Business Development and Support Division

Upcoming Events

The following is the current list of seminars scheduled for the 2024 HiSTEP Program:

Exporting to Australia & New Zealand from Hawaii

Thursday, July 25, 2024, 3:00PM – 4:00PM HST (Virtual Session)
For more information and to register virtually: Register Here on Zoom

Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) are potentially interesting markets for Hawaii exporters as both countries have: direct flights to the islands, strong beach and surf cultures, and a growing appetite for natural and organic products. This webinar will feature US commercial service officers and businesspeople joining us from ANZ to discuss market trends and provide insights as to how to market your products to those markets.

Exporting to Taiwan from Hawaii

Thursday, August 25, 2024, 3:00PM – 4:00PM HST (Virtual Session)
For more information and to register virtually: Register Here on Zoom

Taiwan has been growing as an export market for Hawaii companies. As a wealthy island nation with a developing beach and surf culture, Taiwan is an attractive export market for Hawaii companies. The ease of doing business in Taiwan is often ranked as one of the easiest in the world and our local companies can take advantage of the geography and longstanding cultural ties. This seminar will introduce attendees to Taiwan topics, as well as introduce key people and organizations that can help when exporting to Taiwan.

Intellectual Property Protection for Exporters

Thursday, September 5, 2024, 3:00PM – 4:00PM HST (Virtual Session)
For more information and to register virtually: Register Here on Zoom

Learn about key legal considerations as you engage your business with new partners or overseas markets. The focus will be trademarks, patents and copyrights; however. other important legal topics (such as when to use foreign counsel) will also be reviewed.

Export Day (In-Person Event)

Thursday, September 26, 2024, 1:00PM – 500PM HST (In-person event)
Foreign Trade Zone No. 9

The Export Day event will bring together key stakeholders in the Hawaii export value chain, including companies that export products and services, government, academia, logistics providers, legal, intellectual property protection, agriculture, education, and many others.

Export Plan Writing Workshop (By Invitation Only)

Thursday, October 3, 2024, 3:00PM – 4:00PM HST (By Invitation Only)
For more information and to register virtually: Register Here on Zoom

Enrollment limited
This two-part workshop will help companies develop an Export Plan specific to their business. The first workshop will review in detail a professional Export Plan template, after which the companies will have a month to do research and begin to complete out the template. The second workshop is one-on-one and will review key concepts of the Export Plan, discuss progress the companies have made on their plans, and answer any questions via a roundtable discussion. At the end of the process, the companies should have an understanding of their ability to export, areas they need to improve upon, target market(s) to address, next steps to accomplish, and key contacts to meet in order to start moving the new Export Plan forward.

Past Events

The following is a list of previous events related to the HiSTEP Export Readiness Program.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE SHOWS
Thursday, January 25, 2024, 3:00PM – 4:00PM HST (Virtual Session)
For more information and to register virtually: International Trade Shows – Virtual

International Trade Shows are being held in-person again now that the global pandemic is waning. There is a great deal of pent-up demand to meet face-to-face and display products and services available for sale. Several international trade show subsidized pavilions with Hawaii branding are being organized by DBEDT and HDOA with HiSTEP support. If you are planning to join in one of the Hawaii pavilions or if you are going to attend any other international trade show–with or without HiSTEP support–this event will teach you some things to consider that can save you time and money. We will also discuss basic booth etiquette and cultural issues, which can be quite different than attending a trade show in Hawaii or on the mainland.

Logistics and Shipping Training Webinar #1
Wednesday, April 10, 2024, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM 

• Reiko T. Rogers presents an overview of the logistics and shipping process, with rules and requirements explained step-by-step. 
• We introduce Katsuyo Delauder, representing freight forwarder Yamato Transport USA. 
• The Q&A from this and the other two webinars will be compiled into an FAQ that will be posted later on invest.hawaii.gov.
• Download the presentation deck here.
• Please view the video recording here.

Multilingual Websites, Social Media, and E-Commerce Trends for Exporters

Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 3:00PM – 4:00PM HST (Virtual Session)
For more information and to register virtually: Register Here on Zoom

The information technology (IT) used to market products and services has changed significantly in the past few years. This webinar is designed to provide the latest information about which IT platforms can be deployed at a reasonable cost to maximize returns on the time and money invested.

Logistics and Shipping Training Webinar #2
Wednesday, April 24, 2024, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM 

• Reiko T. Rogers recaps key steps of the logistics and shipping process. 
• We introduce Mayumi Yokozawa, CEO of TSC, importer of food and gift/stationery items.
• The Q&A from this and the other two webinars will be compiled into an FAQ that will be posted later on invest.hawaii.gov.
• Download the presentation deck here.
• Please view the video recording here.

Logistics and Shipping Training Webinar #3
Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM 

• Reiko T. Rogers recaps key steps of the logistics and shipping process.
• We introduce Akira Sasaki, importer of apparel and accessories for the Hankyu Hawaiʻi Fair and several other events and retailers.
• The Q&A from this and the other two webinars will be compiled into an FAQ that will be posted later on invest.hawaii.gov.
• Download the presentation deck here.
• Please view the video recording here. 

Exporting of Agricultural Products from Hawaii

Thursday, May 23, 2024, 3:00PM – 4:00PM HST (Virtual Session)
For more information and to register virtually: Register Here on Zoom

Agricultural products–including beverages and processed foods–are a growing export of the Hawaii economy. This webinar will introduce you to several federal, state, and county resources, as well as international events and activities, that are available to agricultural exporters.

Exporting to the Philippines from Hawaii

Thursday, June 20, 2024, 5:00PM – 6:00PM HST (Virtual Session)
For more information and to register virtually: Register Here on Zoom

Hawaii and the Philippines share strong cultural bonds that make the archipelago a natural market for Hawaii’s exports of product and services. This HiSTEP session will introduce Hawaii companies to organizations and people who can be helpful to establishing business in the connections. Speakers include DBEDT, the US Commercial Service in Manila, the US Foreign Agriculture Service, and others.