No warm-weather destination in the U.S. is better suited to mixing business with pleasure than Hawaii, where the lifestyle and guest experience are defined by the hospitable aloha spirit of its locals. Within the island chain, both Oahu and Kauai are exotic islands offering top-of-the-line meeting facilities and world-class resorts combined with spectacular island settings, an inviting year-round climate (average daytime temperatures of 77 degrees) and a plethora of outdoor recreational activities.
Meanwhile, Hawaii is an eco-friendly, green destination, and while some sections of coastline are dominated by hotels, the entire Hawaiian chain is still only 5 percent urban, with large tracts of land set aside as state and national parks, while other areas have remained relatively free of development. For both Oahu and Kauai, there are still pristine places of untrammeled beauty that captivated visitors long before Hawaii became one of the world’s premier tourism destinations.
Oahu
U.S. groups have been flocking to Oahu for decades, and its mid-Pacific location has also made it an appealing destination for visitors from the Far East, Asia and Oceania. Besides growing the Asian market, Oahu is also registering a steady uptick in group business from Europe due to the strength of the euro against the dollar.
While it projects a “tropical paradise” image, this often overshadows Oahu’s reputation as a vibrant, highly competitive meetings destination.
As with all of the Hawaii, it is one of the only places where it’s possible to conduct business with New York and Singapore on the same day, and the island’s multicultural work force has a century of experience in foreign trade and investment. Another point in Oahu’s favor is safety, as Honolulu has the lowest rate of violent crime of any U.S. city with a population over 500,000.
Oahu is the state’s political, economic and cultural vortex that is commonly referred to as “the gathering place” because it has the largest and most diverse selection of meeting facilities, accommodations and attractions found anywhere in the islands. Almost half the state’s 71,000 guest rooms are situated in the capital, Honolulu, and most are in Waikiki, the iconic beach resort that has long ranked as one of the most popular vacation destinations in the U.S.
“We recently completed a multibillion-dollar restoration that has revitalized Waikiki and given the entire resort a renewed sense of vigor,” says Michael Murray, vice president of sales and marketing for the Corporate, Meetings and Incentives division of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB).
Key to the success of the revitalization was the $115 million renovation of the Royal Hawaiian Center, which now provides Waikiki with the largest variety of boutiques, restaurants and entertainment venues on the island. Among its special features is the largest garden in Waikiki, the 30,000-square-foot Royal Grove, which consists of a mix of ethnobotanical gardens, coconut palms and a pond of “spouting water springs.”
Among Oahu’s most renowned sites is the massive Battleship Missouri Memorial, where World War II officially ended. It is berthed adjacent to the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Other unique sites include Honolulu’s Iolani Palace, America’s only home to a former monarchy, and the Polynesian Cultural Center, with its focus on the native culture and peoples of the Pacific Islands.
All of these sites are available to host group events, and arrangements can be made by contacting the HVCB, which has a proven track record and is the focal point for all convention planning and meetings-related activities in Oahu and throughout the islands.
“Our experienced staff works with planners to determine the most appropriate hotel and facilities to fit their particular type of meeting and ensures that planners and their clients stage a successful event to match their budgets,” Murray explains.
The stunning $350 million Hawaii Convention Center, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in June, is a pace setter in the implementation of the latest high-tech innovations, including fiber optics, simultaneous translation booths and satellite videoconferencing. Situated on the edge of Waikiki, it can accommodate from 500 attendees to 30,000 attendees. Its centerpiece is a 200,000-square-foot exhibit hall, and it also contains Hawaii’s largest ballroom, measuring 35,000 square feet, plus 47 meeting rooms. Another advantage of booking events here is accessibility, as the center is within a one-mile radius of more than 10,000 hotel rooms.
There is a lot of news on the hotel front (see Happenings, page 17), with major upgrades and renovations completed or under way at prominent Waikiki properties. According to the HVCB, there have been huge investments in all types of accommodations over the past three years.
Oahu’s wide range of meetings-ready hotels and resorts includes Waikiki options such as the Halekulani, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio, and Moana Surfrider–A Westin Resort, in addition to rural retreats like Turtle Bay Resort on the peaceful North Shore.
Kauai
While just 70 miles northwest of Oahu, Kauai is worlds away from Honolulu’s hustle and bustle. It embodies the atmosphere of old Hawaii, with country villages that appear much as they did before the arrival of tourism.
Only 33 miles wide and 25 miles long, the “Garden Isle” is blessed with an array of breathtaking landscapes, including Waimea Canyon, known as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” the Napali Coast, with cliffs rising 2,700 feet, and more than 40 white-sand beaches. Within its 533 square miles are several distinct microclimates, including sand dunes, desert-like plateaus, verdant river valleys, and mist-shrouded mountains.
“Kauai’s natural wonders are key to our group appeal and set us apart from other tropical settings as a meetings destination,” says Edie Hafdahl, director of sales and marketing for the Kauai Visitors Bureau. “The island’s magnificent backdrop is a magnet for groups, whether they are corporate, association or incentive.”
She goes on to note that attendees accustomed to the atmosphere of big-city meetings especially appreciate Kauai’s relaxed, easygoing lifestyle and atmosphere, where no structure exceeds the height of the tallest coconut tree.
The island is well positioned to accommodate small to midsize meetings at all price points, with a wide choice of facilities and resources that can be customized for specific group needs and requirements.
One resort that stands out for groups is the Grand Hyatt Kauai, which contains the largest indoor and outdoor function space on the island and is the No. 1 choice in all of Hawaii for incentive groups. Hafdahl notes that the Sheraton Kauai on Poipu Beach offers all-inclusive packages for groups requiring 30 rooms to 100 rooms, while the Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club has the largest ballroom on the island, and the Hilton Kauai Beach Resort offers terrific value.
“The ResortQuest Kauai Beach at Makaiwa is a perfect fit for smaller groups on a budget, while the Princeville Resort, which will soon be rebranded as a St. Regis property, is well positioned to host high-end meetings,” she says.
Kauai excels in the variety and quality of its off-site venues, from plantation estates (including a coffee plantation) to botanical gardens and historic sites. Two of the most unique venues, the Iliahi and Luau Pavilion, are especially popular with planners.
Iliahi, which means sandalwood, exemplifies the island’s pre-war plantation culture. The 9,000-square-foot property was restored to its original splendor by Steve Case, former chairman of AOL, and today has the look and feel of an exclusive lodge with huge stone chimneys, a glass-walled living room and a private dining room. It is magnificently situated on a hillside near Kilohana crater, with a 180-degree vista of Kauai’s eastern coastline.
Hafdahl also recommends the Luau Pavilion, a beautiful new facility that can accommodate up to 1,000 attendees for receptions and all types of theme events, from a biker party to an elegant awards banquet. In addition, its state-of-the-art sound system makes it the preferred venue for luau shows and concerts.
For More Info
Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau 808.923.1811 www.businessaloha.com
Oahu Visitors Bureau 808.524.0722 www.visit-oahu.com
Kauai Visitors Bureau 808.245.3971 www.meet-kauai.com