Tourism industry leaders to gather in Honolulu for Hawaiʻi’s Visitor Industry Conference

Hospitality professionals, natural resource and community stewards, government officials, researchers, and visitor industry leaders are converging in Oʻahu this week to discuss the forces shaping Hawaiʻi’s visitor industry.

Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority is hosting this year’s conference, “Ke Kahu o ka Mālamalama — Guardians of the Light: Honoring Our Stories, Advancing Knowledge, Inspiring a Path Forward.” The theme is meant to reflect the shared responsibility to care for Hawaiʻi’s visitor industry and the communities it touches this year.

Retired New York City Fire Department Chief Joseph Pfeifer will deliver the opening keynote, reflecting on the support Hawaiʻi provided to families of first responders killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and sharing lessons in emergency response, preparedness, and leadership.

The conference will also examine U.S. tourism policy, changing traveler expectations, 2027 visitor and economic trends, resident sentiment, destination management, local purchasing, lodging, tourism crisis management, workforce development, sports opportunities, artificial intelligence (AI), and Hawaiʻi’s global brand marketing plans.

The conference will be from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, and 7:30 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikīkī Beach Resort in Honolulu. General attendee registration is $350, plus applicable fees.

The schedule, which is subject to change, includes:

Thursday, Sept. 24

• 7:30 a.m. — Registration, breakfast and networking; Mākeke opens
• 8:30 a.m. — Opening protocol and welcome remarks
• 9:30 a.m. — Keynote: From Tragedy to Transformation: Hawaiʻi’s Role in Recovery and Resilience
  • Retired Fire Chief Joseph Pfeifer, New York City Fire Department
• 10:10 a.m. — Networking break
• 10:30 a.m. — America’s Next Move: The Future of U.S. Tourism Policy
  • Nicholas Adams, special presidential envoy for American tourism, U.S. Department of State
• 10:55 a.m. — The Future Traveler: Trends Every Tourism Business Should Know,
  • Erin Francis-Cummings, president and CEO, Future Partners
• 11:25 a.m. — Lunch: Industry Commitment to Buying Local
  • State leaders and hospitality partners will formalize agreements aimed at increasing local purchasing by Hawaiʻi’s visitor industry.
• 12:45 p.m. — Concurrent sessions:
• Lighting the Way: Cultivating Responsible Agritourism in Hawaiʻi
  • Pomai Weigert, agbusiness consultant and agritourism specialist, GoFarm Hawaiʻi; John White, CEO, Hawaiʻi Farm Project; and Judah Lum, director of operations, Kahuku Farms
• Multi-Agency Destination Management
  • Alan Carpenter, state parks administrator, Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR); Chyloe Skizewski, economic development specialist, DLNR; and Kaea Sugata, conservation and resources enforcement officer III, Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, DLNR
• Resident Sentiment Update: What It Means for You and Your Business
  • Christopher Kam, president and COO, Omnitrak Group
• Winning the Right Visitor: Strategies to Stand Out in a Crowded Marketplace
  • Josh Morrison, senior business development manager, Advertising at Expedia Group; and Alana Terry, senior vice president and group media director, MMGY
• 1:45 p.m. — Global Tourism Trends
  • DBEDT Research and HVCB Market Insights teams
• 2:35 p.m. — Concurrent sessions:
• Accommodations Update
  • Erik Kloninger, Kloninger & Sims Consulting (moderator); Tim Fedroff, STR; and Kevin Aucello, principal, Powell & Aucello
• From Potential to Practice: Developing Visitor Offerings for Regenerative Outcomes
  • Brandon Fairchild, regenerative tourism program manager, Solutions Pacific (moderator); Debbie Clarke, regenerative designer and facilitator, Debbie Clarke LLC; Kauwila Hanchett, executive director, Hōlani Hāna; Olena Horcajo, principal, The Moʻolelo Group; and Katie Mecklenburg, managing director of communications, Imua Family Services
• Level Up Hawaiʻi: How Gaming Could Shape Hawaiʻi’s Visitor Economy
  • Sen. Lynn DeCoite, Hawaiʻi State Senate; Paul Anderson, Boyd Gaming Group; Leonard Forsman, Suquamish Tribe; and Daron Dorsey, Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers
• More Than a Deal: Creating Value That Converts
  • Karin Mast, senior vice president, Miles Partnership
• 3:25 p.m. — Networking break
• 3:45 p.m. — Managing the Unexpected: Strengthening Hawaiʻi’s Tourism Crisis Management
  • HTA, Jennifer M. Walter, deputy director, City and County of Honolulu Department of Emergency Management; Jeff Hickman, director of communication, State of Hawaiʻi Department of Defense; Colby Stanton, emergency management officer, Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation; and Jerry Dolak, director of safety and security, Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikīkī Beach Resort, and president, Hawaiʻi Hotel & Visitor Industry Security Association
• 4:30 p.m. — Welcome Reception: A Taste of the Hilton Hawaiian Village
  • Music by Matty McIntire and Tiara Gomes, On The Rise artists, Henry Kapono Foundation

