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The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, Nevada’s largest economic association, and three Hawaii chamber organizations will hold a business networking event in Honolulu on Tuesday and Wednesday to share expertise on mutual community and business issues. There is.
This is the second time that the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, Maui Chamber of Commerce, and Kauai Chamber of Commerce (which has a sister city agreement with the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce) have gathered in Honolulu for the Hawaii Business Exchange Summit.
Mary Beth Sewald, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the first summit as an offshoot of the sister city chamber agreement with the Kauai Chamber of Commerce is 10 He said it was held in May.
“We share so many similarities. We are both driven by tourism, so we were affected by COVID-19. We are both driven by the workforce, etc. We’re struggling with issues, but the fact is that the Las Vegas contingent didn’t realize how much of an issue workforce is in Hawaii. Water is another issue,” Sewald said. “As you know, Las Vegas is her ninth island, so we also have a lot of tourists and residents from Hawaii. This connection means there are a lot of business opportunities between our two countries.”
Approximately 36 people, including elected officials from the state of Nevada, directors of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, and Las Vegas business leaders, traveled to Honolulu to meet with the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, political and community leaders, and to strengthen relationships. The aim is to build on this and learn from each other.
“The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Past Chamber Chairman Paul Anderson, Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Relations at Boyd Gaming, said: ”
The summit, held at the Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort, will focus on workforce development, interstate business expansion, local economic development, leveraging small business resources, health care initiatives and Hawaiian contributions, and more. The focus will be on common concerns. Community, New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District Economic Case, Economic Impact of Tourism, Community Leadership Development.
Sewald said gambling is not on the agenda, but if there is interest, it could be brought up given Las Vegas’ expertise in the area.
Mr. Seewald will be among the speakers and panelists at the session, including: Betsy Fretwell, COO of F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix; Nevada Secretary of State Franco Aguilar; Paul Anderson, Senior Vice President, Industry and Government, Boyd Gaming Corporation. Kelly Knox, Corporate Responsibility Advisor, Southwest Airlines. Out-of-state speakers include Michelle Sewell, director of development for MCON (in partnership with Military Times);
Many Hawaii leaders will also attend the summit, including State Senate President Ron Couch, who will provide an update on the bill, said Mark Perriello, president and CEO of the Kauai Chamber of Commerce. He said it was planned. He said he will also be joined by state business officials, community business leaders and chamber of commerce members.
“We have a sister city relationship with the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce starting in 2021. It really (Summit) builds on the already strong relationship between our state and its cities and extends it economically and culturally. It’s all about helping us become even stronger,” Perriello said. “Most importantly, our business now has more contacts in Las Vegas, so if they are looking to ship products or expand their market in that area, We have someone who is knowledgeable about the local economy and business community to answer your calls and help you get to market.”
Ryan Woodward, director of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and CEO of the National Institute of Technology, visited Hawaii for the first summit, but because of its value and productivity, he decided to visit Hawaii this time. said he would come back to the summit.
“There was a great understanding of the similarities between Hawaii’s economy and the Las Vegas market,” Woodward said. “I’m really looking forward to coming back to meet with my leaders again and discuss more about what we can do together.”
Woodward operates trade schools in Nevada, Arizona, and Texas that provide accelerated training in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical. He said he is interested in expanding to Hawaii because accelerating training programs there could help Maui recover.
Woodward said his interests are both practical and personal, given that he spent two years as a missionary with a church in Hawaii, including a stint in Kula, Maui.
“I would love to open a trade school in Hawaii, if that makes sense,” he said. “We’re not sending out trained electricians, but we’re sending people with enough skills that they can do the work and others can teach them.”
Anderson said Boyd Gaming made a donation to Lahaina during last year’s conference and continues to look for ways to support the community.
“One of the big issues that was going on when we were there last year was the Lahaina fire, which was very recent and was top of mind for everyone,” he said. . “Boyd Gaming has a very strong connection to the island. Mr. (Bill Boyd) and his father (Sam Boyd) are the ones who started a lot of the tours from Hawaii to Las Vegas, and now the Las Vegas It’s largely because of their efforts that we’ve become known as the 9th Island. It meant a lot to us to find a way to get involved[in helping Maui].”
