Travel Industry

The Hawaii Tourism Authority is smiling again after a long time, because 40,000 dentists and their families are about to invade the islands for the American Dental Association’s (ADA) 150th Annual Session from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4, to be held at the Hawaii Convention Center. 

Hawaii Convention Center

And to rub in the fact that pesky things like the current rules for Corporate America restricting travel expenditure and holding meetings in leisure destination hot-spots like Oahu don’t apply to dentists, the ADA and the Hawaii Convention Center are sending out newsletters outlining all the fun things and tourist attractions that attendees and their families can enjoy in Honolulu and the rest of Hawaii.  

The international attendance of 40,000 dentists expected for the ADA’s Hawaii session will result in statewide spending of over $189 million and tax revenue of nearly $18.3 million. The Center’s hotel partners will benefit with over 321,000 booked rooms.

In a press statement, Dr. Robert Skinner, 2009 chair of the Council on ADA Sessions, said that “Hawaii is a popular venue for our Annual Session attendees and we are thrilled to return here to again experience its great warmth and hospitality. This year’s Annual Session represents a special occasion for us because the ADA will be celebrating its 150th birthday and we cannot imagine a better location for the celebration than Hawaii. We look forward to an outstanding Annual Session and 150th anniversary celebration, and enjoying the many wonders of the islands.”

The last time the ADA held it’s session in Hawaii was in 1999. The ADA’s choice of Hawaii for their session this year is even more of a watershed moment because Hawaii is celebrating it’s 50th Statehood anniversary, and the ADA session gives the celebrations a much needed boost which could trigger an upswing for Hawaii’s battered tourism industry.

Joe Davis, SMG general manager of the Hawaii Convention Center, added that “It will definitely be a win-win situation for everyone involved and will clearly offset the economic slowdown that we are seeing. The economic impact to the state will be tremendous and when this group sees the Aloha spirit first hand they will surely share their great experience with the people back in their home towns.”

Davis further explained that even though the session is being held in Oahu, the rest of the state will also benefit from the meeting because of the ‘overflow effect’ as most of the attendees and their families will be venturing off to the neighbor islands to take advantage of vacation time.

Maybe Wall Street executives and TARP burdened CEOs should start using more Colgate, if they want their share of the Aloha Spirit.