Friday, Sept. 25

• 7:30 a.m. — Registration, breakfast and networking; Mākeke opens
• 8:15 a.m. — Opening and welcome remarks
• 8:45 a.m. — The New Race for Destination Competitiveness
  • Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO, Pacific Asia Travel Association
• 9:35 a.m. — Brand Marketing Plan 2027: Global Meetings, Conventions and Incentives
  • Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority Global Meetings, Conventions and Incentives team
• 10:05 a.m. — Networking break
• 10:25 a.m. — Concurrent sessions
• Activities and Attractions: Innovative Island Experience
  • Iopa Maunakea, executive director, Men of PAʻA; Peggy Sowl, sales manager, Outfitters Kauaʻi; Keoni Vaughn, executive director, Lānaʻi Cat Sanctuary; and Nancy Holman, superintendent, Kalaupapa National Historical Park
• Brand Marketing Plans 2027: Korea, China and Taiwan
  • Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority Global Marketing Team
• Hawaiʻi as the Ideal Training Destination
  • Travis Steiner, senior director, golf events, IMG; Michael Yadao, executive director, Stadium Authority; and Charlie Wade, head coach, UH Rainbow Warriors Volleyball
• Investing in Local Talent: Hawaiʻi’s Next Generation of Tourism
  • Dean Nakasone, interim executive director, Hawaiʻi Lodging & Tourism Association (moderator); Julie Morikawa, president and executive director, ClimbHI; Dave Evans, professor and department chair, Hospitality and Tourism Education, Kapiʻolani Community College; and Jerry Agrusa, professor, UH School of Travel Industry Management
• 11:25 a.m. — Hawaiʻi Tourism Legacy Awards luncheon
  • The awards will recognize significant milestones for festivals and events that have made lasting contributions to Hawaiian culture and Hawaiʻi’s diverse traditions.
• 2026 Hawaiʻi Tourism Legacy Award recipients:
  • Aloha Festivals, Honolulu Festival, Kapalua Wine & Food Festival, Kona Coffee Cultural Festival, Lānaʻi Pineapple Festival, Molokaʻi Hoe and Waimea Town Celebration
• 12:50 p.m. — Concurrent sessions
• Aligning Activities and Attractions With Aloha
  • Kainoa Horcajo, co-owner and cultural director, The Moʻolelo Group (moderator); Paula Akana, president and CEO, The Friends of ʻIolani Palace; Iko Balanga, founder and co-owner, Anelakai Adventures; and Keola Ryan, co-owner, North Shore EcoTours
• Brand Marketing Plans 2027: Europe and Oceania
  • Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority Global Marketing Team
• Sustaining the Future: AI, Eco-Stewardship and Upcycled Innovation in Tourism
  • University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Shidler College of Business, School of Travel Industry Management
• The Reel Effect: How Film and TV Inspire Travel
  • Nina Yang Bongiovi, Significant Productions; Mericia Palma Elmore, SAG-AFTRA; and Georja Skinner, Creative Industries Hawaiʻi
• 1:45 p.m. — AI in Tourism: From Innovation to Implementation
  • Tahnee Perry, founder, Perry Co
• 2:30 p.m. — Networking break
• 2:45 p.m. — Brand Marketing Plans 2027: North America and Japan
  • Hawaiʻi Tourism Japan and Hawaiʻi Tourism North America team
• 3:30 p.m. — Closing remarks