Hawaii APEC summit will show islands to world

By MARK NIESSE

HONOLULU

Besides a meeting of world leaders, next year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in Hawaii will be turned into a tourism marketing opportunity, showcasing the islands' beauty and its ability to host businesses.

That will take coordination, communication and fundraising handled by a new organizing group called APEC 2011 Hawaii, whose formation was announced Thursday.

"We absolutely have an opportunity to augment our visitor market, for not just sun, sand and surf, but also to be a place where real business can be conducted," said Peter Ho, Bank of Hawaii President and chairman of the Hawaii Host Committee for the APEC meetings.

When APEC comes to town in November 2011, about 20,000 people are expected to attend, including 2,000 members of the global media who could be used to spread Hawaii's image to the world, he said.

It will be only the second time APEC has been held in the United States, 18 years after the inaugural meeting at Blake Island, Wash. The Nov. 12-13 summit will feature the leaders of 21 participating countries, government officials, business leaders and economists.

One project announced Thursday would improve the appearance of Honolulu International Airport so APEC visitors will get a good first impression. The upgrades would occur along the walkway from where international passengers disembark to the customs area.

"This is our moment in time to take our place," said Mike McCartney, president for the Hawaii Tourism Authority. "To show the world we can host a meeting of this caliber positions Hawaii at the next level."

Traffic congestion may present some of the biggest challenges, Ho said. But he hopes it isn't too much of a problem because the main events of the conference are scheduled for the weekend, and that most traffic will be confined to the tourist-heavy Waikiki district.

"It's a tremendous opportunity," said Pat Loui, chairwoman for OmniTrack Group Inc. marketing firm who is heading APEC 2011 Hawaii's outreach subcommittee. "With thousands of media representatives focused on Hawaii for a week, we have a lot of time to tell our story."