Hawai'i Convention draws rave reviews
About 900 AAJA members from around the country and Asia gathered in Honolulu June 21-24 for the 18th Annual National Convention, and the almost unanimous feedback was that most everyone went home happy.
The convention kicked off with what most members consider to be the best Opening Reception ever. As guests climbed out of Royal Star buses in front of the Honolulu Academy of Arts, each was greeted by a cute keiki hula dancer who gave out a flower lei and hug.
At the entrance to the museum, members were welcomed personally by publisher Mike Fisch of The Honolulu Advertiser, the generous sponsor of the event. On the main stage were a professional hula troupe accompanied by live traditional Hawaiian music, and delicious food from such acclaimed restaurants as 3660 On the Rise and Chai's Bistro were available at various food stations.
A full slate of convention programming began Thursday and continued through Saturday. Thursday also featured a festive awards luncheon with an insipiring keynote speech from Lisa Ling, and later a town hall meeting addressed the timely issue of Hawaiian sovereignty.
Friday's gala banquet was highlighted by a captivating keynote address from Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and afterward a shoppe's-delight silent auction raised over $23,000. The evening was capped off by a raucous Karaoke Night featuring free beer from Budweiser and a rare singing performance by AAJA executive director Rene Astudillo.
The convention's success was due in large part to the efforts of our own co-chairs Joann Shin and Craig Gima, along with AAJA National staff members Astudillo, Janice Lee and Gwen Singleton, plus the generous help of the other 18 chapters. Our Hawai'i members, of course, also played a big role.
Mahalo to everyone who made the convention such a huge success by showing our fellow members diversity in action and the aloha spirit in full force!!!
The convention kicked off with what most members consider to be the best Opening Reception ever. As guests climbed out of Royal Star buses in front of the Honolulu Academy of Arts, each was greeted by a cute keiki hula dancer who gave out a flower lei and hug.
At the entrance to the museum, members were welcomed personally by publisher Mike Fisch of The Honolulu Advertiser, the generous sponsor of the event. On the main stage were a professional hula troupe accompanied by live traditional Hawaiian music, and delicious food from such acclaimed restaurants as 3660 On the Rise and Chai's Bistro were available at various food stations.
A full slate of convention programming began Thursday and continued through Saturday. Thursday also featured a festive awards luncheon with an insipiring keynote speech from Lisa Ling, and later a town hall meeting addressed the timely issue of Hawaiian sovereignty.
Friday's gala banquet was highlighted by a captivating keynote address from Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and afterward a shoppe's-delight silent auction raised over $23,000. The evening was capped off by a raucous Karaoke Night featuring free beer from Budweiser and a rare singing performance by AAJA executive director Rene Astudillo.
The convention's success was due in large part to the efforts of our own co-chairs Joann Shin and Craig Gima, along with AAJA National staff members Astudillo, Janice Lee and Gwen Singleton, plus the generous help of the other 18 chapters. Our Hawai'i members, of course, also played a big role.
Mahalo to everyone who made the convention such a huge success by showing our fellow members diversity in action and the aloha spirit in full force!!!
