A funny thing happened in Austin, Texas last month. There was a convention where a lot of people got together to talk about "Trends in Club Technology for 2008 and Beyond." But it looked to me like the biggest trend to be noted was that very few people who actually work in the club business seem to have much interest in the subject.

At least that’s what I was led to conclude after attending HITEC (Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference) 2008. It was another big show put on by the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals organization, with over 300 exhibitors and several days of wide-ranging, in-depth seminars. I saw a lot of people there who work for hotel chains and lodging properties, along with a lot of suppliers, consultants, academics, and people from other parts of the hospitality field. But unless a lot of you went disguised as floor tiles, I don’t think I saw very many people at all from the club side of the business.

Yes, I know the show was held right at the peak of many clubs’ busy season. Yes, I know it was mid-June in Austin, Texas (a fun town, but not an easy place to get to, nor one that’s real comfortable when it’s 100-plus degrees). And yes, I know it’s a tough economy where everyone’s budgets have been cut and the big priority is on staying home to mind the store and run a tight ship.

Still, it was a bit distressing to see—especially since the show’s organizers had gone to the trouble of putting together special sessions that zeroed in specifically on club-related issues—that learning more about how technology can help clubs provide better service and achieve new operating efficiencies apparently isn’t very high on many club managers’ priority lists right now.

I hope I’m dead-wrong in drawing that conclusion. But especially in a tight operating environment, savvy use of available technology can really make a difference.

As I visit individual clubs each month, I’ve been encouraged by what I’ve seen and heard about the steps many of you are taking to automate more functions, streamline communications, and tap into the gold mines of valuable membership and marketing data that are now literally at your fingertips. But technology is no different than golf, food and beverage, course maintenance, fitness/spa or other aspects of club operations—it’s great to do more on your own, but it can also be just as valuable to get out and find out what others are doing.

There will be another good opportunity to do that in Nashville this fall—and I’m pretty sure it won’t be 100-plus degrees.