As summer heats up this August, we welcomed a lot of familiar faces and events to our facility, We were excited to welcome back Daito Kentaku who celebrated their 2018 Hawaii Campaign at the Hawaii Convention Center. Utilizing our Kamehameha Exhibit Halls, Daito’s 3,500 attendees enjoyed a great 5 course dinner prepared by our Executive Chef, Kevin Nakata.

We also welcomed back attendees from Comic Con Honolulu who filled our Convention Center with wonderful costumes and youthful energy as they celebrated comics, sci-fi and all things nerdom.

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.

Banquet dinner setup in Kamehameha Exhibit Hall 1 and 2

The Joy of Sake event was held at HCC towards the end of July and featured hundreds of Japan’s premium sakes and delicious, sake-themed appetizers and pairings by top local restaurants.

Costumes-galore at Comic Con HonoluluWe are excited to welcome the Okinawan Festival 2018 this September 1 and 2 to the Hawaii Convention Center! The Okinawan Festival is organized by the Hawaii United Okinawa Association and is meant to share Okinawan culture with the public through exhibitions and demonstrations.

Don’t miss the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival’s Keiki in the Kitchen here at the Hawaii Convention Center this October 28. Kids won’t want to miss this chance to meet Food Network’s Ace of Cakes star Duff Goldman and Disney’s Bizaardvark star Ethan Wacker! Keiki in the Kitchen is a day packed with food, fitness and fun at our Rooftop Garden.

As the summer season heats up, the Hawaii Convention Center team jumps into gear with a series of interesting meetings, shows and events this month.

The highlight of which was the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS)’s 40th annual International Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference (EMBC) last July 17-21. The conference welcomed nearly 3,000 participants from 63 countries around the world. Themed “Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future,” the 2018 IEEE EMBS conference participants addressed diverse topics within the biomedical engineering field. The conference produced exciting exchanges of scientific knowledge and international collaboration, as well as important advancements for the biomedical engineering community and communities beyond.

Lastly, our culinary team was also excited to participate in the Mangoes at the Moana event last July 14th. It was a fun afternoon at the Moana Surfrider where local celebrity chefs and mixologists created tasty dishes highlighting Hawaii’s favorite summer fruit. Our Executive Chef Kevin Nakata and team served up spiced ahi, pickled mango salad, tosazu, mango and Hawaiian chili pepper as their mango themed dish.

For more event highlights this month, check out our photos below.

The 40th annual International Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference (EMBC) welcomed nearly 3,000 participants from 63 countries around the world (Photo credit IEEE EMBS)

HCC’s Chef Kevin Nakata’s dish for Mangoes at the Moana: spiced ahi, pickled mango salad, tosazu, mango and Hawaiian chili pepper

Banquet setup in our Exhibit Hall for a Japanese incentive group

Chef Kevin Nakata made an appearance on KHON2 News to talk about the gourmet baskets he is preparing for the upcoming Diner En Blanc.

Some of the food showcased during Chef Kevin’s morning show appearance on KHON 2 News.

We are excited to share our latest case study video featuring the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) 2018 Annual Meeting. AOGS 2018 provides a unique opportunity of exchanging scientific knowledge and discussion to address important geo-scientific issues among academia, research institution and public. AOGS 2018 marks the first time the Society has met in the United States. Hawaii provided the perfect backdrop for their meeting and helped increase their attendance numbers to 3,600 – making this their largest meeting to date.

The summer season is in full swing and so are the events here at the Hawaii Convention Center. The 2018 Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) Annual Meeting kicked off the month of June. This conference provides a unique opportunity of exchanging scientific knowledge and discussion to address important geo-scientific issues among academia, research institution and public. AOGS 2018 marks the first time the Society has met in the United States. Hawaii provided the perfect backdrop for their meeting and helped increase their attendance numbers to 3,600 – making this their largest meeting to date.

Following AOGS 2018 were a series of sporting events that welcomed close to 2,500 athletes and their families combined back to the Hawaii Convention Center. Check out our photos below for images from the Aloha Region Summer Volleyball Classic 2018 and the 2018 Pacific Rim Basketball Championship along with more photos from our recent events this month.Aloha AOGS! HCC General Manager presents a commemorative canoe paddle to Prof. Ben Chao, president of the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society

All smiles from the AOGS 2018 planning committee The NASA Hyperwall was a great draw during the AOGS 2018 Exhibits in our Kalakaua Ballroom

HCC General Manager Teri Orton presents our One Million Trees reforestation initiative during the Experience Aloha Business Exchange luncheon

Attendees of the recent Experience Aloha Business Exchange received a tree planted in their nameA private event held at HCC converted our Lobby area into a fun space for arcade and family activities

We also welcome back Aloha Region Summer Volleyball Classic 2018!

