Outrigger Welcomes Travel Media. Aloha and Mahalo, Elizabeth Ramos. July 7, 2007

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1 July 7, 2007 Aloha and Mahalo, Elizabeth Ramos By Kathy Oyadomari On June 28, the Outrigger ohana gathered to bid aloha to Elizabeth Ramos, who retired after 36 years of dedicated service. Barry Wallace, Dr. Chuck Kelley, and Dean Nakasone expressed their appreciation on behalf of Outrigger Hotels & Resorts for her hard work and contribution and presented her with gifts of aloha and recognition. Elizabeth is one of the original employees hired to work at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel when it opened in She worked as a Laundry Attendant for seven years, before transferring to Housekeeping. Elizabeth will miss the many friendships she has developed over the years and wishes her coworkers the best. In her retirement, Elizabeth plans to spend more time with her six children and 14 grandchildren. She is also looking forward to traveling with her family to Las Vegas which will be her first trip to the mainland. Outrigger/OHANA Hotels & Resorts is very proud of Elizabeth for her years of dedication and service and wishes her the very best in her retirement. Mahalo and a hui hou! Virgie Asakawa, Dean Nakasone, Dr. Chuck Kelley, Elizabeth Ramos, Barry Wallace, and Pam Yagi Outrigger Welcomes Travel Media By Barry Wallace (Dr. Richard Kelley is traveling. His column will return next week.) Last week, Waikiki played host to nearly 100 travel journalists who were in town to participate in the June Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) Western Chapter conference. Now in its 50 th year, SATW Barry Wallace is an association of travel writers, newspaper and magazine editors, guidebook writers, photographers, and public relations professionals, with a membership in excess of 1,300 worldwide. The Western Chapter is the largest and most prolific of five regional groups, consistently producing more travel articles than the organization s other chapters. The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, Outrigger Enterprises Group, and other industry partners took advantage of this exciting opportunity to showcase to this influential group the exciting changes that are now revitalizing Waikiki and re-establishing Oahu as a worldclass destination. The evening of June 27, Outrigger Enterprises Group hosted a reception for the group on the Grand Lanai of the Embassy Suites - Waikiki Beach Walk Hotel. This was our opportunity to show off to a captive audience of top travel journalists Continued on page 7 Page 1

