The HTA will be hosting its 9th annual Hawaii Tourism Conference, Aha Oihana Hoomakaikai, this year from Aug. 28-29, 2014 at the Hawaii Convention Center. The two-day conference is the state's premier tourism event to gain insight on tourism issues and trends for Hawaii's visitor industry.

Day one of this year's conference will focus on sessions with local, national and international experts who will present on topics including airlift, accommodations, the economy, visitor experiences and more. On day two, the HTA will host a breakfast meeting which will include summaries of the HTA's international marketing contractors' 2015 marketing plans. Following the breakfast meeting, attendees will have an opportunity to gain more in-depth knowledge about select marketing contractors during breakout concurrent sessions.

Up, Up and Away: Brad DiFiore's 2014 "Outlook for the Airline Industry"

Airlift is the lifeline of Hawaii's tourism industry, which last year allowed a record 8.2 million visitors to travel to the Hawaiian Islands. With 975 flights per week from 48 cities worldwide, it is critical that we maintain existing airlift and develop new routes to sustain Hawaii's tourism economy.

This summer, air seats to the state are projected to increase from the past year with additional flights and capacity for the peak travel season. Find out which markets are anticipated to grow and about the airlift opportunities and challenges ahead during Brad DiFiore's "Outlook for the Airline Industry" general session on day one of the conference. Read more

Engineering Experiences with
Joe Veneto, The Opportunity Guy

Joe Veneto is known among colleagues as "The Opportunity Guy" for helping others find unique new business opportunities. Since 1996, he has served as chief experience officer at Opportunities Unlimited, a consulting and training company in Boston, Mass. Veneto offers consulting on tourism and hospitality services, using an "experience formula" to empower companies to build customer connections and impact customers' "emotional bank accounts."

Veneto believes that travelers choose destinations based on the attractions, cultural components, travel products and increasingly so, the experiences available. His book, "The Travel Packaging System," teaches managers at hotels, resorts, inns and other attractions how to create exciting, experience-focused travel packages. Read more

HTA recognizes the use of the 'okina ['] or glottal stop, one of the eight consonants of the (modern) Hawaiian language; and the kahakō[ā] or macron (e.g., in place names of Hawai'i such as Lāna'i). However, HTA respects the individual use of these markings for names of organizations and businesses. Due to technological limitations, this current communication may not include all Hawaiian diacritical markings.