This past Tuesday, the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association joined the Family and Friends of Agriculture and the Hawaii State Science Olympiad in sponsoring the Kauai Chamber of Commerce’s second quarter GMM at the Kauai Marriott Resort & Spa.  This is the third year in a row that HLTA has engaged with the Kauai Chamber in supporting their membership meetings. The Star Wars-themed event focused in on the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), and recognized talented science scholars from across the state.  I was joined by HLTA Kauai Chapter Chair Jim Braman, and Chapter Vice-Chair Paul Toner - who was hosting the event at his property.  During my address to the attendees, I highlighted the significance of STEM in our educational institutions and the important role that it plays in our visitor industry.  I addressed the common misperception held by some that tourism is simply just a “service industry” which makes it unappealing to the millennial generation. The visitor industry, in fact   touches nearly all facets of our economy, especially in the field of STEM; this is evident through HLTA’s embrace of committees such as our Engineer’s Advisory Council, HYPE, and Hospitality I.T. Council.  I also took a moment to recognize one of my guests that evening, Laura Richards, General Manager of the Hanalei Colony Resort, whose property became a community hub during the Kauai floods recovery.  
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A little bit of background on Laura and her property - the Hanalei Colony Resort, located northwest of Wainiha Bay, was forced to shut down operations til September, due to the heavy damage that was caused to the North Shore of Kauai.  Laura and her team, however, stepped up to the plate and became a beacon of light for their community by housing disaster relief teams and doubling up as a distribution center for food and medical services.  Additionally, Laura opened her doors to the Hanalei Elementary, middle, and high schools to hold satellite classes for their students until the end of the semester.  At the Kauai Chamber dinner, HLTA awarded gift certificates to the six teachers who exemplified the best of what it means to be an educator. The gifts were presented by Kauai Chapter hoteliers Jim Braman, Paul Toner, and Laura Richards to the Kauai District Superintendent, Bill Arakaki.           

Prior to the Kauai Chamber of Commerce dinner on Tuesday, I had the opportunity to meet with Paul Toner and his Director of Human Resources, Chuck Brady, for a very special occasion.  Sitting in the room with us were ten remarkable students, from the high school and collegiate levels, who are all currently interning at the Kauai Marriott Resort.  The students span five different graduating classes and all have one thing in common; they are either attending, or are a product of, Kauai High School.  Also joining us for our afternoon meeting was Kauai High’s hospitality head, Charlene Navarro, who was the proud recipient of our 2018 Na Po’e Pa’ahana Educator of the Year award.  I have pointed to her as a stellar example of what a hospitality educator looks like, and the proof in the poi is her students are securing internships (many of them recurring) at top-notch resorts.  I would like to commend Charlene and the team at the Kauai Marriott Resort for their mentorship to these budding youth, and I would like to wish these interns the best in all their future endeavors…the sky is the limit.

Providing education-related opportunities is something I hold near and dear to my heart. HLTA, in partnership with the Pauahi Foundation, has committed to grant financial opportunities to native Hawaiian students looking to pursue a career in the tourism Industry. 

This year, the Pouhana Hokele Scholarship was awarded to two college students who exemplified outstanding contributions in their community and have an interest in working in Hospitality. This year’s scholarship recipients were honored at a dinner at Kamehameha- Kapalama School which was attended by Dean Nakasone, Bonnie Kiyabu of the Hyatt Regency and a proud Warrior alum, and yours truly. This year’s honorees are : 

Camryn Chinen, Kamehameha Schools - Kapalama
For five years, Camryn was a Hawaiian language and history student. She is currently studying hospitality at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and plans to move back home in hopes of landing a job at Aulani Disney Resort & Spa in Ko ‘Olina. Camryn wants to share her knowledge of the Hawaiian Culture with visitors, and provide them with an authentic experience and begin her career in hotel management.

