COMMUNICATIONS RESOURCE GUIDE ALOHA On behalf of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s (HTA) Meet Hawai‘i, a collaboration of HTA, HTA’s Meet Hawai‘i team, mahalo (thank you) for selecting Global Marketing Teams and the Hawai‘i Convention the Hawaiian Islands for your upcoming meeting, Center (HCC) focused on securing single-property incentive, convention or event. It’s true. Those and citywide group business for the Hawaiian Islands fortunate to attend programs in Hawai‘i simply under one unified brand, looks forward to “come back better.” partnering with you to make your next event – or returning event – a great success in Hawai‘i. That is to say, they return home from our islands better; feeling inspired, rejuvenated and reenergized In addition to their presence in the United States, by our beautiful natural surroundings, multitude members of Meet Hawai‘i’s global meetings, of cultures, as well as our friendly Aloha Spirit. conventions and incentives (MCI) sales team are Each person’s business and leisure experiences in present in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, the Aloha State genuinely expand their mind and New Zealand, Canada and Europe, enabling enriches their soul. meeting planners to communicate with a Hawai‘i expert in their respective region. Hawai‘i Tourism Incentive, education and meeting groups consistently United States also offers on-island ambassadors. report a surge in attendance when Hawai‘i is their destination. Our advantageous geographic location We look forward to partnering with you and sharing within the Pacific Rim makes it easy for organizers to the unmatched spirit and experiences of the Hawaiian attract attendees from the east and west. Also, airlift Islands with your attendees. For more information, to the Hawaiian Islands, currently at an all-time high, please visit MeetHawaii.com. makes getting here convenient and efficient.
This Meet Hawai‘i Communications Resource Warmest Aloha, Guide has been created to help you build attendee excitement and participation, offer best practices on promoting your upcoming program in the Hawaiian Islands, and share tips on appropriately incorporating the Hawaiian culture into your internal Mary Neister, CMP and external communications. Vice President MCI Hawai‘i Tourism United States
1 TABLE OF CONTENTS MEET HAWAI‘I KEY PUBLIC RELATIONS CONTACTS
Aloha...... 1 Mary Neister, CMP Hawai‘i Tourism USA Meet Hawai‘i Key Public Relations Contacts...... 2 Vice President MCI Six Hawaiian Islands, Six Different Experiences...... 3 - 4 O: (808) 924-0253 [email protected] Incorporating Hawaiian Culture Into Your Meeting...... 5 Darlene Morikawa Communications Timeline...... 6 Hawai‘i Tourism USA Senior Director, Public Relations and Communications Developing a Media List That’s Right For You...... 7 O: (808) 924-0259 Meet Hawai‘i Resources...... 8 [email protected]
Social Media...... 9 Natalie Tarce Shiinoki Hawai‘i Convention Center Marketing Manager O: (808) 943-3505 [email protected]
Nathan Kam Anthology Marketing Group (Public relations firm for Meet Hawai‘i) President, Public Relations O: (808) 544-3000 [email protected]
For a complete list of Meet Hawai‘i sales and marketing team members, please visit: meethawaii.com/resources/meet-hawaii-sales-team
2 SIX HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, SIX DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES An overview of what makes each of Hawai‘i’s islands uniquely exceptional.
