HONOLULU
AEG Facilities, the management company of the Hawai‘i Convention Center (HCC), announced the promotion of Aaron Ichiki to client services manager and the hiring of Kelsey Kitagawa as sales manger – local sales.
“Aaron has been one of our most versatile and committed team members over the past 17 years and I’m excited to see him start this new career path with us in his new role,” said Teri Orton, HCC general manager. “At the same time, I’m equally please to welcome Kelsey to our ‘ohana as she is someone who brings a solid background in hospitality and fresh insights of the Hawai‘i market to our sales team.”
In his new role as client services manager, Ichiki will be responsible for supporting the HCC sales team’s efforts and ensuring client service and satisfaction remains at high levels.
He most recently served as HCC’s senior event manager and has been with the center for more than 17 years. He has also held the positions of event manager, event coordinator, interim IT manager and systems assistant manager at HCC.
A graduate of ‘Iolani School on O‘ahu, Ichiki also hold a bachelor’s degree in information technology and management from Washington State University.
Kitagawa joined HCC on April 10 as sales manager – local sales with the primary responsibility of helping identify and secure business across the Hawaiian Islands for the center.
Prior to joining HCC, she served as corporate group sales manager at the San Mateo Marriott in California from September 2016, and also held the position of catering sales manager at the hotel.
A graduate of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa with a bachelor’s degree in travel industry management, Kitagawa is also a second-degree black belt in tae kwon do.
Just steps from Waikiki, the HCC is open to sky and sun between the shade of terraces and lanais, featuring courtyards, waterfalls and fishponds to create a meetings and convention backdrop that is at once tranquil and invigorating. The 1.1 million-square-foot center offers the 200,000-square-foot Kamehameha Exhibit Hall and 35,000-square foot Kalakaua Ballroom, both divisible into thirds. 47 meeting rooms, two tiered-seating theaters and a 2.5-acre rooftop events garden that can accommodate 2,500 people.
