Mufi's Message - October 10, 2017

​Na Po’e Pa’ahana Awards
Within the next few days, HLTA will be opening the nomination period for the 28th annual Na Po’e Pa’ahana Awards, taking place on January 11, 2018 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa’s Coral Ballroom.

As many of you know, HLTA honors the individuals who have contributed to the visitor industry through their exceptional service, professionalism, and aloha spirit each year at this award ceremony. These are the employees who have continued to make Hawaii a premier destination. Over the past 27 years, there have been three finalists selected in each category among all the submitted nominations, with one overall winner. Of course, I always emphasize that each nominee and finalist is a winner in their own respect as they are specifically chosen among their managers as the best representative of their property.

This year, we are revising the format to ensure that representatives among all hotels are recognized fairly for their outstanding contribution to our industry. Instead of having one overall winner in each category, we will have the three finalists represent the best of the best among small, medium, and large hotels, respectfully. The only hotel categories that remain the same as in years past include Manager of the Year and Outstanding Lodging Employee of the Year.  As usual, the top recipients of these categories will be submitted to the national Stars of the Industry event.

In addition to the hotel category awards, we will continue to present the individual and company awards including Allied Member of the Year, Restaurateur of the Year, the Na Po‘e Pa‘ahana Legacy award, and so on. This event, which we often dub “The Oscars of Hospitality,” is one of our flagship events of the year and certainly not one to miss. Stay tuned for more details on the nominations as well as table and ticket sales. If you have any questions about the Na Po‘e Pa‘ahana Awards, feel free to contact Jared of my staff at jhigashi@hawaiilodging.org.

The following are the lodging employee categories:

• Bell/Valet Person of the Year
• Housekeeper of the Year
• Security Officer of the Year
• Front Desk Person of the Year
• Food & Beverage Person of the Year
• Engineer & Maintenance Person of the Year
• Manager of the Year
• Outstanding Lodging Employee of the Year

Additional categories:

• Allied Member of the Year
• Hospitality Educator of the Year
• Leader in Sustainability Award
• Na Po'e Pa'ahana Legacy Award
• Restaurateur of the Year
• Women in Lodging & Tourism's Woman of the Year