Each of Hawai‘i’s six visitable islands boasts a unique Kaua‘i O‘ahu personality all its own, offering visitors numerous individual On Kaua‘i, you won’t So, you want the island experiences. Not sure which island is right for you? Start really have to work to with the most wide- by exploring each island based on the type of experience immerse yourself in ranging selection of you’d like to have, whether you’re after heart-pounding nature. The island has a inspired multiethnic and adventures, total relaxation or something in-between. way of taking care of it regional cuisine and eater- for you. Before rushing ies. Downtime in off to survey Kaua‘i’s one of the world’s prodigious natural wonder, stop. Settle into its peaceful, most-renowned resort unhurried and relaxing vibe. Then spend a day on Kaua‘i’s areas, enjoying the For more information about the Hawaiian Islands, emerald east side kayaking the Wailuā River, exploring shopping, arts and visit gohawaii.com. Līhu‘e and Kapa‘a towns, culture, beach activities, and discovering the north nightlife, cosmopolitan shore’s singular natural population and sheer beauty. The breathtaking amount of cool stuff to west side contrast of dry, do only great cities offer. rugged Waimea Canyon Yet you still crave the and misty, forested Kōke‘e unspoiled, breathtaking State Park will have your natural world Hawai‘i is tomorrow covered. Then world famous for nearby be awed by the Nāpali to whisk you away from Coast’s towering sea cliffs city life when you’re ready. on a catamaran tour or, by Welcome to O‘ahu. air, on an island-traversing Honolulu has all of the helicopter tour folding above and then some, with rainforest hiking trails mere in other otherwise minutes from urbanity and, further from the city, the North unreachable Kaua‘i sights. Shore’s world-renowned surf spots and beaches, and the Repeat anything above for pure country of O‘ahu’s verdant Windward Coast. day four and beyond. Or just settle into Kaua‘i’s relaxing vibe all over again. 3 Maui Nui (includes Maui, Lāna‘i and Moloka‘i) Island of Hawai‘i
Think of Maui Nui as More than just the everything you already largest of the Hawaiian love about Maui – Islands and the only one exquisite beaches, still occasionally adding diverse outdoor to that acreage, the adventures and island of Hawai‘i unbound nature – doubles down on times three. Maui Nui – its vast and diverse Hawaiian for “great/ landscapes – you’ll also large Maui” – find 10 of the world’s encompasses Maui 14 subcategory climate and neighboring zones on it – with big islands Moloka‘i and time exploration and Lāna‘i. Maui, you adventures in nature. already know – laid Explore portions of an back, leisurely and active volcano, and two full of new adventures of the tallest mountains and discoveries on in the world (look them every visit. It’s about up, it’s true), from road-tripping the roadside waterfalls, rainforests and rugged summits to rainforests, coastline of the winding Hāna Highway, or finding your calm and lava deserts to on an Upcountry Maui forest hike or horseback ride. rugged coastlines and sandy beaches. Hike, snorkel, sail, Moloka‘i is rustic, rugged and reminiscent of a simpler, swim (with or without manta rays), bike, road trip, stargaze, not-all-that-far-in-the-past Hawai‘i. And Lāna‘i? Imagine zip line, scuba, visit five National Park Service parks sites a combination of understated natural wonder, relaxed and trails (four focused exclusively on Hawaiian culture), modern luxury and small-town neighborly comforts and then dine on true farm-and-ocean-to-table eats. prepare to have your expectations met.
4 INCORPORATING HAWAIIAN CULTURE INTO YOUR MEETING Consider these tips for responsibly adding elements of Hawaiian culture into your meeting, incentive, convention or event.
Hawai‘i is a special place, with a blend of cultures, Key components of the Ma‘ema‘e Tool Kit are: activities and experiences unique in all the world. • A Hawaiian culture initiative document Largely because of these charms, the Hawaiian Islands • Hawaiian language tools have attracted the attention of travel marketers and • Hawai‘i image usage guidelines journalists for more than a century, going back to the • Hawaiian cultural experiences late 1800s and the journeys of writers Mark Twain and (including festivals, events and activities) Robert Louis Stevenson. • A style and resource guide • A Hawai‘i vs. World History timeline Unfortunately, along the way, some who have • Island maps and information spotlighted Hawai‘i have not always made themselves intimately familiar with the Islands before telling their We appreciate your help in promoting Hawai‘i’s people, stories. As a result, our destination has often been places and culture in an authentic and meaningful way. misrepresented or inaccurately portrayed. HTA supports efforts that help to preserve the Hawaiian culture and its heritage, and we encourage all of our In response to these issues, the Hawai‘i Tourism partners – including you – to join in this commitment. Authority (HTA) developed the Ma‘ema‘e Tool Kit, which provides essential information you should know To access the Ma‘ema‘e Tool Kit online, for authentically and responsibly promoting the visit hawaiitourismauthority.org/maemae Hawaiian Islands. From geographical, historical and cultural information, to descriptions of the many experiences our islands have to offer, the Ma‘ema‘e Tool Kit is your guide for basic knowledge about Hawai‘i.
