Oahu
Frank Robinson
Come Fly with Me . . .

Let's Have a Groovy Evening

We recently created a Sixties-inspired event for an established client - MicroSemi - to be held at the Four Seasons Maui.

We have built a level of trust and understanding working together throughout the years and have fun working together to be creative and fresh. However, repeat clients require that “What’s next? What’s new? What’s different?” conversation and the discussion soon ended with themed events for their corporate incentive trip.

You can tell by the photos this group was really into it! The inner hippies came out in full splendor! We created custom graphics, decor, menu, and of course, supplied plenty of extra props. The bigger-than-life-sized Jimi Hendrix really set the mood for the party. And for the inquiring minds, Hawaii has not legalized marijuana, so Maui Wowie was not on the menu.  Below are a few helpful hints when planning themed events on the islands.

 
 

Helpful Hints for Themed Events:

Inspired events in Hawaii take advance planning. Specialty items that provide that “pop” in the event design can be somewhat hard to find or are in limited supply. Be sure to reserve well in advance or allow time to create them specifically for your event.

Give your guests time. Giving your guests advance notice means they have time to pull together and pack their own pieces and parts to be part of the dramatic experience!

Lighting. As always, well-designed event lighting can be your best friend. Versatile, moving, logo-customized, and targeted lighting can take any space from drab to groovy in no time flat.

Make it relevant: Many of the guests at this event were “in their prime” in the 1960’s and thought it was amazing to relive the memories for one night! They were engaged and it brought flashbacks of a time they loved! Know your guests and what they relate to. For example, a sci-fi inspired event would not have done so well for this group.

Not Just Another Hawaiian Luau!

We recently received a glowing letter from a valued client for whom we produced a five-day full incentive program on the island of Maui. We managed their arrivals, departures, hospitality desk and activities – but it was the evening events that stole the show!

The incentive program was actually a repeat Hawaii experience for many of the guests – but their first “Island Events Experience”.

Because many guests were returning visitors, we wanted to create island-inspired programs that spoke to the sense of place, yet were unique and created “a first” for these well-traveled guests.

Our tiki-inspired Welcome Party was a huge hit – just the right amount of Hawaiiana and kitsch to say “ALOHA.” But we wanted to make sure their final night was not "just another luau in Hawaii.”

Our final night, a Vegas-inspired setting, was held at “Tsunami’s” night club (now defunct) and featured an Elvis Presley impersonator (circa 1966 in Blue Hawaii) with live show girls! This cultural crossover provided hours of light-hearted, entertaining fun and most definitely not your average luau!

Board of Directors Feel the Aloha

Exclusive Helicoptor tour through the island with Blue Hawaiian Helicoptors

Photo courtesy of Aliʻi Nui

We recently supported a very high level 50-person Board of Directors meeting with DMC services for 5 days at the Four Seasons Maui. We managed all their group and individual transfers, customized activities, and off-site dinners. Activities included creating some fantastic memories such as a private catamaran cocktail sail on the luxurious Aliʻi Nui, a wonderful private upcountry farm tour with tea service and private dinners at 2 of our favorite locations, both in Wailea. 

Client Feedback:

Thank you for a great program for my group. Your service was excellent as was all of the attention to the details that your team provided throughout the week. The personal “touch” that you offer a group of our size was impressive and probably has the most, best impact with a group such as ours. You also know your product and have good, creative ideas that can enhance any program. I hope to be able to work with you again.

Here at Island Events we often work with high level and well-respected travel teams who are contracted by large corporations in planning some or all of their VIP trips. Many of these trips are for CEO’s and Boards who want to work and play here in Hawaii.

Since we only operate one program at a time – these VIP guests are given all of our attention, making each experience not just customized but personalized too – in the true meaning of that word. Handling high level executives in ways so they don’t feel “managed” is an art form for which we take great pride.

Being that we are the most remote land mass in the world (!) there really is no substitute for having an on-island partner who speaks luxury, knows the islands, and can deliver on the “attention to detail” that these luxury-minded and busy working groups demand and deserve.

