Smart Meetings

There’s vibrant Waikiki in Honolulu, the North Shore’s renowned surfing beaches, quiet rural roads lined with home-grown produce, and, for meetings, a menu of state-of-the-art modern technology, eclectic venues and the stellar Hawaii Convention Center (HCC; hawaiiconvention.com).

That starts with the convention center itself. With more than 385,000 sq. ft. of meeting and exhibition space, HCC presents modern mega-wired facilities in a setting that’s purely Hawaiian. The center’s bold architecture showcases island culture through a $2 million Hawaiian art collection, a rooftop tropical garden, glass-encased meeting rooms and outdoor function spaces lined with stately palms.

However, the resort city’s appeal isn’t the only destination possibility here. The 608-square-mile island offers an additional 5,000 rooms at Turtle Bay Resort (turtlebayresort.com) on the North Shore and Ko Olina Resort (koolina.com) on the west coast.

Golf courses meander from rain forests to breathtaking bays. Then there’s snorkeling, surfing and outrigger paddling, sure lures for saltwater lovers of all ages. And don’t forget diving, either below the surface or from high in the sky.

Museums and arts festivals honor Hawaii’s Polynesian heritage. Beachside eateries tantalize with Pacific Rim cuisine. Lauhala weavers share wares and teach techniques.

The climate presents much less variety: perfect and more perfect, with an average daily low of 75 to high of 85 degrees F.

Getting There

Honolulu International Airport (hawaii.gov/dot/airports/hnl/index.htm). Daily flights from the continental U.S. are operated by United Delta , American ATA, Hawaiian, Aloha , Northwest , US Airways and Continental.

What's New?

Abrupt Adieu to Aloha Airlines | After 61 years of service to and from the Hawaiian Islands, Aloha Airlines operated its final fli...

Water Works | The Hawaii Superferry has announced that it will resume service between Oahu and Maui on December...

Royal Improvements in Hawaii | The historic Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach in Oahu is undergoing a $50-million facelift t...