5 Reasons Why Meeting Profs Love Hawaii

The pristine beaches of the Hawaiian islands, regardless of which of the seven inhabited islands sourced, have likely been the largest draw of the destination since the inception of Hawaii’s tourism industry. No hard sell is required—such an enticing incentive can only be understated.

Hawaiian cuisine is unique, culturally multi-faceted and ever-changing. While seafood is an obvious staple, the influx of other cultures has introduced food items such as spam and pineapple, which to the surprise of many are not indigenous, lending an unexpected flare to the Hawaiian culinary scene, which continues to push local chefs into new territories.

CSR is embedded in Hawaii’s roots. Hawaii is home to an endless selection of activities focused on eco-tourism and provides planners with the opportunity to allow attendees to embrace concepts including sustainability and renewable energy through various programs and tours such as those provided by Hawaiian Legacy Tours.

Diverse landscapes, including Maui’s Upcountry and the towering Haleakala National Park—a dormant volcano standing 10,023 feet above sea level, spanning over 30,000 acres of scenic public land. Visitors can traverse the red-hued rocky desert-like areas near the volcano’s summit or lush waterfalls outside the town of Hana.

Scuba, golf and surfing headline Hawaii’s list of activities, but only scratch the surface of possible adventures. Groups can hit the links at Maui’s Ka’anapali Golf Course, visit the picturesque scenes of several Hollywood blockbusters, including “Jurassic Park” and “Hook” during an ATV adventure in Kuai.

A Big Island Story

There’s something about an uplifting father-son story that casts an allure beckoning our attention. Meet Chef Jayson Kanekoa and his son Ocean—the father and son duo that snapped into action three years ago on Hawaii’s Big Island as the world came under the grips of the Covid-19 pandemic, combining their culinary powers and entrepreneurial spirit to rally around local farms and members of the community at risk of going without.

Chef Jayson, who is the executive chef at Marriott Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa takes pride in sourcing roughly 90% of the ingredients used in the resort’s kitchen from local farms, but when the hospitality industry came under lockdown, then-14-year-old Ocean recognized the urgency in supporting these local farms and helping to feed the community. “We had shut down the hotel and closed for business, but my father’s true concern was for the farmers and a lot of the vendors on the big island,” said Jaydene Kanekoa, senior marketing manager at Marriott Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa—and Chef Jayson’s daughter.

Stepping Up for the Greater Good

The situation struck a true sense of urgency in Ocean, says Kanekoa. “They came home, and we were talking and he said ‘we need to do something,’ so we started Pa’ina by Ocean,” she says, noting that the meaning of Pa’ina in Hawaiian is to form a gathering and come together to celebrate. Getting Pa’ina by Ocean off the ground required the young son to venture around the island to the various vendors that typically supplied local hotels and started assembling community agricultural boxes in the form of meal kits and began selling them throughout the community at a reasonable rate to help sustain local vendors.

As the program progressed, enhanced the boxed meal kits with custom recipes. “It was really to help people avoid buying produce aimlessly and then letting it go to waste,” she said, adding that the meal kit options also included proteins from local farmers and fishermen. The program has since ceased operations as pandemic restrictions have been lifted and business has resumed.

Success Family Style

Ocean’s notoriety as an up-and-coming chef soon gained national attention, and in 2021, he was picked up by the series Top Chef for the show’s Family Style edition, a spin-off from Top Chef Junior. Overseen by head judge and celebrity chef Marcus Samuelson and hosted by Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter and TV personality, Meghan Trainor, the format of Top Chef: Family Style paired a junior chef with an adult and inexperienced family member. “I was my brother’s partner,” Kanekoa said, adding that her father had too much culinary experience and their other sister is a culinary teacher at a local high school, essentially barring them from competing on the show. “I was the black sheep that was not good in the kitchen, so we got to do that season of Top Chef.”

Chef Jayson’s over 30 years of culinary experience on the Big Island, coupled with Ocean’s status as an emerging talent and his embrace of Hawaii’s culinary tradition, has garnered the attention of event planners who are looking to wow attendees with the father-son duo, “which is pretty unique,” she said.

“We’ve done tastings for different groups, and they end up falling in love with the little kid who can cater an entire dinner for them because he’s literally in the action and doing everything,” Kanekoa said.

Embracing the Next Generation

One way Ocean is pursuing to meet this goal is by inspiring the next generation of culinary professionals to embrace agriculture and the culinary world—which can be a very tangible and crucial factor to destinations dependent on tourism dollars such as Hawaii. Culinary programs hosted at various schools including junior colleges, have seen moderate attendance figures in the years preceding the pandemic with attendance having dropped to a fraction of that since Covid.

“Chef Jayson has reiterated this several times that you can only hope that your child takes and interest in something and really wants to pursue it with passion,” she says. “Being in the kitchen and being in the culinary arts is hard,” adding that Chef Jayson’s mission was to guide Ocean while letting him choose his own path. “From a father’s point-of-view, he’s very proud of what he’s accomplished so far.