The President and CEO of Hawai’i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) believes the Aloha State is ripe for massive MICE business. In Sydney today, Aaron Salā said the foundations have been set in Australia and New Zealand market for several years, and that now is the time to “pivot” and capitalise on the opportunities.
Salā and Kris Phadungkiatipong, Country Director – Oceania for MEET Hawaii (a collaboration between the HVCB and Hawaii Tourism Authority) are leading a solid delegation this week on a mission of Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. The delegation is comprised of key Hawaii-based representatives that play in the MICE segment, from hoteliers to attractions and tour operators.
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Taking charge at HCVB in August last year, Salā says the work being done now by group and MICE-friendly operators “is key to the success of Hawaii in the future.”
“We tend to focus on the sun, sand, surf. That’s the brand. That’s been the brand for 1,000 years, and that brand has driven a leisure market.”
“I want to start to pivot that because I feel very strongly about the group market. MICE is an incredible opportunity for us that ultimately is untouched,” Salā said.
“On one hand, it’s an opportunity, obviously, to do business for business sake. But the B2B environment is an opportunity for Hawaii to shore up its own responsibility on the globe.”
“If we look at Hawaii as a gateway east/west, and a corridor, north/south
— the opportunity for us to look at the kinds of people that we cultivate in a business environment, then we’ll affect absolutely the leisure environment that comes as a result of that.”
Salā highlighted that Hawaii has hosted major events such APEC, “then that tells us we can host the Democratic or Republican National Convention,” he quipped.
“It tells us that we can start to bring people that are of like mind to a location like Hawaii to do really important things that have global impact.”
“I want to be the Davos of the Pacific.”
“I want to create opportunities for us to have really important conversations about the power that Hawaii has to say ultimately save the world.”
“So this work between with MEET Hawaii and the convention center, and with HTA – and the work with all of you – is really key to the success of that engagement,” Salā concluded.
