUS) June 23, 2016
@JohnnyCupcakes Thanks for the awesome keynote to wrap up #HITECnola @iDashboards @Da_Paradise pic.twitter.com/zfkDBAd8vd
— Marisa Pierron (@RisaPierron) June 23, 2016
HITEC 2016 covered many topics — too many for one person to take in over just a handful of days— but Hotel Management magazine summed up the four biggest hospitality tech trends from the show.
The 4 biggest trends in #hotel tech https://t.co/HkJQ9IMlT2 #connectivity #security #UX
— HOTEL MANAGEMENT (@HotelMgmtMag) June 23, 2016
And then it was over! Those who attended were elated at the show’s success, sad that it was finished, and — most important — looking forward to next year’s show in Toronto.
MAJOR thank you to all #HITECnola exhibitors, sponsors and attendees! See you next year in Toronto for HITEC 2017. Safe travels to all.
— HFTP/HITEC (@HFTP) June 23, 2016
See you all next year, June 26-29 in Toronto, Canada. #HITECnola #HITECtor pic.twitter.com/WU0CKTa9KQ
— Jennifer Lee, CAE (@Jennifer_D_Lee) June 23, 2016
Thanks for the great conference, @HFTP, and thanks to everyone who dropped by our booth! We hope you all had a blast at #HITECnola!
— Benbria (@Benbria) June 23, 2016
We at Benbria want to thank HFTP for a stellar conference, and everyone who stopped by our booth to see what Loop is all about. If you weren’t able to meet with us during the conference, never fear — you can still request a demo through our website!
And as always, don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and on Twitter @Benbria.