Lia Ikeda, Kamehameha Schools – Ka'anapali
Lia Ikeda always knew she wanted to pursue a career in the hospitality industry. Having grown up on a hotel property in Ka'anapali, she learned about the inner workings of a hotel from a very young age. She is a current student at the University of California Irvine and is determined to find a job in the marketing department of a hotel. Lia wants to take what she’s learned and apply her knowledge to connect with people through creative campaigns driven by data.
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Damien Stack, Kamehameha Schools - Kea’au
As announced in a previous column, through this partnership with the Pauahi Foundation, we also award one high school senior the Don Ho Scholarship to a student pursuing post-secondary studies in art and music. This year’s Don Ho Scholarship recipient is Damien Stack from Kamehameha Schools-Kea’au on Hawaii Island.
Damien’s experience in composing music and performing in musical theatre productions, not only made him a qualified candidate, but his passion in the arts made him this year’s selected scholar. This fall, he plans to study Musical Arts/Musical Theatre at University of Portland to continue pursuing his dreams of becoming a performing artist and sharing his work with the world.  

If you know me, you know how much I love music and have probably heard me say there needs to be more venues  featuring local musicians to encourage more of our residents to frequent Waikiki. Back in the day, Waikiki used to be the spot for many locals to surf, swim, cruise, and go enjoy a local artist or band play at a small hidden venue or at a hip place along Kalakaua Avenue. Bringing back that concept is the Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club,  and I couldn’t be more excited.

General Manager Lynette Eastman collaborated with Paulele Alcon, music promoter and local entrepreneur of Hawaii’s Finest Clothing to introduce a 4 Sunday summer concert series, “Revive the Live Pool Side” featuring Kapena, Poly Finest Fest Artists & Sammielz, Glenn Awong & Maoli and other guest artists. The intent is to take locals back to the Waikiki of yester-year, while simultaneously offering Surfjack guests a memorable experience right in the heart of the hotel.

This past Sunday was the second concert of the 4-part series. The next Revive the Live Pool Side concerts will be on July 29 & August 19. Kudos to the Surfjack for bringing visitors and locals together to enjoy and appreciate the musical talent from our islands.  

​Now, more than ever, is the time to take action. Elections represent an opportunity to incite change. Registering to vote, and voting, is a fundamentally American democratic right and privilege and it would be a shame to squander it.  I strongly encourage everyone to register to vote. The primary election is approaching rapidly, and the deadline to register to vote is in just two weeks.

Furthermore, take the time to research your potential representatives. Be an informed voter, and elect officials who will be strong advocates for our industry issues. You can register to vote online, and request absentee ballots as well.
 
Primary Election Registration Deadline: July 12th 
Primary Election: August 11th 
General Election Registration Deadline: October 8th 
General Election: November 6th

​Our upcoming Hospitality Industry Pau Hana is an event you’re not going to want to miss! This time we’re adding a new spin to our quarterly networking event. Mark your calendars for August 1 from 5pm to 7 pm at Lucky Strike at Ala Moana Shopping Center for our Political HIP: MEET THE CANDIDATES!

HLTA-endorsed candidates will be in attendance to meet and mingle with all of you. Please join us for an evening of networking, ono grinds, and complimentary bowling. Registration will be available on our website soon!

​We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for our 19th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament, to be held at the Prince Golf Course on August 9th.

Education is one of the pillars of HLTA, and I believe that scholarships help to provide the future generation with opportunities they may otherwise not experience.
 
We continue to grant funds to a diverse group of students at both high school and post-secondary education institutions  over the course of the year. Last year, in commemoration of our 70th Anniversary, I was proud to introduce Active and Allied Scholarships in the amount of $2,500 each and three $1,000 Ho’okipa Scholarships to outstanding high school seniors in addition to the numerous other scholarships we facilitate annually.
 
In order to make these scholarships possible we are asking for sponsorships, team registrations, and prize donations. If you're interested in participating in our tournament, please click the link below.  If you have any questions, please contact Vice President Dean Nakasone at [email protected]

​For those who may have missed this story, you can find it online here “Lodging industry opposes tax hike”.   
 
I am quoted in the article stating that “the measure is unfair given the State Council on Revenues’ recent projection that this year’s tax collections would grow by $125 million, ‘thanks in large part to the tourism industry’s strength.’  ‘With such a large surplus making its way into state coffers … why are we adding an additional burden on our hotels and visitors?’” 
 
