Successful Meetings - December 2008 - (Page 48C)

UNIQUE APPEAL ong an exotic dream destination for meeting, incentive, and convention groups, today’s Hawaii has even more appeal. It’s still exotic, to be sure, but there’s a noticeable uptick in appreciation for the fact that the 50th state is indeed part of the United States. In practical terms for groups, that means no passports, no currency fluctuations, no language issues. Even groups that might previously not have considered Hawaii are giving the state another look—and liking what they see. “The group originally said no to Hawaii,” says Kristi Morocha, owner of the independent meeting planning company Journeys and Gatherings, based in Elm Grove, Wisconsin, describing the process an association client recently went through in its site selection for a 40th anniversary meeting. “They were concerned about the length of the flight, but later they realized they wanted a very special destination to celebrate their 40th anniversary—and they wanted to keep their money in the United States. Hawaii became that exotic ‘foreign destination’ for them—and they never had to leave the country.” The end result? “Of the nearly two decades I’ve been working with this client, this program had more positive comments and fewer complaints than any other program we’ve done,” she says. That doesn’t surprise other planners who have organized meetings and incenSUCCESSFUL MEETINGS ■ DECEMBER 2008 by Irene Korn L FOR MORE INFORMATION The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau is the first stop for help with conventions, meetings, and incentives on any of the islands. Check out www.businessaloha.com or call (808) 924-0253 for information on all the islands and the Hawaii Convention Center. In addition, each one of the islands has its own visitors association. Oahu Visitors Bureau (808) 524-0722 www.visit-oahu.com Big Island Visitors Bureau (808) 961-5797 www.bigisland.org Kauai Visitors Bureau (808) 245-3971 www.kauaidiscovery.com Maui Visitors Bureau (including Lanai and Molokai) (808) 244-3530 www.visitmaui.com DECEMBER 2008 SUPPLEMENT TO tives in Hawaii. “Many attendees end up staying longer once their business is done, which explains why Hawaii meetings have historically generated high attendance figures,” says Michael Murray, CMP, CMM, CASE, vice president of sales and marketing, corporate meetings and incentives, for the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. Above normal attendance was the case for Mirocha’s group, whose typical attendance of about 180 shot up to 308 for the meeting in Maui. Murray also points out that balmy yearround weather allows groups to book at any time of the year—including fall and winter, when off-peak rates make the islands even more attractive. Planners who can be flexible might find even better than usual deals this year. While the Hawaiian islands on the whole all share some commonalities, each also has its own unique personality and signature attractions. Read on to see which island might best suit your own group’s needs. ■ Produced by the Travel and Performance Group Custom Media Department 770 Broadway New York, NY 10003 Editorial: (305) 884-0295 Advertising: (646) 654-7333 Marilyn Moore, Director Alison Golub, Executive Editor Denniston Brown, Creative Director/Designer Grace Casey, Production Manager 1 http://www.businessaloha.com http://www.visit-oahu.com http://www.bigisland.org http://www.kauaidiscovery.com http://www.visitmaui.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - December 2008

Successful Meetings - December 2008 Contents Editor's Note Corporate Events On the Record Calendar Research Planner Spotlight Personal Success Technology Talk Food & Beverage Professional Development Quick Tip Tools of the Trade On Site: Retire Those Tired Power-Point Slides On Site: 12 Tips for Thriving on a South African Safari Deep Impact Recession-Friendly Speakers Showing Off Hawaii Insert Places & Spaces Mississippi Gulf Coast Fort Worth South Florida Beijing Gurus

Successful Meetings - December 2008

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