HONOLULU
The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) appointed hospitality sales and marketing veteran Mary Neister to its team as vice president of Meet Hawaii.
She will have the responsibility of leading HVCB’s sales efforts for meetings, conventions and incentives (MCI), and work in partnership with the Hawaii Convention Center team to grow the meetings market for the Hawaiian Islands.
Neister brings more than 30 years of sales and marketing leadership experience to the Bureau, most recently serving as director of sales and marketing at the Hilton Waikiki Beach hotel for the past two years. Prior to that, she held positions as director of sales and marketing for the Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers, and director of sales and marketing for The Milford hotel in New York City. She has also held similar positions with Starwood Hotels in the Bahamas and Boston.
“Mary’s background and experience in on-property, area and regional sales at both the hotel and ownership levels are an ideal fit for this position,” said John Monahan, HVCB’s president and CEO. “Her success in leading sales and marketing efforts for large group houses in various Mainland and off-shore markets will be a tremendous asset to HVCB’s management team.”
Neister will focus on single-property sales efforts for Meet Hawaii in collaboration with the Hawaii Convention Center, which will concentrate on citywide group business. She assumes the HVCB leadership responsibilities for MCI previously held by Karen Hughes, who departed from the Bureau in September to spend time with her family on the Mainland and in New Zealand.
“It is an honor to be tapped for this prestigious leadership role,” Neister said. “Karen Hughes and her team have paved the way and laid a solid foundation of MCI business throughout the Hawaiian Islands. My goal is to work closely with our industry partners to take our bookings to new heights.
“I am so very appreciative of the support and aloha that I have received,” Neister continued. “I very much look forward to exceeding the expectations of the industry ohana in the years to come.”
HVCB is contracted by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) to provide marketing management services for the meetings, conventions and incentives, and leisure market segment.