2 Happy Birthday! July 23: Su Lian L. Xu, Nelia G. Navarro, and Julia R. W. Liang. July 24: Timoteo L. Orifon Jr., Yoon Kyo Yi, Dennis C. Maher, Patricia L. H. Blezard, Naanise Lotulelei, Marco L. Martinez, and Kathleen Dehne. July 25: Caroline A. Piano Suetos, Wesley P. Lucas, Ben S. Melchor, Gerald Taragos, Kristy J. I. Lum, and Rita A. Gleave. July 26: Glenn S. C. Goo, Pono T. Padilla, Shao King L. Lui, Cecilia S. K. C. Yip, Kaipo E. H. K. Ho, and Jinfeng Han. July 27: Chad A. Nakagawa, Alfredo B. Yadao, and Kristen Cross. July 28: Carolyn S. B. Aquino, Kathy K. Sylvester, Florence C. Corrales, Josephine L. Pascual, and Nicholas T. Hall. July 29: Jonelle A. Taira-Kakutani, Georgette C. Defrenchi, Wendy S. Vasconcellos, Daisy L. W. Tong, and Jenny L. C. Pang. Employment Opportunities If you are interested in the positions listed below and meet the qualifications, please submit an in-house application obtained from your Supervisor or Human Resources. If you have any questions, please call Eric Ishikawa at (808) Application deadline for the following positions is July 13, Director of Projects (Full Time) Will provide leadership for design and construction activities related to the renovation of hotel guest rooms and public spaces. Must have experience in managing all aspects of a renovation project, including communication with FF&E manufacturers and vendors, monitoring and assuring compliance of design, meeting multiple brand standards, adhering to schedule and budget, and coordination with hotel managers and department heads. A bachelor s degree in Construction Management, Interior Design, or construction-related field, or equivalent experience required. Resort Accountant (Full Time) Must have at least three years accounting experience, preferably in the hotel/ resort industry, be computer literate in word processing and spreadsheets, and have 10-key by touch skills. Business/bachelor s degree in Accounting preferred. Kona Hawaiian Resort Front Desk Clerk (Full Time) Must have at least one year customer service and cashiering experience. Must also be able to multi-task, be proficient in MS Word, and 10-key by touch, and be flexible to work any shift and day. Timeshare experience preferred. Interested applicants may fax their in-house application to (808) Mauna Loa Village by the Sea Housekeeping Manager (Full-time) A minimum of two years supervisory experience in Housekeeping required. Must possess excellent communication, organizational, and motivational skills. Must also be flexible to work any shift and day. Interested applicants may fax their in-house application to (808) Political Fundraisers By Lehua Kala i If you are interested in obtaining information regarding Hawaii politics, call the OHH PAC Hotline at and leave a message on the recorder. Tuesday, July 10 Senate President Colleen Hanabusa District 21 Kahe Point, Nanakuli, Maili, Waianae, and Makaha 5:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Disabled Veterans Hall (DAV) 2685 N. Nimitz Highway Tuesday, July 10 Representative Glenn Wakai District 31 Moanalua Valley, Moanalua, and Salt Lake 5:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. YWCA 1040 Richards Street Tuesday, July 10 Representative Sharon Har District 40 Royal Kunia, Makakilo, and Kapolei 5:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Matters of Taste at Gentry Pacific Design Center 560 N. Nimitz Highway (across from Sam Choy s BLC) is published by and for employees of Outrigger Enterprises Group. Editor-In-Chief: Richard Kelley Senior Editor: Marie Casciato Assistant Editor: Lehua Kala`i Contributing Writers: Employees of Outrigger Enterprises Group Visit us online at: or Submit suggestions, comments, and news tidbits to Marie Casciato at marie.casciato@outrigger.com or via interoffice mail to OEH/Executive Office, or contact her at (808) Outrigger Hotels Hawaii An Equal Opportunity Employer Page 2

3 The Outrigger Regency on Beachwalk had the privilege to welcome Olympic medalist and current Decathlon World- Champion Bryan Clay and his family during their visit to the islands. Bryan, a graduate of a Castle High School (class of 1998), was the Silver Medalist at the 2004 Olympics. He is also the 2005 World Outdoor champion; a two-time USA Outdoor champion ( 04, 05); the 2004 World Indoor Silver Medalist; the 2000 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) champion; and a two-time NAIA Long jump champion. Bryan was kind enough to take a picture with members of the ohana. Bryan Clay Visits the Islands By Wincy Tam Outrigger on the Lagoon - Fiji Bula Serenaders By Una Murray The Outrigger on the Lagoon - Fiji Bula Serenaders Timoci Qimanavanua, Savenaca Nadriwa, and MetuiselaTabua Wincy Tam, Olympian Bryan Clay, Frank Agaepao, and Kristen Bucao The Outrigger on the Lagoon - Fiji Bula Serenaders were recently selected to sing lively Fijian songs for boarding Air Pacific passengers. The serenaders were videotaped by the Air Pacific Sales & Marketing crew on June 20 at our resorts Bebe Spa and Sundowner deck. Air Pacific plans on using the taped footage for at least the next year. The segments will be rotated monthly and shown on three types of aircraft, 737, 767, and 747. This is a wonderful achievement for these very talented performers. Page 3

