With a bold new marketing plan in place, Hawaii is aiming to reach new heights as a meetings destination. In fact, meetings business is already on the upswing, buoyed by the recovering U.S. economy and favorable publicity from Hawaii’s landmark APEC meeting in fall 2011, which was hosted by President Barack Obama and drew world heads of state and business leaders from around the globe.
Hotel occupancies and room rates, which have been rising steadily for more than two years, set new records earlier this year, according to Hospitality Advisors LLC and Smith Travel Research. Occupancies on Oahu reached 90 percent in February, while rates on Maui and Kauai hit 82 percent, and the Big Island hit 78 percent.
That Hawaii is a destination where organizations can get down to business and accomplish goals is a message being broadcast loud and clear from the highest levels on down. Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie recently gave a personal address before attendees at the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems meeting at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Waikiki to address criticism the organization received for choosing Hawaii.
“Hawaii stands on its own merits as a premier location to host meetings and conventions,” Abercrombie said. “And when it’s done in Hawaii, planners are assured of the value they are getting. They know their events will be invigorating while allowing attendees to relax, think clearly and, most importantly, fulfill their business objectives.”
Meet Hawaii
Designed to carry the message further, Hawaii’s statewide sales and marketing efforts have undergone a major restructuring. A new entity called Meet Hawaii launched in January, which included the merger of the sales teams from the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) and the Hawaii Convention Center. Meet Hawaii is overseen by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), which provides funding and tactical support.
Comprising Meet Hawaii’s leadership are Brian Lynx, vice president–meetings, conventions and incentives of the HTA; Karen Hughes, vice president of Meet Hawaii and travel industry partnerships; and Randall Tanaka, interim general manager of the Hawaii Convention Center. Hughes is assuming the responsibilities held by Michael Murray, who left the HVCB in March to become executive vice president of Waikiki Beach Activities.
Other initiatives include an enhanced website, MeetHawaii.com, where planners can utilize online sales tools, gather data about Hawaii’s meeting resources, contact suppliers and issue RFPs for services and products.PageBreak
Good Synergy
On the neighbor islands, the visitor bureaus, which are part of the HVCB, are also playing a role in the new sales and marketing efforts, including providing recommendations to match client needs, support for site inspections and itinerary development.
“The island chapters are working very closely with Meet Hawaii,” says Sherry Duong, director of sales for the Maui Visitors Bureau. “We are taking the leads generated by them and converting them into definite business for the island. It’s great that everyone is now selling all of Hawaii, as opposed to being fragmented.”
Debbie Hogan, senior director of sales for the Big Island Visitors Bureau, agrees, adding that “there’s a lot of good synergy with the Hawaii Convention Center and HVCB now working together as one team. We’re already seeing some benefits, including more pre and post business coming from groups booked at the convention center.”
Lisa Nakamasu, director of sales for meetings, conventions and incentives at the Kauai Visitors Bureau, is also seeing more business as a result of the restructuring.
“With a more unified effort, there’s more thought going into pre and post packaging, which is a definite benefit for the neighbor islands,” she says. “It’s made it easier for attendees to extend their stay before or after a convention in Waikiki.”
Strong Outlook
The year ahead is shaping up as a strong one for Kauai, according to Nakamasu, who says the island is finding favor with groups that appreciate its serenity and relaxed pace.
“We’re seeing a different mindset taking place in the meetings market,” she says. “While groups once came in looking for tons of activities, now they want to find a sense of rejuvenation. I think it’s because everyone is so connected all the time.”
While groups also come to the Big Island for rejuvenation, the island’s booming agricultural scene, which includes everything from vanilla beans to coffee and orchids, has become a huge draw, according to Hogan.
“We can provide just about anything for a group with an agricultural interest,” she says. “The local farms are happy to work with them.”
Meetings business on Maui has rebounded strongly since the recession, according to Duong. She gives some of the credit to the recent APEC meeting.
“Meetings are not as lavish as they once were, but they are coming back,” she says. “People are not afraid to come to Hawaii for meetings, and I think APEC really told the world what we can do. It showed that we are not just palm trees and sand.”
