(Lake Worth, FL November 5th, 2015) HeR Consulting has announced 2016 dates and cities for the innovative training series “Protecting Guest & Employee Data in Hotels.” Adding to an already robust portfolio of eLearning and custom in-person training options, this latest addition features a full day of instruction featuring leading industry experts from Verizon Enterprise Solutions on privacy, data breach preparation, and PCI Compliance and was created to meet demand of local hotel managers and executives who can’t get away for too long.

Protecting Personally Identifiable information (PII) in the hotel industry is a complex topic that has rapidly become part of the PCI Compliance dialogue. The hotel industry has received increased attention by criminal entities. Given the wide array of technology used to process, man¬age, distribute, share and house information about one single hotel booking, the multiple unencrypted databases full of detailed personal data about past, present and future guests can be easy targets for data thieves.

This hands-on event is aimed at providing a better understanding of data breaches and is ideal for senior executives and department heads at properties of all sizes concerned that data will be compromised by a well-intentioned staff member who falls for one of the many social engineering techniques deployed today. Topics covered include what the pros are doing to efficiently enhance staff security awareness, reduce the risk of data loss, and understand/comply with the evolving landscape when it comes to meeting PCI DSS.  In addition, cyber insurance and what to do once a breach happens will be taught.

“The need to understand data privacy and security issues as well as learn from the experts which best practices concerning guest and employee data protection to adopt has never been greater, especially for the hospitality and online travel industry” said Marion H Roger, Vice President of HeR Consulting who heads up this program. “Data breach headlines, FTC lawsuits and the loss of customer trust are some of the biggest threats faced by hotels of all sizes today. Owners and managers alike are increasingly aware that data protection and security is key to protecting their business.”

The day-long training is presented in a seminar style and will take place in several key cities in North America, and will kick off in New York City on Dec. 8th, 2015, with additional dates in Miami, Atlanta and San Francisco confirmed during the first half of 2016.  Additional event dates will shortly be announced in cities including Chicago, Dallas, Boston, Orlando and Washington, DC.

“Verizon is committed to cybersecurity information sharing through the release of our benchmark annual reports, including the 2015 Data Breach Investigations Report and PCI Compliance Report,” said Franklin Tallah, principal consultant for Professional Security Services at Verizon Enterprise Solutions. “By participating in this event, we are furthering our aim of sharing information including lessons learned from actual data breaches across a multitude of industries,” said Tallah. “Our research reveals hoteliers are consistently under attack. It takes a vigilant culture to defend assets and that starts with a commitment from the top.”

The education series presented by HeR Consulting is pre-approved for CHAE/ CHTP certified attendees wishing to earn educational credits toward the renewal requirements of either the Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive (CHAE), and/or the Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP).  Both (CHAE and CHTP) are professional certification programs offered by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP).

“HeR has been very successful in leading an industry-wide initiative to support protecting guest data as part of the PCI compliance discussion and has over the past several years become one of the best go-to resources for insight and training on this subject,” said Rich Siegel, publisher of Hospitality Upgrade magazine. “We are enthusiastic about their continued focus on what we think is the next big thing in hospitality and look forward to being associated with this series as it rolls out across North America.”

This latest addition complements a suite of services around security awareness made available by HeR Consulting, including the industry’s first role-based eLearning suite for guest facing and other staff on property. Registration is now open for the New York session at www.her-consulting.com/seminars.

About Hospitality eResources
With more than 30 years of specialization in growing hospitality and travel businesses, Hospitality eResources (HeR Consulting), offers a comprehensive array of services and solutions as well as focused industry expertise to help hotels, resorts, lodging chains, hospitality and travel companies increase performance, profit, and return on investment. The company’s industry-focused staff is effective at bridging the gaps between Management, Operations, Technology and Marketing to motivate teams and improve company-wide performance. For each project, HeR assembles the ideal team with qualified backgrounds best suited to achieve the project’s goals on time and on budget.

HeR provides a series of webcasts and delivers frequent industry event presentations across the globe as well as published articles and interviews with key players in data privacy and guest information security. The company’s blog, HeR Perspective is a valuable resource to help industry professionals keep up with trends and enhanced their skills in the areas of marketing, social media, technology, distribution and client relationship management. For more information, visit www.her-consulting.com.