Top 10 Things to Remember When Doing a Site Inspection in Hawaii

Dinner at Sarento's on the Beach

Having just finished a 7 day Hawaii site inspection covering 2 islands with a wonderful client from Australia, I left the experience with a newfound appreciation for Hawaii and all it has to offer! As well, I thought it best to share a few helpful hints on how to get the most of your site inspection on Hawaii. I hope you find them helpful!

1. Have a Plan

When it comes to site inspections, planning is paramount! Knowing your goals and having an agenda to meet them is key. The days can get away from you, so it’s best to start each day with a run through of the plan with all stakeholders. At the end of each day, spend time (together or alone) recapping the day and checking things off the agenda and adjusting the plan as needed.

2. Be Flexible

“Adjusting the plan as needed” — being flexible and open to seeing and experiencing new things that you had not thought of in your original plan is HUGE! This will allow you to truly experience the destination and maybe add something to your program you had no idea existed and would fit perfectly with your group!

3. Loosen up

Don’t expect the daily time line to stay on track, even though you are trying hard to maintain it. Be OK when traffic is bad or a road gets rained out or one venue on a site takes a bit longer to see because you LOVE it and want to learn all you can about it. It’s Hawaii — most of our industry suppliers understand the amazing beauty of our home and build in time for you to absorb it — even if that means you are a little late! We are all used to this on a Hawaii site inspection.

4. Dress in layers

Hawaii features many different climates that can be experienced during one day of a site inspection. For example, you could start your day at the top of Haleakala (10,000 ft elevation) at 5am — where the temperature can be as low as 30 degrees, and end your day in Wailea for sunset and a smooth 80 degrees. Dressing in layers and having a cover up or something to keep you warm in case it gets “cold” is always recommended.

5. Experience Hawaii

Build in time to experience the peaceful rejuvenation of being in Hawaii — take a few hours (each day if you can) and go to the beach or the pool or the spa! Take a morning yoga class on the beach or go for a walk along the ocean. The restorative powers of Hawaii make it an amazing and obvious place to bring an incentive program — be sure you experience them as much as you do venues and activities.

6. Take photos

Be sure to photograph everything and keep a log of photos so you know what they are for later when you get home. Ask your DMC (destination management company) to indicate the correct spelling of those hard-to-pronounce Hawaiian place names.

7. Take notes

Start everyday with a journal page and keep good notes about what you liked and did not like. We simplify this task by giving our clients a form we created to log each activity and venue so they have a structured place to keep all their findings. Email us if you would like a copy and we will be happy to send it to you!

8. Eat Breakfast

You will need a lot of energy to conduct a thorough site or planning visit and breakfast is the best way to get it! After a morning walk or work out, take the time to sit and eat. This gives you an opportunity to test the F&B (food and beverage) at your resort and this is also a great time to multitask and review with your DMC the day ahead, walking through any fabulous additions or plan changes they might suggest!

9. Bring an umbrella & a smile

We are all familiar with the challenges of rain on our events — keep in mind Hawaii is a tropical paradise and in most cases the need for water to aid in the “tropical” portion of that description is inherent. There are wet and dry sides to every island. Ask your DMC to explain, though even in those dry areas it can randomly sprinkle for a brief shower or misting! Remember it is probably only going to last a few minutes and with it come the most amazing rainbows! So bring an umbrella and enjoy the colors.

10. Timing is everything

Hawaii has seasons that typically affect the temperature, the amount of rain, and where the surf is more prevalent. Winter (December – February) tends to bring a 5 to 10 degree drop in temperature and with it more rain. The surf swell is higher on the north side of the islands. The summer months tend to bring drier weather and surf is higher on the south sides of the islands. So as you plan your group incentive program in Hawaii, remember that your summer site visit may be a bit different from the winter program.

11. Bonus: Say Mahalo

The industry partners that your DMC recommends are taking time out of their busy days to spend time with you, to educate you, and help you make the most informed decisions for your group possible. In some cases, they are offering discounted rates or complimentary accommodations. Most are happy to do this and appreciate your business. If someone goes above and beyond the typical call of service, we recommend taking time for a “Thank you” or “mahalo.” They will be sure to offer the same level of expertise to your guests!

Are you ready to start planning? Contact us to schedule a complimentary discussion. We would be delighted to help you select the best fit when choosing a Hawaii destination management company!