MINUTES OF THE COMMISSION ON THE 13TH FESTIVAL OF
PACIFIC ARTS & CULTURE (FestPAC) MEETINGMONDAY, APRIL 29TH, 2024 AT 03:00 P.M.
HYBRID VIA ZOOMCommission Members Present were:
Kalani KaʻanāʻanāSnowbird Bento
Māpuana de Silva
Stacy FerreiraSen. Jarrett Keohokāhole
Jamie Lum-Makana McClellan
Rep. Richard Onishi-

Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA)
Community
Community
Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA)
Hawaiʻi State Senate
Department of Business, Economic Development,and Tourism (DBEDT)
Governor’s Designee
Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives

Elise Amemiya
Maka Casson-Fisher-

Office of the Attorney General
Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA)

Aaron J. Salā
Makanani SalāHaku Bolacito-

Andrew Lockwood
June Matsumoto-

Festival Director, Gravitas Pasifika
Gravitas Pasifika
Community Affairs Specialist, Office of theGovernor of Hawaiʻi
President, Pacific Islands Institute (PII)
Vice President Sales, Pacific Islands Institute(PII)

Staff:Guests:

Apologies:
Shanty Asher-

City & County of Honolulu

CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Chair Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā (Chair) at 3:03pm, who welcomedeveryone present via ZOOM.
WEHENA
Chair Kaʻanāʻanā called upon Commissioner McClellan to give the wehena (opening), who theninvited guest speaker Haku Bolacito to present a pule (Hawaiian prayer) to the commission.
Bolacito then recited “He pule Ho'omaika'i i ka wa'a; asking for guidance and protection toMinutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, April 29, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.
Page 2 of 7

navigate the journey ahead of us;” that being FestPAC.
ATTENDANCE
Chair Kaʻanāʻanā and Commissioners Bento, de Silva, Ferreira, Lum, McClellan, and Onishi
were present. Comissioner Keohokāhole arrived late. Commissioner Asher was excused prior.
Staff Member Casson-Fisher, Festival Director Aaron Salā, and Deputy AG Elise Amemiya,
were also present via Zoom.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON AGENDA ITEMS
Chair Kaʻanāʻanā invited public members attending the ZOOM call to testify on any agenda
items. Hearing and seeing none, Chair proceeded to the next agenda item.
REPORT ON PERMITTED INTERACTIONS, PURSUANT TO ACT 103, SESSIONLAWS OF HAWAIʻI 2021
Chair noted neither an Admin or Venue Committee meeting took place between commission
meetings. Hearing and seeing no further permitted interactions from the commission, Chaircontinued to the next agenda item.
APPROVAL OF THE APRIL 15th, 2024 MEETING MINUTES
The minutes were previously distributed and reviewed by Commissioners. Chair Kaʻanāʻanārequested a motion to adopt the April 15th, 2024 minutes. Commissioner Bento then requested
corrections to be made to the minutes, to which Chair took a roll call vote to adopt the minutes asamended. Commissioners Bento, Ferreira, Lum, McClellan, and Onishi voted in favor ofadopting the minutes as amended for the April 15th 2024 meeting.
PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND/OR ACTION REGARDING THE FESTIVAL
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Festival Director (FD) Salā presented updates on programming, followed by operations
marketing, and community engagement promotions.
FestPAC will be featured at the fiftieth anniversary exhibition at Capitol Modern with art
installations commenced. A “Our Sea of Islands” exhibit is also in process at Capitol Modern.
FD then shared thanks to Karen Ewald, executive director of the State Foundation on Culture andArts for the work her and her team have been doing with Gravitas Pasifika (GP). Their intent isfor these exhibitions to be completed by the end of May with a soft opening event, then a grandopening in early June, with dates pending.
Te Puhi Ariki, daughter of Te Arikinui Tūheitia Paki (current Māori monarch), and the King’s
staff from Aotearoa (New Zealand) visited in the week prior to this meeting to do site visits onbehalf of their delegation arriving in June, as well as to discuss the traditional leaders
engagement and young pacific leaders engagement. FD then recognized Makanani Salā of theGP team and Commissioner McClellan for making an opportunity for the First Lady to meetwith Te Puhi Ariki and Ngira Simmonds of Te Kīngitanga of Aotearoa. He then recognized
Chair for his availability to meet with dignitaries from Aotearoa. Preparations have taken place

