Hawai‘i Convention Center Earns State and National Meetings Honors

The Hawai‘i Convention Center, managed by ASM Global, is pleased to announce that it has recently been recognized with state and national meetings honors:

  • EXHIBITOR magazine named the Center among its Centers of Excellence winners, featured in its October/November issue. The award honors North America’s top convention centers for trade shows and events based on a variety of criteria within select categories, including Facility & Functionality, Location & Accommodations, Service & Execution, Upgrades & Expansions, and Awards & Industry Participation. A panel of corporate exhibit managers also surveys past clients and reviews selling points, event spaces, and innovations.
  • The Center was among 18 venues in the U.S. and Canada to be named “Best Convention Center” by Smart Meetings magazine in its 2023 Smart Stars awards.  Smart Meetings is a leading meetings industry publisher. The awards, now in their 11th year, recognize meeting planners’ preferences for hotels, resorts, properties, cruise lines, and conference and convention centers across 31 categories. Winners reflect the highest standards of excellence in service, amenities, and customer satisfaction.
  • Facilities & Destinations magazine recognized the Center as one of its 2023 Prime Site Award of Excellence winners. The Center is one of 42 ASM Global venues to be honored this year, as selected by Facilities & Destinations readers. For more than 30 years, Facilities Media Group has served as a leading news source and marketing partner for professional planners of conventions, tradeshows, meetings, entertainment, and special events, and for the cities and venues in which they take place.
  • The Hawai‘i Green Business Program (HGBP) recognized the Center on June 29, 2023, for its energy efficiency and sustainable business practices. Thirty-seven awardees representing five islands were honored. The program is a partnership between Hawai‘i’s Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Health; Chamber of Commerce of Hawai‘i; and the Board of Water Supply.

“As the Hawai‘i Convention Center celebrates its 25th year offering world-class meetings and events, we are honored to be named among the best meetings venues in the world,” said Teri Orton, General Manager of the Hawai‘i Convention Center. “These awards speak to the continued efforts and hard work of our dedicated staff to share the Aloha Spirit with all of our guests across local and citywide gatherings.”

Hawaii Convention Center Receives National Recognition with 4th Stella Award

General Manager Teri Orton also receives statewide honors as Pacific Edge’s Hospitality Executive of the Year

The Hawai‘i Convention Center has received its fourth consecutive Stella Award from Northstar Meetings Group, for Best Convention Center in the Far West Region (silver). Nearly 7,000 votes were cast from around the world for the 553 destinations, hotels and service providers nominated in 17 categories in six regions in the United States and worldwide. There were a total of 255 total winners and finalists for 2020.

The Stella Awards recognize hotels, convention centers, conference centers, airlines, cruise lines, DMO/CVBs, and DMCs that consistently deliver quality service and innovation to meeting and events professionals. Finalists in each category were determined by industry professionals during an open voting period, while winners were selected by an expert panel of judges overseen by the editors of Northstar Meetings Group’s leading brands, Meetings & Conventions and Successful Meetings.

Winners were recognized for achieving overall excellence, superb food and beverage, professionalism of staff, technology innovations, and other critical aspects of the meetings and event experience.

“The Hawai‘i Convention Center has recently been working with state agencies to provide space for important services such as unemployment claims processing, COVID-19 contact tracing, and vote counting,” said Teri Orton, general manager of the Center, managed by ASM Global. “We have also conducted improvements, repairs and upgrades throughout the building. This has been an unprecedented year for the meetings industry, and we are pleased to be recognized for our efforts with the 2020 Stella Award.”

Projects include cooling tower replacement, new facility equipment, enhanced security measures, energy-efficient lighting, and trellis replacement. The Center has also developed and implemented industry-leading health and safety protocols, and continues to follow the guidance of public health officials.

All of the Stella finalists and winners represent excellence in the meetings and events industry as suppliers, and we’re thrilled to honor the best of the best – especially in a year when the industry has been impacted so significantly by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Loren Edelstein, vice president and content director for Northstar Meetings Group. 

In addition, on Nov. 12, 2020, Orton was named Hospitality Executive of the Year by Pacific Edge, a Hawai‘i business and lifestyle magazine, in its 10th-annual Business Achievement Awards. Nominations were judged by an independent panel comprised of seven esteemed members of the business community, and winners were announced in 12 categories. 

Honolulu was also included on meetings company Travmar’s November list of the “Top 25 Convention Cities For 2020,” judged by walkability, affordability, safety, exciting tourism options and city assets among 166 cities ranked nationwide.

Visit HawaiiConvention.com for the Center’s latest updates.