Additionally, the article quoted several other members from across the industry including Jerry Gibson, area vice president of Hilton Hawaii and vice president and managing director of Turtle Bay Resort, who shared that “he fears if the bill becomes law, which would follow January’s 1 percent TAT increase, it could cause some tourists to rethink whether they can ‘really afford to come.’ ‘If we tip the scale, our greatest economic driver is in jeopardy.’”
 
Eric Gil, Local 5 Unite Here Secretary- treasurer, “said the union doesn’t support the final version because it believes it could have unintended consequences. ‘Nickel-and-diming undermines guest satisfaction,’ … ‘It affects tipping, and it could impact banquet bookings and other business.’”
 
Rick Egged, President of the Waikiki Improvement Association, “said the organization opposes ambiguity in the bill’s current version, which ‘defines resort fees as virtually anything that a hotel charges, which is not what TAT was meant to cover.’”
 
Our next step is a meeting with Governor Ige to share our concerns on this flawed measure.  At this meeting we will be bringing the Governor an updated petition letter with additional signatures that have or will come in over the next couple days.  Therefore, I would like to encourage all our members to please make one last push to your teams to sign on to our letter.  Please send all additional petition forms to Jared Higashi of my staff at [email protected] no later than 10:00 am on Monday, June 18th if you would like to be included.

​As we head into the second half of 2018, we are starting to ramp up our efforts leading to  the upcoming political elections.  This year, we have invited the Waikiki Improvement Association, Retail Merchants of Hawaii, and the Waikiki Neighborhood Board to join us in hosting political forums for some of our high-profile races.  At this point, we have two political forums that we are pleased to confirm. 
 
We will start the election season with a Gubernatorial forum featuring candidates Governor David Ige and Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa which will take place at the Prince Waikiki on July 2nd at 10:30 am.  The following week, we will host a Lieutenant Governor forum with candidates Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho, State Senator Josh Green, State Senator Jill Tokuda, and former Board of Education member Kim Coco Iwamoto at the Prince Waikiki on July 13th at 10:30 am.  
 
With advocacy as one of our major missions, it is imperative that we continue to bring these political educational opportunities to you. Therefore, I would like to encourage all of you to take advantage of these forums as they will serve as platforms for our candidates’ positions on the major challenges and issues facing the visitor industry.
 
Should you have any questions concerning these events, please feel free to contact Jared Higashi at [email protected]. If you would like to attend, I would highly encourage you to register, using the links below. 

​A huge mahalo to everyone who spent a part of their Kamehameha Day helping us Strike Out Homelessness! Our first Oahu Charity Walk Bowling Tournament took place on Monday, June 11th at Aiea Bowl and it was an evening filled with fun, good eats (which Aiea Bowl is noted for), fellowship, and even included a country music karaoke competition. 
 
In an effort to provide more financial assistance for organizations that work directly with the homeless on Oahu, HLTA teamed up with Salem Media to launch the inaugural bowling tournament. This year, Dependable Hawaiian Express (DHX) was the presenting sponsor of the event. Thank you to all the sponsor teams that participated this year:
 
1. Colliers International
2. Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa *
3. ‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach*
4. Waikiki Resort Hotel *
5. Aqua-Aston Hospitality *
6. Outrigger Enterprises Group *
7. Interstate Restoration *
8. G4S Security
9. Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach * 
10. HLTA Engineers Council *
11. TNT Tinting * 
12. DHX *
13. Dave & Buster’s
14. Hoku Tours/Roberts Hawaii *
15. Lucky Strike Social Honolulu *
16. Soldier 2 Soldier
17. Teddy’s Bigger Burgers
18. Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club *
19. Budweiser
20. Country 97.5 * 
 
*denotes recognition of HLTA members
 
At the end of the evening, Salem Media presented HLTA and the Visitor Industry Charity Walk with a $10,000 check that will go towards helping us combat homelessness . Mahalo to Dita Holifield, General Manager of Salem Media and her team for leading the charge on our successful bowling tournament. Of course, this fun-filled  event  would not have been possible without our generous donors, who contributed our prizes, and helped build excitement for all our attendees.
 
