Honolulu Meetings Fact Sheet
See also: Why Hawaiʻi, Oʻahu, Culture
Honolulu: An Unbeatable Meetings Location
Honolulu, the capital and economic center of Hawaiʻi, has served as the location for some of the U.S. and Pacific Rim's largest and most notable internationally acclaimed meetings including:
- The 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Meeting (APEC)
- The 2010 and 2015 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies (Pacifichem)
- The 2016 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Congress
Home to the Hawaiʻi Convention Center, Honolulu offers a meetings destination with resources from a robust hospitality industry capable of accommodating a high volume of visitors — more than 8 million statewide in 2014 alone.
Honolulu's mid-Pacific location enables people to conduct business with New York and Shanghai in the same day, and attendees from around the world gather in a highly productive atmosphere and feel at home in one of the most multicultural cities in the U.S.
"Hawaiʻi Gets an A-Plus"
Compared with other states that have hosted APEC or similar international economic meetings, "Hawaiʻi gets an A-plus," U.S. Ambassador for APEC Kurt Tong told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser newspaper in November 2011.
"Hawaiʻi definitely has proven it's ready for the big time, ready for the big leagues." During APEC, there was plenty of Internet bandwidth for the thousands of delegates, Tong said, and Hawaiʻi's famous aloha spirit showed through, allowing delegates to work productively in an environment of efficient service and hospitality.
Tong told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, "When people are relaxed, they think more clearly, and when they think more clearly, they're more likely to come to conclusions that result in agreements... It's really important that Hawaiʻi was able to convey a sense of being an effective place to do business -- they did that. Hawaiʻi was successful in conveying a unique sense of welcome and was successful in conveying a sense of respect for the environment."
Honolulu's National Recognition
· Satisfaction Guaranteed: Hawaiʻi was named the "Destination with the Highest Client Satisfaction in the U.S." in TravelAge West's 2013 WAVE (Western Agents Votes of Excellence) Awards, recognizing the travel industry's outstanding partners.
· In-Demand Destination: In 2013, Hawaiʻi received Travel Weekly's Readers Choice Award for "Best Destination in the United States."
· Tops in Business Travel: The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), one of the largest country analysis teams, ranked Honolulu the fourth-best city for business travel in the world in 2009.
· Green Features: In 2012, Honolulu was a finalist for a national green city award, recognizing the city for excellence in promotion of its recycling program. The city also ranked third in the Business Courier of Cincinnati's 2010 Green Cities Index, which rated 43 U.S. metropolitan areas on variables such as commuting habits, fuel use, LEED-certified projects, green jobs and air and water quality.
· Breathe Easy: The American Lung Association's State of the Air 2013 report lists Honolulu as one of the cleanest U.S. cities for ozone layer pollution, making it a great location for fresh, breathable air.
· Making Strides: Honolulu was named one of the nation's "Best Walking Cities" by the American Podiatric Medical Association and Prevention magazine. Honolulu ranked seventh out of 500 cities.
