Press Releases
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HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) announces the launch of its Hawai'i Special Offers Program, designed to encourage visitors to experience the natural wonders and rich traditions of the Hawaiian Islands, with a particular focus on supporting Maui.
Running now until October 31, 2024, this program showcases a curated selection of compelling offers from HVCB partners across accommodations, tours, activities, and transportation sectors. Many offers extend beyond the program's end date, providing flexibility for travelers planning future visits.
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Honolulu, HI – The Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) today announced the appointment of Dr. Aaron J. Salā as its new President and CEO. With a distinguished career as a business entrepreneur and educator working in creative storytelling, culture and arts knowledge and advocacy, and solutions-oriented futures, Dr. Salā brings unparalleled experience and expertise to HVCB. Dr. Salā succeeds Tom Mullen, HVCB Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, who has served as Interim President and CEO since January 1, 2024, following the retirement of John Monahan. Monahan stepped down last year after serving as the organization’s top leader since 2003.
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HONOLULU —The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) was honored with three top TravelAge West 2024 WAVE Awards in the categories of, “U.S. Tourism Board Providing the Best Travel Advisor Support,” "Best Marketing by a Tourism Board, U.S.” and “Destination With the Highest Client Satisfaction, USA,” on June 13, at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey in California.
HVCB members and industry partners also received notable recognition. Pleasant Holidays won “Best Tour Operator, Hawai‘i.” For resorts and hotels, OUTRIGGER Resorts & Hotels received the awards for “Best Hotel Brand” and “Best Hotel Brand for Families, Hawai‘i.” Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort was honored as the “Best New Resort or Major Renovation, Hawai‘i,” and Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, was recognized as the “Best Resort for Cultural Immersion, Hawai‘i.”
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HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) today announced the appointment of Laurie Ihara as its new Senior Director of Sales, Single Property. In her role, Ihara will be responsible for collaboratively leading and developing strategy for Meet Hawai‘i’s single property team.
Ihara is a dynamic sales and marketing veteran with more than 25 years of experience working with world-renowned travel and hospitality brands including Marriott International, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, and Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. Most recently, Ihara served as Director of Sales & Marketing at Coconut Waikīkī and Shoreline Hotel Waikīkī.
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The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) announces the promotion of Sue Kanoho to Managing Director of its Island Chapters, which includes the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau (KVB), O‘ahu Visitors Bureau (OVB), Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau (MVCB) and Island of Hawai‘i Visitors Bureau (IHVB).
In her role, Kanoho will lead the Island Chapters with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), County and State officials and departments. Kanoho will also be responsible for the Island Destination Brand Management and Marketing Services (IDBMMS) contract, including leading the development and execution of the Island Chapter strategy, which focuses on HTA’s on-island support, HTA’s Global Marketing Team Familiarization (FAM) visits, media, and travel trade education and FAMs, promotion of Native Hawaiian values, places and traveling pono (travel with care).
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The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) today announced the appointment of Lynn Whitehead as its new Vice President Global MCI Sales & Marketing. She assumes the role effective January 1, 2024, following the retirement of John Reyes who held the position since February 2020.
Bringing more than three decades of hospitality sales experience, Whitehead will be responsible for overseeing and directing HVCB’s global sales and marketing efforts for both citywide and single-property meeting, conventions, and incentives (MCI) business. She has actively positioned Hawai‘i as the preferred destination for citywide conventions, and consistently generated leads and secured bookings across the eastern U.S. region and Europe as HVCB’s Senior Director of Citywide Sales for Meet Hawai‘i.
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The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) proudly announces the appointment of Scott Pauli as Executive Director for the Island of Hawai‘i Visitors Bureau (IHVB), an island chapter of HVCB. He will begin work on Monday, September 18.
In his role, Pauli will oversee IHVB’s destination marketing in the United States – and support international marketing partners in Canada, Japan, South Korea, China and Oceania – as contracted by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) and through collaborative efforts with island partners, government entities, and various sectors within the hospitality, group market and related industries. Furthermore, Pauli will be instrumental in guiding the implementation of the Hawaiʻi Island Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP) and the 2023 Community Enrichment program on the island of Hawai‘i. These initiatives are designed to promote a regenerative tourism model that aims to enrich and sustain the local community and the environment.
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The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s (HTA) Signature Events and Community Enrichment programs demonstrate its longstanding commitment to reinvesting in the community and implementing its Strategic Plan and Destination Management Action Plans. HTA today announced it is awarding $3.78 million in funding to support 76 community projects, festivals, and events throughout the state as part of its Signature Events and Community Enrichment programs in 2023.
HTA has partnered with the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) and Island Chapters to administer its 2023 Signature Events and Community Enrichment Programs. Funded by HTA, five program project managers have been appointed to administer the awardee contracts in each county.
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The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) announces the return of its robust program geared exclusively toward kamaʻāina, offering Hawai‘i residents new and exciting specials on accommodations, activities, attractions, shopping, dining and more throughout the Hawaiian Islands.