Also included in the kit is a useful language tool that will help you ensure the Hawaiian language is applied correctly in your promotions.
5 COMMUNICATIONS TIMELINE Consider the communications timeline below for planning your event in Hawai‘i.
One Year Out Six Months Out Three Months Out One to Two Months Out Two to Three Weeks Out One Week Out
• Promote your meeting site • Continue promoting your • Develop a target media • Develop news releases, • Follow up with media • If media are welcome to attendees through email, event through email, social list for pitches. media advisories, calendar you have pitched to gauge to attend, issue a media social media and other alerts and other their interest in covering advisory. media and other preferred • Identify newsworthy story preferred communications communications materials. your event. communications channels, angles and share them with • Continue to leverage channels, including paid including paid media. journalists and social media • If your event is open to • Consider inviting media social media and your media. • Create a hashtag specific influencers. the public, consider paid to attend your event and hashtag. • Connect with your Meet to your event and media in the local market offering interviews with key Hawai‘i or convention encourage attendees to to drive attendance. leadership and speakers. services representative use it to drive discussion • Begin reaching out to about available resources and conversation. Hawai‘i-based media to to promote Hawai‘i as your • Begin reaching out to make them aware of your meeting destination. national and international event. If you are seeking • Access complimentary, media to make them aware morning TV news high-resolution images of of your event. opportunities, pitch these the Hawaiian Islands for a month in advance. inclusion in promotional materials at barberstock. KAUA‘I com/hawaii. Registration is quick and free. O‘AHU • Consider sharing MAUI NUI (includes Maui, Lāna‘i and Moloka‘i) promotional and safety videos of the Hawaiian Islands with your attendees to build interest and anticipation about the meeting. You can find ISLAND OF these at youtube.com/ HAWAI‘I gohawaii or youtube.com/ hawaiihta.
6 DEVELOPING A MEDIA LIST THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU A list of key Hawai‘i media contacts statewide covering print, broadcast, online and social media.
The Hawai‘i media outlets and reporters you reach out to Key media outlets statewide include:
for coverage will vary depending on the type of meeting, KAUA‘I O‘AHU convention or event you are planning. Print/Online Print/Online It’s important to note that Hawai‘i has only one statewide The Garden Island – thegardenisland.com Associated Press - apnews.com/Hawaii newspaper – the Honolulu Star-Advertiser – and three TV Midweek Kaua‘i – midweekkauai.com Hawaii Business – hawaiibusiness.com news stations that broadcast statewide: KHON 2 News Radio Hawaii Hospitality – hawaiihospitalityonline.com (FOX), KITV 4 News (ABC) and Hawaii News Now (CBS Da Pā‘ina 95.9 FM – 959dapaina.com Honolulu Civil Beat – civilbeat.org and NBC). Hawai‘i Public Radio, a member station of KONG 93.5 FM – kongradio.com Honolulu – honolulumagazine.com National Public Radio, also broadcasts statewide. Addi- Honolulu Star-Advertiser – staradvertiser.com Midweek – midweek.com tionally, each of Hawai‘i’s main islands publishes at least MAUI NUI Pacific Business News – bizjournals.com/pacific one daily newspaper. Print/Online Radio The Maui News – mauinews.com Da Bomb 102.7 FM – 1027dabomb.net Maui Now – mauinow.com ESPN 1420 AM - espn1420am.com Radio Hawai‘i Public Radio – hawaiipublicradio.org HI92 FM – hi92maui.com Hawaiian 105 KINE – hawaiian105.com KPOA 93.5 FM – kpoa.com Island 98.5 FM – island985.iheart.com Maui’s Q103 FM – q103maui.com KCCN FM 100 – kccnfm100.com KHVH News Radio 830 AM – khvhradio.iheart.com ISLAND OF HAWAI‘I Krater 96 FM – krater96.com Print/Online KSSK 92.3 FM – ksskradio.iheart.com Big Island Now – bigislandnow.com KUMU 94.7 FM – kumu.com Hawaii Tribune-Herald – hawaiitribune-herald.com NBC Sports Radio 1500 AM – nbcsportsradiohawaii.com West Hawaii Today – westhawaiitoday.com Power 104.3 FM – power1043.com Radio Star 101.9 FM – star1019.iheart.com KAPA 93.5 FM – kaparadio.com Television KBIG 97.9 FM (Hilo) and 106.1 FM (Kona) – kbigfm.com Hawaii News Now – hawaiinewsnow.com KWXX 94.7 FM (Hilo) and 101.5 FM (Kona) – kwxx.com KHON 2 News – khon2.com The Beat 95.9 FM (Hilo) and 93.9 FM (Kona) – KITV 4 News – kitv.com thebeathawaii.com
7 MEET HAWAI‘I RESOURCES
Bookmark these websites for valuable information and tools that will help with your event planning.
