LIHU‘E – A Hawai‘i Host Committee is seeking three innovative Kaua‘i businesses to highlight before an international audience at the 2011 Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders Week. “It’s a great opportunity not just for Hawai‘i as a whole, but for
LIHU‘E – A Hawai‘i Host Committee is seeking three innovative Kaua‘i businesses to highlight before an international audience at the 2011 Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders Week.
“It’s a great opportunity not just for Hawai‘i as a whole, but for Kaua‘i,” Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. said of the conference, Nov. 7 to 13, on O‘ahu. “We Neighbor Island mayors were very up front about wanting to be represented well and be a part of the statewide effort.”
APEC was established in 1989 as a 21-member association of economies from the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, Canada, Chili, China, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, the Philippines and the United States.
The mission of APEC is to advance regional economic integration and prosperity by reducing tariffs and trade barriers, facilitating business interactions between member nations and improving training and education in international trade. Its focus is private enterprise and private sector trade.
Each year a different member economy is chosen to host the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting attended by heads of industry, governments and their ministers. An estimated 20,000 people are expected, 2,000 of which will be international media.
“I have to acknowledge President Obama and Sen. Inouye, who are the main reasons we have APEC in Hawai‘i,” Office of Economic Development Director George Costa said. “Each year, they rotate through the Asia Pacific economies. We will probably never have this opportunity again in our lifetime.
He said it is an extreme honor to be chosen over cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle and that it will offer extended opportunities to outer islands.
Approximately 2,000 business executives will attend, Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz told Kaua‘i County Council members on Wednesday. “It’s safe to say this will bring $100 million worth of media exposure for the state of Hawai‘i,” he said, adding there will be opportunities to show off the Isles’ assets by extending opportunities for the media to visit both before and after the leadership conference.
“There are no tickets for this,” Schatz said. “I’ll be lucky if I get in. It’s a high-level ministerial, federal government thing … It’s not an exposition. There’s limited booth space available. What this can be for all of us is a moment to think about how we interact with Asia.”
The mayor’s recent supplemental budget includes a line item for $25,000 for APEC to cover expenses for monthly planning meetings on O‘ahu, travel subsidy for APEC delegates to visit Kaua‘i, travel subsidy for Kaua‘i businesses chosen to participate in the Business Innovation Expo on O‘ahu, and for a sister city delegation from Russia to travel to Kaua‘i in September.
“We will be working closely with APEC committee members to find opportunities to develop member relations and toward efforts with other counties and opportunities to focus on Kaua‘i Made and value-added products,” Carvalho said.
“Our biggest asset is our natural resources: renewable energy, solar, hydro, as well as the agricultural part. We feel we need to bring this to the forefront and market these aspects.”
The Business Showcase is just one initiative the county is working on to promote Kaua‘i, Costa said. The Hawai‘i APEC website will list various accommodations, hotels, activities and companies that provide tours.
“We went into this with real high hopes we’ll be able to lure some of the leaders over to Kaua‘i,” he said. “We’ve been told don’t expect to lure leaders themselves, but maybe friends and family and the press corps.”
The islands are looking to form new sister-city relationships by researching historical ties to APEC countries.
“We have a special opportunity to create a sister city with Russia because of the connection with the Russian Fort,” Costa said. “Maui is working closely with Korea, the Big Island with Japan and O‘ahu with China … The whole idea is relationship building. Once APEC is gone, we want to continue those relationships.”
The Host Committee is urging local businesses that have unique and innovative products or services and that generate a positive impact for Hawai‘i’s business environment to become involved by submitting an application to the APEC 2011 Hawai‘i Business Innovation Showcase by June 30.
The statewide program will award 35 recognitions of excellence to companies from each county, based on population size. Kaua‘i will have three, Hawai‘i County and Maui will have six and O‘ahu 20.
Names will be submitted in July to a statewide review panel, which will select the winners from each county. Winners will be allowed to display their business at APEC.
“Exposure is the key,” Costa said. “These businesses will be able to set up a booth and have displays and be able to rub elbows with leaders and prime ministers from other economies.”
“Apply through this, plan not to get it and develop your own marketing plan,” Schatz said. “The Host Committee can provide advice. We tee it up and get out of the way.”
For more information or to download an application, visit www.apec2011hawaii.com. For more information about APEC, visit www.apec.org.
5 things you can do to prepare for APEC
1. Learn about the 21 APEC economies in order to identify opportunities and market potential. A fact sheet is available for review at www.uhero.hawaii.edu.
2. Prepare your publicity material, such as media kits, news releases and media fact sheets. If you have a story that would be of interest to international news media, send a copy of your press release to www.apec2011hawaii.com/contact-us.
3. Look for business opportunities with the Host Committee, that is issuing requests for proposals for various service that will be needed at APEC.
4. Consider volunteering or donating a product. For information on volunteer opportunities, contact www.apec2011hawaii.com/business-partnerships.
5. Get on the APEC 2011 Hawai‘i mailing list to stay on top of developments, business opportunities, training programs and other news.
