Hawaii Venue Offers New Option for Groups

Limelight Hawaiʻi, a new entertainment venue on the grounds of the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu, will help fill the void for large event venues left by the temporary closing of the Hawaii Convention Center. The transportation company Roberts Hawaii has invested $15 million into the purchase and renovation of the space, which it had previously intended to use for its Magic of Polynesia show, until that was shut down as a result of the pandemic.  

The 6,000-square-foot space can accommodate 500 guests banquet-style and up to 800 for a reception. There is on-site AV and a new Executive Chef, Jim Gillespie, with 30 years of experience at upscale Honolulu venues. The soft opening is set for March 20.

The Larger Alternative 

For larger groups, a popular choice is the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. ​​Its multipurpose arena can accommodate 8,200 attendees seated in the round. Its concert hall, which is considered to be Hawaii’s premier performing arts theater, seats 2,158, and its outdoor amphitheater, the Tom Moffatt Waikīkī Shell, seats 2,400 attendees with room on the lawn for an additional 5,500 — and a view of Diamond Head in the background. 

In addition, the Blaisdell Center has two second-floor meeting rooms, which can accommodate smaller groups of up to 72 classroom-style and 110 theater-style.

“Mini-wide” Option

The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau has also worked with organizations to create “mini-wides,” coordinating room blocks, meeting spaces, and outdoor venues within the same resort district. “These more contained settings allow planners to host coordinated multi-hotel meetings with shared programming and group activities,” said Lynn Whitehead, VP MCI global sales and marketing at the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau.

On O‘ahu, Ko Olina’s two resorts offer 500 rooms. On Maui, Wailea can support 2,200 rooms, while the Kā‘anapali resort corridor can accommodate approximately 1,600 rooms. The resorts along the Kohala Coast and in the Waikoloa area have a combined capacity of approximately 1,900 rooms.