As the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2011 Leaders’ Meeting approaches, nearly 100 Hawai`i Convention Center staff are attending training sessions to learn more about one of the APEC member economies:  China.

The sessions are part of Kapiolani Community College’s (KCC) Chinese cultural training program, and are intended to help Center staff get a better understanding for the appropriate protocol when interacting with Chinese visitors.  Center staff members – ranging from the executive team to engineers, greeters, and housekeepers – are learning appropriate greetings, phrases, and etiquette.

In addition to APEC preparations, China is a major emerging visitor market for Hawai`i, adding to the popularity of the program.  Nearly 3,000 visitor industry employees have taken part since its start nearly two years ago, after KCC established the training with a grant from the Hawai`i Tourism Authority.

Training is available in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean cultures, although about 70 percent of the participation so far has been focused on China.

Read more about the Center’s participation in the program and other efforts to prepare for November’s APEC meeting in Pacific Business News.