Mahalo to all our Bowling Tournament donors for your kokua!
‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach, ALSCO, Blue Note Hawaii, DFS T Galleria, DUKE’S Waikiki, Enterprise Rent a Car, Germaine’s Luau, Hampton Inn & Suites-Kapolei, Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach, Ilikai Hotel & Luxury Suites, LeSportsac Hawaii, Polynesian Cultural Center, Roberts Hawaii/Magic of Polynesia, Sea Life Park Hawaii, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, Sheraton Waikiki Resort/Rum Fire, Te Moana Nui at Princess Kaiulani, Waikiki Resort, and Zippy’s Restaurants.

​This past Wednesday , Jared Higashi and I had the pleasure of visiting the brand-new restaurant at the Royal Hawaiian Center, TsuruTonTan Udon Noodle Brasserie.   For those who know me, I am an avid enthusiast of Japanese food, and I have to say that these udon noodles were some of the best I’ve ever had.  The noodles are all made in-house, and they are served through a variety of interesting and flavorful dishes.  On their pre-opening media day, I had the distinct honor of meeting the owners and management team, while sampling udon dishes mixed with flavors such as Truffle Crème with Crab and Mushroom, Uni (Sea Urchin), and a Poke inspired dish to name a few.

A big Hawaiian-style welcome to Waikiki to Takuma Lathrop, President, Dining Innovation USA West, Toshi Hayakawa, President, Dining Innovation North America & Europe, and the team at TsuruTonTan for the amazing foodie experience, as we welcome you to the Waikiki ohana. New York and now Hawai’i are the only two locations of this restaurant chain outside of Japan. Also, congratulations to Marleen Akau, Sam Shenkus, and Nani Hirosane of the Royal Hawaiian Center management team for the grand opening of another fabulous new restaurant at RHC. 

 

​Wednesday evening, HLTA’s HYPE Committee commemorated its second anniversary at the newly renovated Prince Waikiki’s Muliwai Pool Deck. As we celebrated our Hospitality’s Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs, I was pleased to see a mix of both fresh and familiar faces. As a stout advocate of mentoring, I have always believed that we should be encouraging the next generation in their career development, and I was heartened to see many HLTA members who share my sentiments.

For those of you who are new to HYPE, it is a sub-committee of HLTA which I created as a nexus to bridge the gap between seasoned visitor industry veterans and the succeeding generation, to encourage participation with the association from the young professional demographic, and to engage topics that are based on the millennial work culture. I would like to send a special mahalo to the Prince Waikiki and our HYPE Board, particularly Allied Chair Marissa Ross of Standard Textile, and Active Chair Keri Brown of the Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger, for hosting such a wonderful party. The food was ono, the company was lively, and I am looking forward to HYPE’s continued progress through the remainder of 2018.

One of the greatest things about visiting Hawai‘i is our stellar reputation as a safe place to travel.  We remain one of the safest vacation destinations in the World which is not only backed by our beautiful beaches, but our famous island cuisine, our local culture, and our unique Spirit of Aloha.  However, there are instances when unfortunate circumstances occur and our visitors are faced with moments of hardship.  When these cases of misfortune strike, we want to ensure that our visitors are taken care of and truly experience the real Aloha Spirit.  This is where Jessica Lani Rich and the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai‘i steps in.  We owe a lot to our members in the visitor industry, our hotels and resorts, and of course our first responders, but I would like to commend the amazing work that Jessica and her team at VASH do to ensure that visitors who encounter traumatic events on Oahu are comforted and taken care of. 

The Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association has always been a close partner with VASH and I have always touted the important role that they play in our visitor industry.  Therefore, it is my distinct pleasure to help them celebrate their 20thAnniversary on June 20th at the Sheraton Waikiki.  I would like to encourage all our members who have had the opportunity to work with VASH, or have had VASH assist with their visitors to join me in helping them celebrate this momentous milestone.