Mufi's Message, 1.18.19

Opening Day of Hawai'i's 30th Legislative Session

On  Wednesday, my two Senior Directors, Edgar Palafox and Jared Higashi, joined me in attending the opening day of the 30th Legislative Session of the State of Hawai‘i.  A few key takeaways from the morning’s processions came from the Senate Floor, which raised concerns on a potential economic recession, spoke to the increase of the minimum wage, and highlighted two of our association’s key priorities: the importance of establishing an airports corporation, and addressing the hot button topic of illegal transient vacation rentals. 

After the swearing in of our state’s legislators, we traversed the corridors of the big square building, setting the stage for our upcoming Lei Day at the Capitol event on January 22nd.  Throughout the afternoon, we visited many of HLTA’s endorsed candidates, both seasoned veterans and freshmen, and shared our sentiments of aloha and congratulations.

On the Tourism Tuesday segment with Mike Buck that I was on this past week, I went into great detail regarding our priority legislative issues. For a full copy of these issues, please click HERE.

Lei Day with HLTA at the Capitol 

.Speaking of Lei Day at the Capitol, a tradition of HLTA, we will be officially welcoming the start of the legislative session by lei-ing our elected officials and dropping off our legislative priorities packet next Tuesday, January 22nd.

We will be meeting at the Capitol Rotunda promptly at 8 am, so that the legislators may wear their beautiful lei, courtesy of the Orchid Lei Company, to the Governor’s State of the State address later that morning. 
 
If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to sign-up and join us for a morning filled with networking and advocacy. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY. 

Charity Walk Kick-off Breakfast 

​2018 marked another record-setting year for the Visitor Industry Charity Walk, and to keep that momentum rolling, we are starting our Kick-off earlier than ever, in an effort to give everyone more time to rally the troops and fundraise.
 
Don’t forget to register here to learn about the latest MobileCause features, tips and tricks for fundraising, and to receive all your Charity Walk collateral. See you on Thursday, January 24th at the Pomaikai Ballrooms at Dole Cannery Iwilei for our 7:30am breakfast!

Oahu Chapter - Cocktail Talk & Tour 

​Our Oahu Chapter has been busy at work, preparing details for their first quarter programming, and is excited to announce their first Talk & Tour event of 2019. The Queen Kapiolani Hotel, which unveiled their complete renovation makeover, late last year, will be our first venue. Join us on Thursday, January 31st as General Manager Jeff Perkins and his team lead us through their chic new property.

Of course, no HLTA Talk & Tour would be complete without giving the host hotel an opportunity to showcase their food and beverage – and this one is no exception. Arrive at 5pm to enjoy ono pupus, a complimentary cocktail, and an unobstructed Diamond Head sunset view before the tour begins. 

As a reminder, all HLTA members are welcome to purchase tickets for Oahu Chapter events. Tickets are limited, so sign up here.

Member Spotlight 

​With 2019 just getting underway ,  permit me to  introduce a new feature of my weekly message  - a “Member Spotlight” section. Each week, I will highlight a different member of the association that is demonstrating the spirit of aloha in an exemplary way.

This week, I would like to shine the light on our Hawaii Island Chapter Chair, Craig Anderson. HLTA Hawaii Chapter , in partnership with the Kohala Coast Resort Association, has been providing pastries and other snack items to the TSA agents of the Kona International Airport. This twice-a-day delivery from the resorts is a token of appreciation for those hard-working TSA agents, who provide such a great service to our communities and our industry, all year round. 

I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of all our members who answered the call from  HTA President Chris Tatum,  HVCB President John Monahan  and yours truly , during this time of need for the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. To date, the donations from the tourism private industry partners total over $260,000, which is projected to keep the Sites open & operational for approximately another month, should the shutdown continue.

Last, but certainly not least: please welcome our newest members of HLTA, as listed below:

Earnonn Kinsella, Allana Buick & Bers
Steven Pang, Atlas Insurance
Devin Fukunaga, Atlas Insurance
Stephen Wright, Avis Budget Group
Richard Davis, Bank of Hawaii
Shelly Sakuma, Coastal Windows & Doors
Tiana Gamble, Creative Design Hawaii
David Murphey, David Murphey Photography
Michelle de Peralta, Guest Supply 
Ruth Newby, Hakuyosha International, Inc. 
Laura Richards, Hanalei Colony Resort
Daniel Ho, Hawaii Self-Storage
Ryno Irwin, Hawaii Unified Industries
David Jung, Hawaiian Rent All
Sarah Taveprungsenukul, Hospitality Maven
Louis Cheng, Mechanical Engineers of Hawaii
Jeff Gray, Netcom Enterprises
Thomas Mangum, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Brandon DeCuir, React Mobile
Santi Oloriz, RF Technologies
Lisa Briggs, Sempra Energy
Rob Iopa, WCIT Architecture