TheBuzz
TheBuzz
Shopping earns
award nominationDolores Hansen of Kailua goes to the big Shop America Summit every year and is a regular speaker at the event. But for the first time in a long time she wasn't planning to go to next month's event in Las Vegas.
That is, until she learned she was nominated for the Shopping Tourism Person of the Year Award by the Shop America Summit advisory board. It is made up of shopping mall heavy-hitters from 32 states, such as General Growth Properties, Macy's, The Mall of America and convention and visitor bureaus.
"I've got to go, win or lose. Hawaii has to be represented there," she said.
Shop Hawaii markets its 22 client-shopping centers to the world to bring more visitor dollars into client coffers. Her local clients include Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, Shops at Wailea and Macy's.
Hansen established Shop Hawaii eight years ago, before Shop America existed. "Shop Hawaii was the very first state shop program," she said. "Now we have Shop California, Shop Arizona, Shop Colorado."
Hawaii is the only one that is privately owned, she said.
"All states except Hawaii are city- or state- or convention bureau-funded," she said. Shop Las Vegas has a $71 million budget from hotel revenues while Shop California receives $100,000 a year in state funds.
"If I had $100,000 to start with, my goodness, Hawaii would be all over the world," Hansen said.
Shop Hawaii has offices in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, staffed by Fumiko Sakuma and Michiko Hirata.
"I'm poor but I'm resourceful," Hansen said. "I make friends and develop relationships where I go."
Hansen's competition includes Carolyn Feimster, of CJF Marketing International; Karen Fluharty, senior director of international marketing for Chelsea Premium Outlets; Art Jimenez, an executive at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority; and Susan Wilcox, marketing director of the California Travel Tourism Commission.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
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