Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/533451
age of things to do, see and experience. Visiting historic structures like Iolani Palace and Ali'iolani Hale is priceless! Other highlights include a walking tour. Within walking distance of the Hawaii Convention Center is Waikiki and a variety of accommodations, award-winning restaurants, shopping, historical and cultural activities, and iconic sites such as Waikiki Beach, the Duke Kahanamoku statue, Mount Leahi (Diamond Head), and more. While there isn't a formal African-American cultural area, there are many ways to engage with Hawaii's culture. The island's multi-ethnic population of Native Hawaiians, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Portuguese, Spanish, African-American, and more, embrace and celebrate all people from east to west. This can be seen and felt in the array of year-round festivals and events that allows atten- dees to interact with local residents including the Honolulu Festival, Lei Day Celebration, and Aloha Festivals to name a few. There are also many culturally-related opportunities to engage in team building and to enhance programs through projects such as cleaning fishponds, restoring reefs, or working with local chefs, farmers, and fishermen on farm- to-table activities. G OOD NIGHT'S SLEEP There are more than 30,000 hotel and condominium resort rooms located in Waikiki and near the Hawaii Convention Center, the downtown financial district and the Honolulu International Airport. TIME TO CONVENE When it's time to meet, Honolulu can boast being the home of the state's largest meetings facility – Hawaii Convention Center – a 1.6 million-sq. ft. open-air structure that combines the latest in cutting edge technology with an authentic Hawaiian ambiance. www.meethawaii.com/Hawaii-Convention-Center The HCC has been designed to accommodate a wide range of meetings' facilities, including a 200,000-sq. ft. exhibit hall divisible into three halls, a 35,000-sq. ft. registration lobby, a 35,000-sq. ft. ballroom, 47 meeting rooms, simultaneous translation rooms, and two presentation theaters with tiered seating. The Hawaii Convention Center opens to the outdoors – with terraces, lanais, courtyards, waterfalls and fishponds. Other resort areas beyond Waikiki include Kahala, Ko Olina, and the North Shore, offering excellent indoor and outdoor meeting facilities for smaller groups. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2013 population estimate for the state of Hawaii is 1.4 million and the 2013 population estimate for Honolulu County is 983,000. As of July 1, 2013, Hawaii had 51,454 people with Black or African- American (alone or in combination) racial background. The island of Hawaii had approximately 8.3 million visitors in 2014, according to Hawaii Tourism Authority's (HTA) pre- liminary statistics. W HEELS UP Honolulu International Airport is conveniently located eight miles from the Hawaii Convention Center and the downtown financial district. www.honoluluairport.com Aloha! JUNEAU, AK "Juneau, Alaska, welcomes visitors to our scenic coastal shores and offers a long-standing tradition of hospitality," said Juneau Convent-ion & Visitors Bureau President Nancy Woizesschke. "A real departure from "the usual" meeting destinations, Juneau delivers value and true Alaskan experiences: the spectacular scenery of the coastland Tongass National Forest, small town charm and safety, excellent food, professional meeting facilities and accommodations, but no traffic con- gestion, long lines, or urban angst. Juneau offers the best of Alaska, all within 20 minutes of downtown!" Juneau, which boasts one million visitors annually, is located in the Panhandle of Southeast Alaska, 900 B M & T ••• March/April 2015 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 19 Hawaii Convention Center Photo Credit: Hawaii Tourism Authority NANCY WOIZESSCHKE