Convention center to
consider local meetings

Star-Bulletin staff

The Convention Center Authority will take another look at the possibility of allowing local organizations to hold meetings in the $350 million Hawaii Convention Center, reserved so far only for meetings from out of state.

But center officials told the Hawaii Tourism Authority board yesterday that they have to consider possible adverse effects on the hotels and the city's Neal Blaisdell Center.

Alan Hayashi, executive director of the state's Convention Center Authority, said that the state spent $15 million to improve the Blaisdell Center specifically for local events and the convention center was designed to bring in outside business to benefit the hotels and the state's tax intake.

Alton Kuioka, chairman of the Convention Center Authority, said the decision to keep local events out was not mandated by the Legislature, however, and a policy change could be made.

The discussion came at the tourism authority's regular weekly meeting, after officials of the convention center and the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau made presentations about the management and marketing of the center.