Meet Hawai‘i HTA Knowledge Bank HTA Ma‘ema‘e Toolkit meethawaii.com barberstock.com/hawaii hawaiitourismauthority.org/maemae
The Hawaiian Islands HTA Style & Resource Guide gohawaii.com hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/1691/maemae-style-resource-guide-english.pdf
8 SOCIAL MEDIA Important social media profiles to follow and connect with.
Meet Hawai‘i LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/meet-hawaii Hawai‘i Tourism United States Facebook: facebook.com/hawaii Instagram: instagram.com/meetoahu Instagram: instagram.com/gohawaii Twitter: twitter.com/gohawaii Hawai‘i Convention Facebook: facebook.com/hawaiiconventioncenter YouTube: youtube.com/gohawaii Center Instagram: instagram.com/hawaiiconventioncenter Twitter: twitter.com/hiconventionctr Hawai‘i Tourism Canada Facebook: facebook.com/gohawaiica YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCxrkaPt0I8spB8CdwUitAbQ/featured Instagram: instagram.com/gohawaiica Twitter: twitter.com/gohawaiica Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau Facebook: facebook.com/kauaivisitorsbureau Instagram: instagram.com/kauaidiscovery Hawai‘i Tourism Germany Facebook: facebook.com/gohawaiide Twitter: twitter.com/kauaidiscovery Instagram: instagram.com/gohawaiide
O‘ahu Visitors Bureau Facebook: facebook.com/oahuhawaii Hawai‘i Tourism U.K. & Ireland Facebook: facebook.com/gohawaiiuk Instagram: instagram.com/oahuvb Instagram: instagram.com/gohawaiiuk Twitter: twitter.com/oahuvb Hawai‘i Tourism Australia Facebook: facebook.com/gohawaiiau Maui Visitors and Facebook: facebook.com/visitmaui Instagram: instagram.com/gohawaiiau Convention Bureau Instagram: instagram.com/mauivisit Twitter: twitter.com/gohawaiiau Twitter: twitter.com/mauivisit Hawai‘i Tourism New Zealand Facebook: facebook.com/gohawaiinz Island of Hawai‘i Facebook: facebook.com/islandofhawaii Instagram: instagram.com/gohawaiinz Visitors Bureau Instagram: instagram.com/theislandofhawaii Hawai‘i Tourism Southeast Asia Facebook: facebook.com/gohawaiisea Twitter: twitter.com/hawaiibigisland Instagram: instagram.com/gohawaiisea Hawai‘i Tourism Facebook: facebook.com/hawaiihta Hawai‘i Tourism China Sina Weibo: weibo.com/islandsofaloha Instagram: instagram.com/hawaiihta Authority WeChat: hawaiitourism Twitter: twitter.com/hawaiihta YouTube: youtube.com/hawaiihta Hawai‘i Tourism Taiwan Facebook: facebook.com/hawaiitourismtw Instagram: instagram.com/gohawaiitw
Hawai‘i Tourism Japan Facebook: facebook.com/gohawaiijp Instagram: instagram.com/gohawaii_jp Twitter: twitter.com/gohawaiijp
Hawai‘i Tourism Korea Facebook: facebook.com/gohawaiikr Instagram: instagram.com/gohawaiikr
Hawai‘i Tourism Hong Kong Facebook: facebook.com/gohawaiihk Instagram: instagram.com/gohawaii.hk
9 MeetHawaii.com