4 Congratulations and thank you to everyone who helped us reach our pint goal on Wednesday, June 27, at the OHANA East Blood Drive. With your help, we collected 50 pints of blood. These pints will be separated into its three components (red blood cells, plasma, and platelets) to treat life threatening medical problems. You generously donated enough blood to save 150 lives! To those of you who were deferred, a huge mahalo for your attempt! Your willingness to try is just as good as giving! Please don t give up! June 27 Blood Drive Results Appointments 55 Registered Donors 57 Pints Drawn 50 First-time Donors 7 Deferred Donors 7 Jenny Pang and Masako Sawyer If you were unable to make it to the drive, or were deferred and would like to try again, contact Marie Miyahira at for an appointment at an upcoming Waikiki Drive near you. Congratulations to Cari Coates who won the Raffle at the drive! Continued on page 5 Lifesaver Club By Dr. Chuck Kelley and Marie Miyahira Debbie Murakami, Walter Tolentino, and Mel Kaneshige Standing: Kevin Wong and Lorry Ijima Sato Sitting: Suzanne Lee and Larry Pascua Raffle winner Cari Coates Robert Watase, Jojo Cabulera, Darnell Zablan, and Kristy Lum Page 4

5 Lifesaver Club Continued from page 4 Avery Nakamine Glenn Vergara Mercy Valdez Jennifer Hum Myra Kuboyama Suzanne Doty Jason Sewell Dennis Maher Lori Ortiz Continued on page 6 Page 5

6 Lifesaver Club Continued from page 5 Micah Ota and Talisha Waltman Page 6 Heather Doeringer and Teresa Shepherd William Bethel and Sharon Pudiquet Kalei Ohia and her daughter Kanoe Patrice Shibuya and Monica Kauhane Leonida Lumanta and Tara DeSantiago Brian Fong and Dr. Chuck Kelley

7 Outrigger Welcomes Travel Media Continued from page 1 and PR professionals the beauty of the new Embassy Suites - Waikiki Beach Walk Hotel, the range of exciting shops and restaurants at the just-opened Waikiki Beach Walk, and the expanded portfolio of Outrigger-managed hotels, condominiums, and all-suite resorts throughout Hawaii. The Grand Lanai, already a stunning setting, was the perfect venue for the event. Food tents were set up between the planters, special lighting was brought in to highlight the palms, seating was scattered around the pool deck, and a stage was set up for the performances of dance and music. Guests were greeted by the keiki of Hula Halau Na Mamo O Ka ala, who gave each guest a special kukui nut lei that had been hand-strung by an Outrigger employee. SATW delegates were delighted to read the tag on their individual lei that showed the name, department, and photo of the employee who had taken a few moments of his or her time to sew the lei especially for that guest. On arrival, the photographers in the group were captivated by the young halau members and quickly brought out their cameras to capture the beautiful smiles and lovely faces of the keiki. The cameras kept clicking later in the evening when the keiki performed several hula to everyone s delight. Also delighting the audience was Taimane Gardner, who enthralled everyone with her extraordinary ukulele and singing talents. This 18-year-old literally brought conversations to a halt, as everyone s attention was riveted on the stage for the entire half hour she performed. In addition to a stunning setting and amazing entertainment, SATW members and guests were treated to delectable offerings from four of Waikiki Beach Walk s restaurants Roy s Waikiki, Yard House, Holokai Grill, and Ruth s Chris Steak House. The restaurants really wowed the crowd with samplings from their menus, with everyone going back for seconds and thirds. And many of the writers pulled out their pens and writing tablets for a quick interview when they discovered Chef Roy Yamaguchi was at the Roy s Waikiki tent. Mel Kaneshige also took to the stage to provide a brief overview of Waikiki Beach Walk. I spoke of the Outrigger ohana s commitment to hospitality and also highlighted the exciting changes we have seen with new properties and brands added to our inventory. Bob Yeoman concluded the evening s comments by welcoming everyone to the beautiful Embassy Suites - Waikiki Beach Walk Hotel. Continued on page 8 Pattie Furtado, Lois Shore, John Limper (Director of Marketing for the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, which was the host hotel for the conference), Sun Bee, Chuck Shishido, and Bob Yeoman Page 7

