The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) and Mana Up today announced the launch of a Hawai‘i-themed pop-up retail shop featuring Hawai‘i products at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. Named the Aloha Market powered by Mana Up, the pop-up shop is set to open its doors on November 15, bringing a slice of Hawai‘i's vibrant culture, natural beauty, and tropical flair to the gateway to Tokyo.
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At the Hawaiian Airlines 10th Annual Made in Maui County Festival, every small business owner has a unique story. For married Troy and Bea Morrison of TBM Creations, it involves the COVID-19 pandemic and the Lahaina fire. In 2020, when Bea Morrison lost her job at the front desk of the Hyatt due to the tourism shutdown, the couple began a side hustle creating custom art pieces — trinket dishes, cutting boards, skateboards, surfboards and ornaments — using Troy’s woodworking skills and Bea’s designs with epoxy resin and pigment in the colors of the beach and sea.
Maui small businesses hit by this summer’s wildfires are getting financial support to participate in this year’s Hawaiian Airlines Made in Maui County Festival on November 3 and 4, 2023 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s (DBEDT) Community-Based Economic Development (CBED) program is providing $65,000 in grants to cover booth fees for vendors. The Hawaiian Airlines Made in Maui County Festival is an annual event presented by the Maui Chamber of Commerce to showcase products from the islands of Maui, Moloka‘i, and Lāna‘i.
The State of Hawai‘i Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) has been awarded a $3.2 million dollar grant from the Department of Defense, Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation. Through the grant funding, DBEDT will establish a Military and Community Affairs Office which will focus on effective collaboration and transparency between the State of Hawai‘i, county governments, the community and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) is recruiting Hawai‘i companies to promote and sell Hawai‘i-made products at the Autumn 2023 Tokyo International Gift Show (TIGS).
Navigating the post-pandemic economy while dealing with the devastation caused by the recent Maui wildfires has created many unforeseen challenges for Hawaiʻi's small businesses. In an effort to give local small business owners extra support during these times, the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism is holding a free business fair Saturday, Sept. 16 at Leeward Community College.
Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), and Innovate Hawaii/HTDC recently held Small Business Resource Seminars on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island and an on-line session for Maui. Programs like CBED, EZ, HiSTEP, MAP, MEP, SBIR were presented to the small business community and provided an overview of possibilities to help and grow their business.
Keith Amemiya has recently been appointed as chair of Governor Green’s Sports Task Force, which is under the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT). Amemiya was the executive director of the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association and has served on the Honolulu Police Commission, Hawai‘i Board of Education, and Aloha Stadium Authority Board. He is currently the Senior Vice President of Community Relations at Central Pacific Bank as well as the President of the Downtown Athletic Club of Hawai‘i.
The popular Hawaiʻi Small Business Fair returns to help local entrepreneurs launch and grow their companies in a post-pandemic economy and the state’s new business landscape. Business owners are invited to participate in the free event on Saturday, September 16, 2023, at Leeward Community College from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
In a major step towards making Hawaiʻi more green, resilient, and affordable, the Hawaiʻi Green Infrastructure Authority (HGIA) has been appropriated $50 million for Solar PV+Battery financing in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. This funding will enhance HGIA's capacity to make rooftop solar and energy storage accessible to ALICE (asset-limited, income-constrained employed) families statewide, helping them to reduce their energy bills and carbon emissions while enhancing grid-wide reliability.