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, April 29, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.
Page 3 of 7for the upcoming Traditional Leaders Summit and its contents, programming for the Young
Pacific Leaders engagement, as well as site visits to ascertain the work for their ground events inHawaiʻi in June.
An anticipated 225 dancers are in preparation for the FestPAC opening ceremonies withrepresentation from all of islands, including Lāna'i and Moloka'i.
A final deadline has been set for the heritage arts intake form and delegation list for April 13th.
FD then noted the SPC asked of GP that very morning to extend to the end of the week, to which
he was able to secure said date. He then stated they cannot guarantee that they will be able toaccommodate any requests thereafter.
The website program overview is live as of this meeting date. As of the week prior, informationon the high level program overview has been made live. The program schedule itself will go life
on May 1st upon receiving all intake forms. The program schedule will include times, dates, andspecific locations. Chair then noted to commissioners that participants would have to register toevents in order to have access to further information regarding events.
As this festival is meant to showcase the work of delegates’ cultural practitioners, members of
the Council of Pacific Arts and Culture, along with those countries’ guests. The goal is for eachdelegation to be highlighted and privileged in each room and event, with participants receiving
VIP or reserved seating at each event.
Using the online portal, when users visit the program tab on the festival website, there is ahighlights package of what each program will be comprised. FD then provided a tutorial of how
to register to participate in the festival events using the online site. On the programs page, moreprogramming information has been provided to the public that was previously released to theheads of delegation for review. For instance, Ho'ike'ike Performing Arts is made up of heritage,
dance, live music, theater, oratorical arts, choral performance, film, and new media. By May 1st,
there will be an additional feature that takes users to the profiles of the program leads, withdescriptions of each program, their locations, and schedule. The opportunity to engage withspecific programs at the convention center will be at no cost, however event registration isrequired, accounting for the total number of visitors across venues.
FD Salā then spoke on operations, with acknowledgement to Ryan Kanakaole at the Departmentof Land and Natural Resources and his team. Tree felling and timber harvesting for all thefestival village hale (houses) has been completed. They are now in the process of preparing all of
the hale pieces for transport and installment, beginning May 31st. FD then acknowledged the Cityand County of Honolulu, who will be working with GP to haul lumber from Waimanalo to theconvention enter in due course.
The Department of Transportation has made a request to DLNR for a container storage site atPier 23 and Honolulu Harbor. FD acknowledged all entities assisting on the biosecurity fronthighlighting Dre Kalili and Darcy Oishi for their work handling containers as they arrive.
Regarding collaborations with the University of Hawaiʻi, GP is working with UH to allow theMinutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, April 29, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.
Page 4 of 7Marine Education Training Center to be utilized for the purpose of biosecurity checks on WA’Aas they arrive. Voyagers from French Polynesia, specifically the Cook Islands, will be sailing toMETC for biosecurity checks and treatment if necessary. FD and team are now in the final stagesof details of the METC for FestPAC. The housing contract with UH for delegate
accommodations has been completed. The Stan Sheriff contract and METC contract will bemade into a single effective agreement with DBEDT. FD then shared that Commissioner Lum aswell as Makanani Salā of GP have been in conversation with UH regarding these requests. The
Pacific Islands Institute (PII) and GP’s accommodations team has been actively assigningdelegations to their respective housing.
There have been additional delegation requests for local materials to impact their individual
success over the course of the festival. These country requests are being fielded directly by
FestPAC’s program leads, with any lengthy requests being brought back to the Festival Providerteam. Overall conversations between countries and program leads has been positive.
Regarding marketing and promotion, Star Advertiser will be releasing a 36 page insert to bedisseminated in the June 2nd Sunday edition publishing. This will include an overrun of thefestival events and programming. This will be the only available hard copy as one of the goals of
the Council for Pacific Arts and Cultures is to be “as green as possible,” however FD and teamhave found an overarching hard copy program to be valuable. They are partnering with StarAdvertiser that are now in conversation with GP and partners, subcontractors, venues, andsponsors. As of this meeting date, an event streaming proposal was received by GP from major
tv stations and ‘Olelo. The Chair has committed the commission team to the live-streaming
major events; the WA’A arrival ceremony, opening and closing ceremonies, ecumenical service,
the main festival stage, and lastly daily highlight reel packages. Details are in-process and adecision will be made to the Administrative Committee by week’s end.
Chair then iterated to the commission that they have committed to the task of handling thefestival broadcast content. Content shared with countries will be made available in a limited way,with the commission retaining the copyright. This would allow for countries and members thatcannot attend to have access to engage and interact with larger events.
FD Salā continued. Press releases on venues were sent out on April 25th, with a press release onexpos set for this meeting date. The expo is inclusive of local Pacific countries, as well as local
profit and nonprofit organizations participating in the festival. The placement of the expo will bein the main corridor and hallways of the third floor. An anticipated total of 60 to 65 booths are
expected for the festival event. FD then made a reminder that the festival village and expo will
be closed on the 9th for the ecumenical service, and to honor the Sabbath.
FD Salā then acknowledged the mayor’s office of Culture in the Arts from the city and county ofHonolulu with TheBus placards being featured on public bus routes starting on May 1st.
Regarding community engagement, FD acknowledged Melissa Sanders of the Native Hawaiian
Hospitality Association (NaHHA), working in collaboration with the SPC, gathering volunteers
for FestPAC. The festival volunteers will be composed of locals, Pacific Islanders in diaspora,assisting over the course of the event. Trainings are set to be held in May. FD then gave thanks