The Pacific Rim Championships (Jam on It) were also recently held in our Kamehameha Exhibit Halls

From citywide conventions to school graduations to rooftop gatherings, the Hawaii Convention Center welcomed many important meetings and fun events in May. The month started off with the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology’s ARVO 2018 Annual Meeting. ARVO is the largest and most respected eye and vision research organization in the world. Their Hawaii meeting saw a total of 11,466 attendees which had exceeded their initial forecast. Organizers report that is the second-best attended meeting since they moved from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Mele Mei, a celebration of Hawai’i’s music, hula and culture is also in full swing this month. Music and hula events are held at various venues statewide and the Hawaii Convention Center is proud to be a part of this wonderful celebration. A popular event held during Mele Mei is the annual Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards. Presented by the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts (HARA), the Nā Hōkū’s honors the achievements of excellence of Hawaii’s recording artists. It is one of the biggest annual entertainment events in Hawai‘i.

Closing the month of May was another citywide convention, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s 2018 AAPD Annual Session. AAPD is the recognized authority on children’s oral health. While initially forecasting 3,000, they welcomed close to 6,000 attendees for their 71st Annual Session.

For more updates, check out some of our photos from this month’s events!

Pacific Edge Magazine’s recently launched their Summer 2018 issue where they honored Hawaii’s Women in Business. Our very own General Manager, Teri Orton, is featured in the cover along with Wendy Shewalter and Loretta Yajima.

Celebrating the launch of Pacific Edge Magazine’s Summer 2018 issue at our Rooftop Garden.Executive Chef Kevin Nakata’s homemade pork and lotus root sliders.Got a sweet tooth? Our dessert table always has something for everyone.After the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards on May 19th, guests came down to room 317 to unwind and enjoy the afterparty. Music filled the night as the drinks flowed.For the past three years, the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles has installed a Hawaiian music themed exhibit at the Center in conjunction with the Na Hōkū Hanohano Awards. This year’s exhibit is “Music of Waikīkī – The Legendary Homes of Hawaiian Music”. Located on the third level, the exhibit showcases items from entertainers that headlined some of Waikīkī’s famous showrooms and venues.ARVO 2018 Expo in our Kamehameha Exhibit Halls.Aloha American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD)!The Hawai‘i Convention Center is a proud recepient of the Hawai‘i Green Business Program for venues. The state’s Hawaii Green Business Program (HGBP) assists and recognizes businesses that strive to operate in an environmentally, culturally and socially responsible manner.

The month of April saw a combination of popular events and a few citywide conventions. Notable mentions include the First Hawaiian International Auto Show which always draws a large crowd every year. More than 40,000 guests stopped by this 3-day show to view over 350 of the hottest new cars and trucks all in one place.

We also welcomed the 2018 AACSB International Conference & Annual Meeting (ICAM) last April 22-24. Organized by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), ICAM 2018 is their largest event and brought together 1500 of the world’s top business academics and collaborators for 3 days of world-class networking opportunities and learning new best practices to acquiring a global perspective of the current state of business education.

Wrapping up our month is the ARVO 2018 Annual Meeting. The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest and most respected eye and vision research organization in the world. From April 29 to May 3rd, approximately 10,500 international basic and clinical researchers will share the latest breakthroughs in vision research. They will engage with their colleagues right here at HCC as they work to advance their science and expand its support within our communities and governments.

Lastly, we also held our very own Signature Event, the Sunset Mele and Night Market last April 20th. This free community event featured a great entertainment lineup and awesome food options from our very own Executive Chef Kevin Nakata and other local food vendors. We also showcased the Academy Award winning film Coco in our Liliu Theater 310 and welcomed over 50 local vendors in our night market.

Check out some of our photos from this month’s events!

Step into the Exhibit Hall! Cool slipper decals during the 2018 ICAM Conference.

We are ready to welcome the ARVO 2018 Meeting here at the Hawaii Convention Center!

The First Hawaiian International Auto Show in our Kamehameha Exhibit Halls showcased over 350 of the hottest new cars and trucks all in one place!

Executive Chef Kevin Nakata appeared on KHON 2’s Wake Up 2Day morning show to share what he’s cooking up for our Sunset Mele and Night Market

Chef Kevin’s street tacos showcased during Sunset Mele and Night Market. Chorizo Tacos and Moroccan Grilled Vegetable Tacos!

Streetlight Cadence serenade the crowd at Sunset Mele and Night Market (4-20-18)

Feature Film showing in Theater 310

Sunset Mele’s Night Market area along the hallway outside of rooms 302 to 309 at our 3rd Level.

HCC participated in Earth Day activities during Sunset Mele and Night Market (4-20-18)