There's A First Time For Everything
Today, I had the opportunity to attend my very first press briefing! I received an invite a few weeks ago from the Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau to attend a small gathering of public relations and marketing representatives from Maui, Lana'i and Moloka'i. I thought it would be fun to check out because I have never been to Hawaii before and perhaps I would learn a few things that might interest me in planning a trip to Hawaii in the near future.
I arrived at the Hotel Modera in downtown Portland and was warmly greeted by everyone, including being given a beautiful plumeria lei, flown in fresh from Moloka'i. It was almost overwhelming how welcome I felt! The spirit of aloha shined through in all of the interactions I had with everyone.
There was a powerpoint presentation about tourism to Hawaii, with various statistics and information. After this, the presentation moved towards specific niches specific to Maui, Lana'i and Moloka'i. I was especially captivated by the following areas: food, culture and adventure/activities. Even though the focus was more on resorts, which is a bit different than I like to travel, I was reassured there are plenty of budget options for someone like me who enjoys hiking, camping, backpacking, learning about local culture, and meeting the locals.
It was a great first experience for a press briefing and I look forward to planning a visit to Hawaii in the next year. Mahalo to all of the representative from Hawaii I met today! Enjoy your time in Portland and I hope you get to try a Voodoo Donut before you leave town!
I arrived at the Hotel Modera in downtown Portland and was warmly greeted by everyone, including being given a beautiful plumeria lei, flown in fresh from Moloka'i. It was almost overwhelming how welcome I felt! The spirit of aloha shined through in all of the interactions I had with everyone.
There was a powerpoint presentation about tourism to Hawaii, with various statistics and information. After this, the presentation moved towards specific niches specific to Maui, Lana'i and Moloka'i. I was especially captivated by the following areas: food, culture and adventure/activities. Even though the focus was more on resorts, which is a bit different than I like to travel, I was reassured there are plenty of budget options for someone like me who enjoys hiking, camping, backpacking, learning about local culture, and meeting the locals.
It was a great first experience for a press briefing and I look forward to planning a visit to Hawaii in the next year. Mahalo to all of the representative from Hawaii I met today! Enjoy your time in Portland and I hope you get to try a Voodoo Donut before you leave town!