The “Kamaʻāina Special Offers Program” includes new offers from HVCB members and will be available year-round at KamaainaSpecialOffers.com. Hawai‘i residents can access unique rates and discounts that will inspire a favorite island getaway to explore, rejuvenate, and reconnect with family and friends.
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Hawaiʻi-based Pacific Media Group has partnered with the Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau to launch an in-destination suite of island-specific Official Visitor Guidebooks free-of-charge to Hawai‘i visitors.
In 2023, Pacific Media Group will publish four county-specific destination publications:
- Experience Kauaʻi
- Experience Oʻahu
- Experience Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi
- Experience the Island of Hawaiʻi
The Official Visitor Guidebooks will share kuleana messaging about how to engage, be a respectful visitor and gain a more enriching experience while in Hawai‘i. The Guidebooks will provide vetted and appropriate visitor experiences, mindful and regenerative travel information, destination management messaging and more. They will feature island maps and include island-specific information on Native Hawaiian cultural activities, public-sanctioned trails and hiking best practices, beaches and ocean safety, and ways in which visitors can travel responsibly throughout the Hawaiian Islands. They also will make recommendations for supporting locally owned businesses, popular activities and attractions, dining options, shopping experiences, guided island adventures, and unique festivals and events.
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The Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) today announced Meet Hawaiʻi has been recognized by Meetings Today as Best West CVBs/DMOs. Meetings Today announced the winners of its annual Best Of Awards, given to the top convention visitors bureaus (CVBs) / destination marketing organizations (DMOs) in North America, meeting facilities as well as awards for the top global DMOs. Meet Hawaiʻi was honored in the Best West CVBs/DMOs category.
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The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) today announced Meet Hawai‘i has launched a digital meeting planner guide. Meet Hawai‘i developed the interactive electronic platform to equip meeting planners with enhanced digital-planning resources such as engaging visual assets, detailed fact sheets, comprehensive information on Hawai‘i’s convention services, meeting facilities, event spaces, hotel accommodations, transportation and more.
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The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) today announced the launch of its Tourism and Hospitality Job Board in an effort to connect career-seekers to various jobs with growth opportunities in Hawai‘i’s tourism and hospitality industry.
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The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) announced Meet Hawai‘i will be welcoming the Goldschmidt Conference at the Hawai‘i Convention Center from July 10-15, 2022. Organized by the Geochemical Society and the European Association of Geochemistry, the Goldschmidt Conference is the premier international meeting on geochemistry and is committed to improving our understanding of the earth and solar system.
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Continuing its reinvestment in Hawaii’s communities, the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) has announced it is awarding $2.9 million in funding to support 86 community-based projects, festivals and events through its Community Enrichment program for 2022.
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The Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau (IHVB) announced today that Rachel Kaiama has joined its team as Destination Manager. In her newly appointed role, Kaiama will oversee the implementation and reporting of Hawaii Island’s Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP) and Community Enrichment Program. The goal is to rebuild, redefine and reset the direction of tourism over a three-year period, while enhancing residents’ quality of life and improving the visitor experience.
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The Oʻahu Visitors Bureau (OVB) has appointed Catherine Orlans as destination manager. A new position funded by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA), as destination manager Orlans will be responsible for implementation and oversight of the Oʻahu Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP), as well as Oʻahu’s Community Enrichment Program (CEP). Orlans lends extensive experience in the hospitality industry, sales and marketing, as well as sustainability to the new position.
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The Kauaʻi Visitors Bureau (KVB) announces Patricia “Patti” Ornellas as the organization’s destination manager. In this newly created position funded by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA), Ornellas will lead efforts to implement and execute the goals and vision of Kauaʻi’s Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP), with an emphasis on perpetuating Kauaʻi as a destination focused on regenerative tourism and mindful travel.
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The Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau (MVCB) announced the appointment of Meagan DeGaia as destination manager, effective today. In this newly created position being funded by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA), DeGaia will be responsible for supervising, managing, implementing and reporting on the Maui Nui Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP), its Community Enrichment Program (CEP), as well as signature events within Maui County.
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The Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) welcomes strategic sales leader Lynn Whitehead as Meet Hawaiʻi’s Senior Director, Citywide Sales. In the role, Whitehead will be responsible for covering the eastern U.S. region, promoting Hawaiʻi as a preferred destination for citywide conventions and generating citywide leads and bookings for the Hawaiʻi Convention Center and MCI hotels.
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The Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) welcomes sales veteran Adrienne Nudo as Meet Hawaiʻi’s Senior Director, Citywide Sales Midwest Region. In her role, Nudo will be responsible for covering the Midwest U.S. region, promoting Hawaiʻi as a preferred destination for citywide conventions and generating citywide leads and bookings for the Hawaiʻi Convention Center and MCI hotels.
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The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) announces the launch of a program geared exclusively toward kamaʻāina, offering Hawaiʻi residents new and exciting specials on accommodations, activities, attractions, shopping, dining and more throughout the Hawaiian Islands.
