Oahu and Hawaii Island Continue to Attract Groups

The Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Hawaii Island, also commonly referred to as the Big Island, continue to attract meeting groups to their shores thanks to their variety of properties and venues, as well as the uniquely Hawaiian cultural experiences that they offer.

"In Hawaii, we're always looking for ways to honor the unique culture and heritage of the islands," says Karen Hughes, vice president of Meet Hawaii and travel industry partnerships for the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau.

To bring more meetings to Hawaii, Meet Hawaii is making a "considerable effort to get more planners here" says Hughes. "The best way for us to sell Hawaii is to have planners feel, touch, taste, smell, and experience it."

She adds that Oahu and Hawaii Island, in particular, are gearing up for many more meetings groups. "Citywide conventions often tend to go to Oahu," she explains. "The next island with the largest capacity for larger groups is Hawaii Island."

She says that Hawaii Island, in particular, has seen a lot of interest from travel- and meeting-industry-related groups, including the Financial & Insurance Conference Planners, which held its annual conference at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in November 2014. The National Association of Career Travel Agents plans to meet this November at the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay for its annual conference. "We're seeing some industry conferences that want to host their conference there; it's been a great destination for that," says Hughes.

The Sheraton Kona is one hotel property that Deanna Isbister, sales director for the Big Island Visitors Bureau (BIVB), knows well. Having taken several meeting planning programs to the property, as well as been part of internal BIVB meetings that took place at the Sheraton, she says that what she finds most special about it is its rich history and "special sense of place."

Cultural activities at the Sheraton Kona include a traditional Hawaiian imu (pit) dinner, lei making, hula lessons, guided tours of the historic Keauhou Bay, and even branding your own Hawaiian canoe paddle with Polynesian symbols.

While there are a number of beach and island destinations around the world that are suited for meeting and incentive groups, it's that one-of-a-kind cultural experience that sets Hawaii apart, says Hughes and Isbister. "It helps benchmark Hawaii as an international experience--but without the price tags or difficulties of traveling internationally," explains Hughes.

Here's a closer look at the latest news and updates from Oahu and Hawaii Island.

Often regarded as the "heart of Hawaii" and the "meeting place" of the islands, Oahu continues to add to its already robust meeting and tourism infrastructure. The biggest news from the island relates to the 2016 opening of the island's very first Four Seasons, the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, which replaces the former JW Marriott Ihiliani Resort.

Hilton is also busy adding to its Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. Last summer, Hilton broke ground on a new 418-unit vacation ownership tower, The Grand Islander by Hilton Grand Vacations Club, which is slated for completion in early 2017. The property also recently completed a five-month $21-million renovation of its 17-story Diamond Head Tower, including all 380 guest rooms, corridors, and the lobby. Last fall, Hilton Hawaiian Village debuted an updated version of its Waikiki Starlight Luau with new show numbers and a new show area that includes various pre-show activities.

The Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa is currently undergoing an $18-million enhancement project that includes the porte cochere, hotel lobby, guest registration desk area, meeting spaces, and Kuhio Beach Grill Restaurant. The renovation project is scheduled for completion in the fall.

The Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk completed a resort-wide refresh of its suites, and the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa is in the midst of a full $100-million renovation of its 1,230 guest rooms. The DoubleTree by Hilton Alana Waikiki just finished a redesign of its seventh-floor function room, The Pikake Room.

Starwood's Waikiki-based properties are also attracting meeting groups with a variety of group programs. At the historic Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, the 193-room resort specializes in offering "spaception" experiences for meeting groups in its intimate 390-square-foot Renewal Lounge. It also offers a Be Well Meeting Program with a variety of wellness-oriented experiences.

At The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, the historic property, built in 1927, specializes in a variety of special event experiences for groups. The "Pink Palace" as it is often referred to, has an event concept, the "Golden Age Gala," that pays homage to the 1940's era in its famed Monarch Ballroom. The hotel also offers a special culinary experience called Ethnic Epicurean Journey, which invites meeting attendees to enjoy ethnic foods prepared by the chefs for such dignitaries as the Sultan of Brunei; the princess of Thailand; and the Japanese Minister of Defense.

Another culinary group experience includes the Sheraton Waikiki's Project Runway Gone Culinary teambuilding challenge, in which groups team up with the property's F&B team to shop for ingredients, and then create a dish that is presented down a runway to a panel of judges. The 1,636-room property also recently partnered with Incentient to install customized iPads in each of its rooms; the iPads can be used by meeting organizers to send messages to attendees from their meeting groups.

Meeting groups staying at any of Starwood's Waikiki properties that want to engage in some corporate social responsibility can also work with Starwood Waikiki's Events with Aloha program to set up community projects that include gardening at local vegetable gardens, repairing fishpond walls, and more.

On Hawaii Island, Mauna Kea Resort is celebrating its 50th anniversary as the first hotel property to be built on the island's Kohala Coast. The resort, which is comprised of two hotels -- Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel and Mauna Kea Beach Hotel -- recently debuted new themed party offering for groups.  At Hapuna Beach, groups of up to 30 can take part in a Coast Grille Garden Party with a fresh menu filled with ingredients from the resort's on-site garden. At Mauna Kea, groups of up to 50 can hold a Plantation Beach House Party on Kaunaoa Bay's historic Plantation Beach House.

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This article appears in the March 2015 issue of Successful Meetings.