MEDIA RELEASE

This week a Hawaii sales team is taking the state’s marketing message for meetings and conventions, Where Business and Aloha Meet, into the nation’s biggest market for associations and the meeting industry’s largest one-day tradeshow.

The Springtime in the Park Expo takes place Thursday, May 3 in Washington, D.C. Hawaii’s meetings industry will have a major marketing presence at the tradeshow and with meeting planners in the region, led by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau and Hawaii Convention Center, with support from 11 Hawaii hotel partners.

“The presence of the HVCB and HCC teams at the Springtime in the Park Expo is a significant opportunity to promote Hawaii as global meetings destination with meeting planners from across the nation,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA). “The HTA, together with our marketing partners, remain committed to promoting the Hawaiian Islands beyond a leisure destination, and as an ideal place to conduct business.”

The highlight of “Springtime Week” for 1,000 lucky meeting planners will be receiving fresh flower lei from the Hawaii team Tuesday, May 1, a tribute to the islands’ time-honored tradition of May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii.

Other Hawaii marketing activities leading up to the Springtime Expo include a special reception for targeted clients with prospective business in the islands and sales calls at planners’ offices.

Michael Murray, CMP, CMM, CASE, HVCB’s vice president of sales and marketing, noted the Springtime Expo is vital to Hawaii’s marketing efforts as Washington, DC is home to more than 3,500 national and international associations, the largest concentration in the nation.

The Springtime Expo historically attracts approximately 4,000 meeting planners making it the largest one-day tradeshow in the meetings industry, and a prime opportunity to sell Hawaii’s attributes as a meetings destination.

Murray said Hawaii’s successful hosting of the 2011 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders Meeting (APEC) will be a principal message of the Hawaii contingent.

“APEC conclusively proved that Hawaii’s meetings industry can deliver the desired results for groups of any size or composition. We believe associations will take confidence in the knowledge of how our professionalism, resources, and Hawaii’s appeal can help their programs succeed,” said Murray.

Joe Davis, SMG general manager of the Hawaii Convention Center, commented, “These events provide an excellent opportunity for Hawaii to continue to strengthen its presence with key decision makers as a global meetings and business leader. Not only are we continuing to exceed expectations on numerous advantages – including location, business climate and meetings infrastructure – but we are also finding ways to best promote and deliver on benefits such as expanded air lift and an easing of travel restrictions, which have recently opened up markets in Asia.”

Supporting Hawaii’s marketing effort at the Springtime Expo are sales representatives from Courtyard Marriott Kauai at Coconut Beach, The Fairmont Orchid, Grand Wailea, Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa, The Kahala Resort & Spa, Prince Resorts Hawaii, Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, Starwood Maui, Turtle Bay Resort, and Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.

The week of sales activities and the tradeshow presentation are being coordinated by Meredith Parkins, HVCB regional sales director, and Sherri Thadeus, HCC regional director of accounts, both of whom are based in the Washington, DC area.

HVCB is contracted by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), the state of Hawaii’s tourism agency, to provide marketing management services for the conventions, meetings and incentives market segment. HTA was established in 1998 to ensure a successful visitor industry well into the future. Its mission is to strategically manage Hawaii tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with the state of Hawaii’s economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, community desires, and visitor industry needs.

– Find out more:
www.hawaiiconvention.com