Categorized | Business

HVCB earns 2010 Platinum Partner Award

MEDIA RELEASE

Incentive and corporate meeting planners have honored the excellence in service that the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) and its industry partners provides them with the presentation of a 2010 Platinum Partner Award.

“This award is a testament to HVCB and our industry partners’ professionalism and commitment to promoting Hawaii as the ideal destination for incentive travel,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. “Incentive travel is an important visitor segment of Hawaii’s tourism industry and will continue to be a major focus for HTA, HVCB and our marketing partners.”

Presented to HVCB by Incentive magazine, the award was determined by the voting of the magazine’s readership nationwide, which is comprised of meeting planners and other industry professionals.

Voters used the following criteria in casting their ballots:
* Motivational appeal of the destination, property or travel service
* Quality of professionalism of the service
* Degree of creativity and promotional support

Incentive travel is a key sector of Hawaii’s meetings industry and involves employees of companies abroad earning free trips to the Hawaiian Islands for meeting performance goals. Because of its longstanding appeal to travelers worldwide, Hawaii has traditionally been a powerful motivator for incentive travel.

“This award is a tribute to our industry partners statewide and the stellar customer service they provide to incentive planners and their clients who rely on Hawaii to support their goals and objectives,” said Michael Murray, CMP, CMM, CASE, vice president of sales and marketing for HVCB’s corporate meetings and incentives division. “Our partners are fantastic about working together to meet the needs of planners and this award conveys the appreciation of that collaboration.”

Over the past couple of years, with the onset of the economic recession and resulting cutback of corporate travel budgets, Murray said HVCB has adjusted its marketing strategy to put more emphasis on attracting incentive travel business. Doing so, he says, has “helped fill the trough created by the loss of corporate meetings and association group business.”

Murray added, “Good times or bad, people want to visit the Hawaiian Islands and given an opportunity by their employer to earn a free trip here, they will do all they can to meet that objective.”

This marks the sixth straight year that HVCB has earned the Platinum Partner Award.

HVCB is contracted by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), the state of Hawaii’s tourism agency, to provide marketing management services for the conventions, meetings and incentives market segment.

HTA was established in 1998 to ensure a successful visitor industry well into the future.

Its mission is to strategically manage Hawaii tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with the state of Hawaii’s economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, community desires, and visitor industry needs.

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