About the Hawai‘i Convention Center

“Where Business and Aloha Meet,” the 1.1 million-square-foot Hawai‘i Convention Center provides a spacious, modern and flexible meeting space in the heart of Honolulu – all with an award-winning team and renowned aloha spirit. Conveniently located between East and West, the Center is a global leader for a diverse array of meetings and events, just steps from 30,000 hotel rooms in iconic Waikiki. The Center is a state-owned facility opened in 1998, and is managed by ASM Global. For more, visit HawaiiConvention.com.

About ASM Global

ASM Global was formed from the merger of AEG Facilities and SMG in October 2019, creating a venue management powerhouse that spans five continents, 14 countries and more than 300 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention and exhibit centers, and performing arts venues. To learn more about ASM Global and the exciting new ways we can serve you, visit ASMGlobal.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT
Teddi Anderson
President, TLC PR
(808) 535-9099
teddi@tlcpr.com

Hawaii Convention Center Earns National Meetings Recognition

The IAVM has awarded the Center its first Venue Excellence Award

The Hawai‘i Convention Center has received the 2019 Venue Excellence Award from the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM). The award was presented last July 24, 2019 at the 94th annual VenueConnect in Chicago to Teri Orton, general manager and Mari Tait, director of operations of the Hawai‘i Convention Center, managed by ASM Global. It is the Center’s first IAVM Venue Excellence Award.

HCC General Manager Teri Orton (left) and Director of Operations Mari Tait (right) received the 2019 Venue Excellence Award on behalf of the Center

Hawai‘i Convention Center General Manager Teri Orton Wins Meetings Award

Smart Meetings magazine recognizes Orton as an Industry Leader in its March issue

Honolulu, March 7, 2019 – The Hawai‘i Convention Center is pleased to announce that Teri Orton, general manager, Hawai‘i Convention Center, managed by AEG Facilities, has received recognition for her leadership in the North American meetings industry.

HCC General Manager Teri Orton

Smart Meetings, a leading media company and trusted resource for meeting professionals, named Orton among 29 Industry Leaders in its fourth-annual Smart Women in Meetings Awards. This prestigious awards platform serves as a celebrated benchmark for women who are making significant impacts on the meetings industry in North America.

“Females make up the majority of the workforce in the meetings and events industry, and yet most critical leadership roles are filled by men. Through this awards platform, Smart Meetings recognizes women who apply their natural leadership skills in all levels of their careers to elevate the meetings industry,” Smart Meetings said in a statement.

The awards recognize the industry’s top female meeting professionals in seven categories: Hall of Fame, Visionaries, Industry Leaders, Innovators, Entrepreneurs, Stellar Performers and Rising Stars. Winners were distinguished by thousands of nominations from their industry peers and colleagues, and evaluated against hundreds of candidates.

“This award is a reflection of our entire team at the Hawai‘i Convention Center,” said Orton, who has two decades of hospitality experience and has served as general manager of the Center since 2014. “It is an honor to work with leading meetings and events organizers to create world-class gatherings in Hawai‘i.”

Smart Women in Meetings Award winners are featured in the March issue of Smart Meetings magazine and will receive on-stage honors at the Smart Women in Meetings Awards gala May 8, 2019, at the Smart Woman Summit in Las Vegas.

AEG Community Foundation Awards $40,000 in Charitable Grants in Hawai‘i

The AEG Community Foundation, the newly formed charitable arm of AEG, which manages the Hawai‘i Convention Center, has awarded $40,000 in grants to two nonprofit organizations in Hawai‘i. The Foundation’s mission is to support children and families in need in the areas of K-12 education, the arts, and health and wellness in communities where AEG operates.

Left to Right (Jan. 23, 2019): Avery Fukeda, Sales Coordinator, Hawai‘i Convention Center; Teri Orton, General Manager, Hawai’i Convention Center; Arden Salassa, Corporate Relations Manager, Make-A-Wish Hawaii; James Donnelly, Hospitality and Development Manager, Make-A-Wish Hawaii.
Left to Right (Feb. 1, 2019): Auli‘i Hirayama, Development Director, Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii; Teri Orton, General Manager, Hawai’i Convention Center; Paddy Kauhane, Interim President & CEO, Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii.

Make-A-Wish Hawai‘i was awarded $25,000 to support its mission of granting life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses, and the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii was awarded $15,000 to support sports and culinary arts programs for at-risk youth.

“We are pleased that two outstanding organizations in our community, Make-A-Wish Hawai’i and Boys & Girls Clubs of Hawai’i, were selected to receive grants from the AEG Community Foundation,” said Teri Orton, general manager of the Hawai‘i Convention Center. “In its more than 20 years of operation, the Hawai‘i Convention Center has participated in numerous efforts to support and enhance Hawai‘i’s communities, including efforts furthered by AEG’s longstanding AEG 1Community program, which established foundations and programs and contributed more than $120 million in direct financial and in-kind support of charitable, community and civic programs over the past decade.”

