MEDIA RELEASE

A sales contingent of 21 Hawaii travel partners led by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) is in Miami this week seeking new meetings business from the financial and insurance companies attending the 2010 FICP Annual Conference.

Companies belonging to the Financial Insurance Conference Planners Association (FICP) represent a high-end segment of the meetings market and are considered a top priority for Hawaii in developing new opportunities for corporate meetings and incentive events, especially for single-property resorts on all islands.

“We are pleased to have such a strong Hawaii presence at this important networking conference for financial and insurance conference planners,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO, Hawaii Tourism Authority. “This will be a great opportunity for HVCB and our Hawaii travel partners to highlight the state’s corporate meeting offerings as well as make important connections with key meeting planners that will potentially result in future meetings held in Hawaii.”

HVCB, its Island Chapter Bureaus, and industry partners statewide have maintained a strong relationship with the FICP association and its member companies, which includes Hawaii serving as the host site for FICP’s 2004 Annual Conference.

Companies in the finance and insurance industries are active in offering trip incentives to increase worker productivity, making the Hawaiian Islands a good match for helping them to meet their goals.

“The return on investment from our sales efforts to finance and insurance companies has been excellent and the business generated for Hawaii’s meetings industry has proven extremely valuable,” said Michael Murray, HVCB vice president of sales and marketing for corporate meetings and incentives.

“This is especially true over the past couple of years. As most other industries scaled back their travel budgets for corporate meetings and incentives, finance and insurance companies remained a good source of business,” he said.

Joining HVCB in Miami are sales representatives for Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea; Grand Wailea, Maui; Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa; Hilton Waikoloa Village; Hyatt Resorts & Spas in Hawaii; Incentives Hawaii; Island Partners Hawaii; Kauai Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Beach; Marriott Resorts Hawaii; Maui Jim Sunglasses; MC&A; Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa; The Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui; The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii; The Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay/The Lodge at Koele; The Kahala Hotel & Resort; The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua; The St. Regis Princeville Resort; The Waikiki EDITION; and The Westin Maui Resort & Spa.

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.