Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi speaks to reporters from the People's Republic of China, Russia, South Korea, Vietnam, Japan and Pacific nations during an event hosted by the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board and the Hawaii Visitors Bureau Wednesday (Nov 9) in Honolulu.

MEDIA RELEASE

Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi spent Thursday and Friday in Honolulu engaged in high-level talks with East Asian officials about investment and visitor industry opportunities on Hawaii Island.

The mayor is participating in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference taking place this week in Honolulu. Leaders of nearly two dozen Pacific Rim countries, their ministers and other high officials are in Honolulu to discuss various economic opportunities and issues such as renewable energy.

Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi speaks to two reporters from the Guangzhou Daily News, the world's 24th largest newspaper in the world during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit Wednesday (Nov 9) in Honolulu.

Mayor Kenoi has also been interviewed by various local and international media outlets, including the Guangzhou Daily News, which featured the mayor on the front page of the Thursday edition of this large southern Chinese newspaper, the 24th largest newspaper in the world in circulation at 1.6 million editions a day.

“We want to let people know that there is an island called Hawaii, and that island is covered with natural wonders and great economic opportunity,” said Mayor Kenoi. “APEC is a once in a lifetime opportunity to do this on a world stage.”

On Wednesday, the mayor welcomed journalists from all around the Pacific Rim during an event in Honolulu hosted by the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board and the Hawaii Visitors Bureau. Journalists from the People’s Republic of China, South Korea, Russia, England and Vietnam as well as other countries had the opportunity to meet many county and state officials as well as leading businessmen from Hawaii Island.

“While we have extended invitations to these journalists to visit Hawaii Island, we understand that many of them came to cover APEC, so we did the next best thing to taking them to Hawaii Island,” said Kenoi. “We brought Hawaii Island to them.”

Hawaii Island is also represented by a display at the Hawaii Convention Center. The Hawaii Island booth, which is being manned by county officials, features island products such as Kona and Ka’u coffee as well as island grown macadamia nuts and Kona potato chips.

Also represented from the Big Island was Business Innovation awardee Big Island Carbon, alternative energy company Sopogy, ocean thermal energy conversion technology developer Makai Ocean Engineering and a number of telescopes.