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, April 29, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.
Page 5 of 7to Commissioners Onishi and Keohokāhole for providing a “Save-the-Date” update to legislators
on May 1st, with a specific program schedule detailing all major events sent out via email shortlythereafter.
GP and team have been working with the governor’s office constituent services to reach out tocommunity town halls regarding FestPAC. GP has held prior town halls primarily for theMicronesian community. They have been meeting with Consular Corps monthly, with their next
meeting set for May 13th. A presentation will be held at the We Are Sāmoa festival at thePolynesian Cultural Center to continue promoting the event and volunteer opportunities to thepublic. Volunteer training is intended to be held by GP’s team, covering pacific cultural etiquetteas well as Native Hawaiian and local cultural etiquette prior to hosting delegates.
Chair Kaʻanāʻanā then shared to the commission that if there were any stakeholder groups they
considered to reach out to regarding FestPAC participation, that they would be welcome topresent themselves as commissioners to present on the matter. He referenced recent visitor
industry summit events with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and Travel andTourism Assistance (TTRA) where he presented about the festival. Chair reiterated if thecommission has any community based organizations or stakeholder groups in mind, to inform
him if they should present to said groups.
FD Salā had made prior mention of the agreement with Kamehameha Schools (KS) that heexpects to review with the administrative committee within the week. FD then gave
acknowledgment to Randy Fong of Ho'okahua and his team for their efforts to coordinate theupcoming symposia event and wa'a arrival ceremony.
Chair Kaʻanāʻanā then asked if a signed agreement with the Stan Sheriff Center has been
completed, to which FD Salā deferred to Makanani Salā of GP and Commissioner Lum torespond on the matter. Lum then shared a meeting had taken place in the week prior regarding
the facilities' usage, parking, ticketing, et cetera. She then stated the request to additionallyutilize METC would need to be brought together into one agreement with UH, however, thisagreement is in progress, and near completion.
Makanani Salā then added that the committee has been speaking with UH at every opportunity,
recognizing Jayme Mokulehua of GP for her collaborative work. In the last meeting, ticketing
was a major point of discussion, with details being finalized for the agreement which could thenbe added to the athletics contract.
Chair then expressed to the commission that he was unsure if UH has confirmed the Stan Sherriff
Center for opening, closing, and ecumenical venue for use. Commissioner Lum affirmed that thiswould be a direct request to DBEDT, and that she has been in contact with UH President
Lassner’s office with emphasis from their standpoint of how important this is.
Commissioner Keohokāhole then inquired if he would need to reach out to the president, towhich Chair reiterated a meeting had already taken place to obtain the venue for these threeevents. Being inclusive of ticketing, parking, security in a single agreement may have beencausing the delay. Chair then responded to Keohokāhole that he would not need to. With noMinutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, April 29, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.
Page 6 of 7