Thankful This November

As we enter the Thanksgiving and holiday season, we pause to reflect about all the things that we are thankful for. We are most grateful to all of our clients and guests for their continued partnership and look forward to an even fruitful 2019!

In November, we welcome a number of new meetings and sporting tournaments including the 2018 Asia Pacific Signal and Information Processing Association Annual Summit and Conference (APSIPA) last November 12 – 15. APSIPA aims to promote research and education in signal processing, information technology, and communications. An estimated 300 international and North American attendees gathered at HCC for this annual conference.

We are also looking forward to our inaugural Futsal (indoor soccer) tournament which will be held from November 29 – Dec 2 in our Exhibit Hall 1 drawing nearly 50 futsal teams. Similar to soccer, Futsal is played with teams of 10-12 participants on indoor basketball-size courts with a low-bounce ball. The international tournament is open to youth ages 10-19 as well as men’s and women’s teams. The public is welcome to attend and watch these exciting games. We’ll be sure to share some photos from the Futsal tournament in our next newsletter.

Check out some of our photos below for highlights of some of our notable group and to find out more on upcoming events next month.

We did it again! For the second consecutive year, the Hawaii Convention Center is a Stella Awards Winner for Best Convention Center in the Far West Region! The Stella Awards recognize hotels, convention centers, conference centers, airlines, cruise lines, DMO/CVBs, and DMCs that consistently deliver quality service and innovation to meeting and events professionals.

What a Winederful event! We had a lot of fun last month as the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival (HFWF) held their annual Hawaiian Airlines Presents Winederland event at our Rooftop!

Makaweli Beef and Bone Marrow Won Ton was on the menu at the Hawaii Convention Center booth during HFWF!

Sawasdee, Thailand! The HCC and Meet Hawaii team attended this year’s 2018 ICESAP PCMA Annual Conference in Bangkok. Our team, including Vice President of Sales, Lee Conching, seen here showcasing Hawaii and HCC!

The 2018 Pacific Rim Futsal Cup is coming to the Hawai‘i Convention Center November 29-December 2, 2018. Similar to soccer, Futsal is played with teams of 10-12 participants on indoor courts with a low-bounce ball. The international tournament is open to youth ages 10-19 as well as men’s and women’s teams. The public is welcome to attend and watch these exciting games. For more information, visit http://pacificrimfutsalcup.com/

College Tournaments Hawaii presents the 2018 Hoops in Hawaii Classic. Featuring top 25 NCAA DII Men’s Basketball teams from across the US. All the action will go down on December 16th-18th in our Kamehameha Exhibit Hall 3. For more information, visit https://scoringlive.com/hoopsinhawaii/

 

 

 

 

Tourism, Food, Wine and a Dental Convention

Our team once again hit the ground running this October with a string of large events starting with the 2018 Global Tourism Summit from October 1 – 3, 2018. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about the latest global tourism trends and as always, it was a pleasure to reconnect with our industry partners.

We also welcomed the 2018 American Dental Association (ADA) – America’s Dental Meeting. The meeting was held from October 18-22 and drew over 16,200 registrants from 52 countries! It was an honor to welcome ADA back in Hawaii and the Hawaii Convention Center for the third time in their 159-year history.

We will close this month with a couple of events hosted by the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival. First will be Hawaiian Airlines Presents Winederland this October 26th at our Rooftop Garden. We expect nearly 2000 guests to enjoy 20 acclaimed wines poured by their actual winemakers and pair them with dishes by 20 renowned chefs, including our very own Executive Chef, Kevin Nakata. Lastly, we’ll also have HMAA Presents Keiki in the Kitchen Family Sunday on October 28th. Kids will get a chance to meet Food Network’s Ace of Cakes star Duff Goldman and Disney’s Bizaardvark star Ethan Wacker. It will be a great day for the whole family.

Check out some of our photos below for highlights of some of our notable group and to find out more on upcoming events next month.

We are very excited to share that the Hawaii Convention Center is now a LEED Gold Certified Building! We were awarded the LEED v.4 O+M: Existing Buildings Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. HCC is the first and only “public assembly, convention center” to earn LEED v.4 O+M Gold Certification in the U.S., and is the only LEED v.4 O+M Gold project in Hawai‘i. This certification places HCC among a select group of buildings to complete an extensive review of sustainability and conservation practices.

Our 3rd floor furniture complemented by 2018 Global Tourism Summit throw pillows! We hope that our new common area furniture will provide an enhanced meeting experience while attending a meeting or event at HCC.

To mark our 20th year of operations, we have launched our Hoʻomaluō Program, a comprehensive approach to environmental sustainability with the goal of enhancing the guest, planner, staff and community meetings and events experience. For more information, visit https://www.meethawaii.com/convention-center/about/green-initiatives/ 

A highlight of the 2018 Global Tourism Summit is a luncheon that featured OVB’s Kainoa Danes co-hosting with Sophia the Robot, an artificial intelligence bot created in 2015 by David Hanson, the founder and CEO of Hanson Robotics.