8 Outrigger Welcomes Travel Media Continued from page 7 The event was a great success, with guests complimenting us throughout the evening on a wonderful event. As an associate member of the group and part of the SATW Western Chapter s executive committee, I also received numerous accolades the following day from many of the journalists and PR professionals who had been there. There are many people to thank who assisted in the planning and execution of this very important reception. A special mahalo to Nurhan Enustun and Mark Burson who did a tremendous job coordinating all the details involved with set-up, décor, food and beverage, and service the night of the event. Bob Yeoman, Sun Bee and the staff of Continued on page 9 Rob Solomon, Chef Roy Yamaguchi, Barbara Campbell, and freelance writer David Swanson Marty Milan of the Ala Moana Hotel, David McNeil of McNeil Wilson Communications, Franklin Andrade, and travel editor Mary Andrade Page 8

9 the Embassy Suites - Waikiki Beach Walk Hotel were also instrumental in the evening s success. Musician Roland Chang did a tremendous job pulling together a wonderful evening of entertainment, and the Waikiki Beach Walk shop owners were incredibly generous in donating items from their shops or discount coupons that were placed in a Waikiki Beach Walk bag and presented to each guest on departure. Kudos to Barbara Campbell and Conchita Malaqui for helping coordinate the gift bags. A big mahalo to Ka ipo Ho and Pila Kikuchi, who had the daunting task of organizing the kukui nut lei project, bringing the employees together, providing them with materials to string lei, and painstakingly keeping track of who made which lei so each one was labeled with the employee s name. The marketing team did a fabulous job as well, and a big mahalo to Sam Hoffman, Kathy Hansberry, Ellie Agustin, Ellen Isidro, Leina ala Webb, and intern Ian Bingham. Hosting this prominent group was a great opportunity for Outrigger and our partners. The evening at Waikiki Beach Walk was just one of many experiences these travel journalists enjoyed during their visit to Oahu, with many delegates also opting for pre- and post-conference trips to neighbor islands. With the delegates now home, we can be assured their many experiences will be shared with a broad range of readers and viewers across North America once they begin to file their stories. Outrigger Welcomes Travel Media Continued from page 8 Barry Wallace, Ellen Isidro, Ellie Agustin, and Kathy Hansberry Chuck Kelley with Cliff and Nancy Hollenbeck, a leading travel photography and film making team Rob Solomon with Ken Shapiro, Editor-In-Chief for TravelAge West Mel Kaneshige was busy with interviews during the evening. Here he is with writer Norman Sklarewitz, a columnist with Frequent Flyer Magazine, and a contributor to Elite Traveler magazine and Copley News Service. Page 9

10 Capitol Hill Oceans Week By Mary Lou Foley Through a formal agreement, Outrigger Enterprises Group has joined forces with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) to expand general public awareness about ocean conservation. This is the first partnership of its kind between NOAA and a hotel company. Over the coming months, the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort, the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach, and the Outrigger Reef on the Beach will host workshops, symposiums, and presentations in conjunction with NOAA. In addition to these on-property initiatives, NOAA invited me to participate in Capitol Hill Oceans Week, June 5-7, in Washington, D.C. My presentation: The Economics of Coastal Communities: An Island Perspective stressed the critical need of a healthy ocean environment to tourism, ocean recreation, aquaculture, and fisheries in Hawaii, Tahiti, Palau, and the Marshall Islands all areas that I have been fortunate to work in for Outrigger. It was also an opportunity to share with the audience of environmental organizations and Capitol Hill legislators and staffers, the impact of global warming, sea level rise, economic loss, and cultural extinction from an island perspective. Being in Washington also gave me an opportunity to meet with the staff at the Smithsonian s Natural History Museum about their Ocean Hall Exhibit. Former U.S. Ambassador to the Marshall Islands Greta N. Morris arranged a special visit to the White House West Wing for me. Mahalo to Allen Tom, Regional Superintendent Pacific Region, NOAA, his staff, and Outrigger for affording me the opportunity to work in Hawaii and the Pacific. Patricia Richardson, NOAA volunteer; Jean-Michel Cousteau; Mary Lou Foley; Dr. Randy Kosaki, NOAA researcher; and Allen Tom, NOAA Regional Superintendent Pacific Region Greta Morris, Former US Ambassador - Republic of the Marshall Islands; Todd Whatley of the State Department; and Marylou Foley outside the White House Page 10