further questions, Chair proceeded to the next agenda item.
PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND/OR ACTION REGARDING ADMINISTRATIVECOMMITTEE UPDATEThe committee did not meet between commission meetings, however in the April 15 2024
FestPAC commission meeting, the topic of New Caledonia (NC) delegation size exceeding the100 person capacity. Chair Kaʻanāʻanā invited Commissioner Lum to speak on this matter. She
then shared the committee was unable to discuss this topic in a prior meeting on April 8th. She
then requested to discuss this matter with the commission.
Chair then inquired to FD Salā if New Caledonia were to self-fund for additional delegation
members past the 100 person capacity, if the commission currently has the space within its
current lodging accommodations. FD then responded that Pacific Islands Institute (PII) has beenworking to secure additional lodging. June Matsumoto and Andrew Lockwood of PII responded
that they have 42 additional beds as part of the original hold requests. At present, the additional
self-funded delegate members would need to be accommodated in a hotel.
Commissioner Keohokāhole then shared that he a significant amount of conversation during
CPAC meetings pertained to the desire of delegation groups exceeding capacity. Expressingconcern for fairness, Keohokāhole stated he was inclined to concur with Chair’s
recommendation to allow the capacity to be passed for NC, with additional members being selffunded. Commissioner de Silva added that she agreed if NC were to bring additional delegates,
they would need to self fund to be protective of future FestPAC host country capacities, inaddition to the dynamic of Maui residents facing living necessity and housing challenges.
Chair then moved to deny NC’s request for Hawaiʻi to fund an additional 42 members past the100 person limit, and to still allow a 142 person capacity based on the space PII and team havewithin their blocked off rooms. Chair motioned. Commissioner Lum seconded. Chair made a rollcall vote. Commissioners Bento, de Silva, Ferreira, Keohokāhole, Lum, McClellan, and Onishi
voted in agreement. Motion passed.
Commissioner de Silva asked is anyone on the GP team or in the administrative committee
would be able to confirm if there would be a deadline for payment. Chair responded by asking ofGP to prepare an answer for the next meeting, or email communication to report on in the nextpublic commission session.
Mikki-Tae Tapara of Aoteaora then made an inquiry to FD Salā regarding the accredited artists
and practitioners of the official country delegations to be prioritized in the fiscal programming,and how would public be able to access this information. He also asked for those that wish to beinvolved as a speaker in any of the symposiums or conferencing if a public arts program would
be able to participate in the event. FD Salā responded that the public has access to the festival asattendees, with delegates being participants. They would need to be registered in the online
portal as a public member to access and attend these events. For cultural practitioners that aren’ta part of official delegations, they would attend as guests, and not participants. Tapara thanked
FD Salā for his response. Chair then asked of the public for further questions. Hearing and seeing
none, he proceeded to the next agenda item.

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, April 29, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.
Page 7 of 7

PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND/OR ACTION REGARDING VENUES AND
PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE UPDATE
Chair deferred the agenda item as there was no meeting of the venues and programming
committee.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON AGENDA ITEMS
Chair Kaʻanāʻanā invited public testimony. Hearing and seeing none, Chair proceeded to thenext agenda item.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Chair announced that the next meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 13th 2024 at 3:00pm via
Zoom, with wehena (opening) by Commissioner Lum.

Arrangements have been made based on the last commission meeting for Bonita Chang of theethics commission to provide a virtual presentation for 20 minutes on state ethics at the next
commission meeting, with a focus on receiving gifts. Chair then made a reminder to thecommission to file their gift disclosures by May 31st.
Hearing no further announcements, the Chair asked for unanimous consent to adjourn themeeting, at 3:52PM
Respectfully Submitted,Jun 25, 2024

Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā
ChairDate