Too pretty to eat? HCC’s Executive Chef Kevin Nakata was among the featured chefs who prepared delicious dishes during the Global Tourism Summit’s Aloha Reception. Pictured here is his Charred Japanese Eggplant with black sesame, yuzu kosho, smoked trout roe, fried garlic and micro shiso.

We also welcomed back our Customer Advisory Board for our annual Fall meeting. The HCC Customer Advisory Board is designed as a strategic think tank and client forum in which senior association executives and meeting professionals share their experiences and perspectives to help the Hawai’i Convention Center better serve the needs of key citywide meeting and convention planners, attendees and stakeholders.

The 17th Annual Chopsticks and Wine event was held at our 4th Floor Kalakaua Ballroom last October 11th. Hosted by the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce (HJCC), this annual food and wine dinner event attracts over 1,000 attendees featuring Honolulu’s top restaurants, chefs and fine wines & spirits.

Aloha ADA! Our lobby was bustling with activity during the week of the dental convention.

We are also excited to share that our new 1801 Cafe + Bar has now opened! The next time you’re at HCC, be sure to stop by our Lobby and grab a bite to eat or a cup of coffee. If you’re around for happy hour, you’ll get to enjoy some of our favorite cocktails and local brews.

Women in Lodging & Tourism Honors HCC GM

The Hawaii Convention Center/AEG General Manager Teri Orton was named 2018 Woman of the Year, a top honor conferred by the Women in Lodging & Tourism – Hawaii Chapter, an affiliate of the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association (HLTA). The annual hospitality industry award goes to a woman with outstanding leadership in her profession and community.

HCC GM Teri Orton named Woman of the Year by the Women in Lodging & Tourism – Hawaii Chapter,

Orton was recognized for her leadership within the hospitality industry, community and the HLTA’s Women in Lodging & Tourism committee.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the Women in Lodging & Tourism and the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association and I am thrilled that the industry has seen the fruits of our efforts,” said Teri Orton, Hawaii Convention Center general manager. “This recognition would not have been possible without the help of my hard-working team who truly exemplifies how business and Aloha meet.”

“Teri is truly deserving of this honor and I’m thrilled to see her recognized as ‘Woman of the Year’ by the Hawaii chapter of Women in Lodging & Tourism,” said Brad Gessner, senior vice president and general manager of the Los Angeles Convention Center. “As a result of her dedication and leadership, she and the entire Hawaii Convention Center team have accomplished so much in the four years that AEG Facilities has managed the (Hawaii) convention center, and it’s great to see her recognized for all of her efforts.”

The Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association (HLTA) is a statewide organization representing hotels, condominiums, timeshares, other lodging entities, suppliers, and related firms and individuals. HLTA is dedicated to supporting Hawaii’s visitor industry through education, political action, and membership benefits, and raising awareness about its contributions to communities throughout the state.

To view the latest issue of Hawaii Hospitality Magazine featuring Orton, click here.

Hawai`i Convention Center Wins Premier Traveler Magazine’s ‘Best Convention Host’ Award

photo of Randy Tanaka, Chad Michael Murray, Linda Vaughan

Accepting the award for the Hawai`i Convention Center was Randy Tanaka, Assistant General Manager, pictured here with actor/director/singer Chad Michael Murray and publisher Linda Vaughan.

We are thrilled to have been selected as the “2012 Best Convention Host” by the readers of Premier Traveler magazine.

This prestigious distinction recognizes Hawai`i and the Center as an ideal gathering place for business, political and cultural meetings, as decided by the more than 11,000 readers who participated in an open-ended survey with no suggested choices.  The Center is the only Hawai`i facility to win an award, and the only convention facility in the country to be honored.

“Few meeting destinations evoke the kind of excitement generated by Hawai`i, which is no doubt why our readers named it the Best Convention Host of 2012,” said Adam Rodriguez, executive director of Premier Traveler magazine.  “They are seasoned and demanding travelers, who know what they want after traveling the world for both business and leisure, so their choice is clearly among the most informed there is.”

premier traveler logo“The enhanced productivity, top-notch facilities, incredible service and global opportunities offered by meeting in Hawai`i are what allows us to continue to be a leader for meetings of international importance,” said Joe Davis, SMG general manager of the Hawai`i Convention Center.  “This recognition from such a seasoned group of travelers honors the hard work of our staff and partners in providing an exceptional meetings and travel experience that stands up to the highest standards of every guest.”

The Best of 2012 winners are featured in the November/December issue of Premier Traveler magazine, and were honored at an awards gala November 8 in Los Angeles.  With 104,000 subscribers, Premier Traveler is the world’s leading publication geared toward frequent international travelers.