DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM (DBEDT)MINUTES OF THE COMMISSION ON THE 13TH FESTIVAL OF
PACIFIC ARTS & CULTURE (FESTPAC) MEETINGMONDAY, JUNE 29, 2020 AT 2:00 PM
VIA VIRTUAL APPLICATION ZOOM: VIDEO / AUDIO CONFERENCE
Commission Members Present were:
J. Kalani English, Chair
Snowbird Bento
Māpuana de Silva
Kalani Ka‘anā‘anā
Misty Kelaʻi
Jamie Lum-Monte McComberRichard Onishi-Senate President’s Designee
Community Member At-Large (arrived at 2:11pm)
Community Member At-Large
Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) Designee
City and County of Honolulu Designee
Department of Business, Economic Development
and Tourism (DBEDT)
Governor’s Designee
House Speakerʻs Designee

Jacob Aki
Amber Jacroux Bixel
Pania Brown
Jackie Burke
Maka Casson-Fisher
Eric Chang
Donalyn Dela Cruz
Jean-Emmanuel Frantz
T. Ilihia Gionson
Lynn Martin Graton
Blaine Kia
Honey Maltin-Wisot
Ngahiraka Mason
June Matsumoto
Michi Moore
Annie Reynolds
Kanoe Takitani-Puahi(MOCA)
Margo Vitarelli-Senator English’s Office
Bishop Museum-Kahookele ArtHawaiʻi Tourism Authority
East-West CenterStrategies 360-Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association-Outrigger Resorts
Strategies 360
Representative for New Zealand Delegation
Pacific Island Institute (PII)
Senate Communications Office
East-West Center
Mayor’s Office of the Culture and Arts---Margaret Ahn
Marlene Hiraoka-Attorney General
DBEDTGuests:

Staff:

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, June 29, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. via ZOOMPage 2 of 6

Selma Malcolm
Timothy Tiu

-

DBEDT
DBEDT-

Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Designee

Apologies:
Mehana Hind

CALL TO ORDER
Call to order: The meeting was called to order by Chair English on Monday, June 29, 2020, at
2:03 p.m., who welcomed everyone present via Zoom and Facebook.
APPROVAL OF JUNE 15, 2020 MEETING MINUTES
Minutes of the meeting held on June 15, 2020, were approved unamended on a motion by Mr.
McComber and seconded by Ms. de Silva.
A roll call vote was requested with the following Commissioners approving the motion: Chair
English, Rep. Onishi, Ms. de Silva, Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā, Mr. McComber, Ms. Kelaʻi, and Ms. Lum.
The motion was unanimously approved.
REPORTS
A. DBEDT Report:Ms. Lum reported that similar to what Mr. Ling reported previously, DBEDT isencumbering the remaining funds appropriated for FESTPAC for the current 2020 fiscalyear. The encumbrances include payments to the Hawaiʻi Convention Center (HCC) andStrategies 360 (S360). The license agreement with the HCC and an amended agreementwith S360 will be executed by the end of the fiscal year. Ms. Lum noted that the S360
agreement is effective until December 31, 2020. Ms. Lum also reported that DBEDT isin discussions with PAʻI Foundation to finalize the amount of funds that will be applied
to venue costs at the HCC.
Ms. Lum also reported that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), who earlier approved$100,000 to support FESTPAC, was informed that the FESTPAC dates were postponed
until 2024. OHA informed Ms. Lum that its leadership decided that because of theuncertainties of their own funding, they are unable to commit to financially contributing
to the Festival at this time; however, they are committed to supporting the Festival going
forward.

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, June 29, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. via ZOOMPage 3 of 6B. Commissioners Report:
Chair English asked Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā to deliver the Commissioners report. Mr.
Ka‘anā‘anā reported that similar to what Ms. Lum reported, they worked with HCC tosolidify an agreement. He also reported that he has an inventory of old FESTPAC
merchandise that is currently stored in his office.
Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā also reported that he will be drafting request for proposals that will berevised based upon final funding from the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA). Ms. deSilva has been working with the Pacific Community (SPC) regarding creating a hybrid
Festival. Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā also presented a written report on the communication plan.
Ms. de Silva, Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā and Ms. Maltin-Wisot have been working with the SPC onissuing a press release regarding new the FESTPAC dates. Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā expressed theimportance of working in tandem with them. He said that everyone had an opportunity tomake edits to the release including Ms. Kuiniselani Tago-Elisara and Ms. Luisa Mavoa
from the SPC. They are currently waiting for the French and Hawaiian translations andwould like to issue the press release in all three languages at the same time. In addition,
he is working on a social media plan and expressed that all communication will bedistributed at the same time.
Ms. de Silva stated that a Working Group meeting is set for July. It is challenging andinteresting because there are many countries who would like to participate in the process.
She thanked Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā for joining her in these discussions. Ms. Kuiniselani will
establish the groundwork, and there are many considerations to be made as planscontinue.
Ms. Bento reported that she was able to meet with Ms. de Silva to review activities andevents that were originally planned for the Festival and which events the countries hadplanned on participating in. She would like to re-evaluate these events such as thesurfing competition and canoe regatta, and possibly others that pose particular issues thatneed to be considered. For example, planning for the waʻa arrivals involves
representatives from 24 organizations from the Federal, State and City governments.
Additionally there are weather issues that are cause for concern in terms of holding thatevent during the June timeframe. Ms. Bento said she would like to simplify the activities
that will be offered in 2024 and make it more manageable for delegations to participate.
She also emphasized that the theme will affect programming and likewise, programming
will affect the theme.
Ms. Bento commented with respect to the Festival theme that New Zealand will likely
focus on voyaging as their central theme for the 2028 FESTPAC. She suggested that theCommission reconsider the current theme and explore other options such as sustainable
practices which is a very relevant theme today, as our Pacific island communities areMinutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, June 29, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. via ZOOMPage 4 of 6

confronted with how to deal with limited land, ocean, human and cultural resources, andpreserve and protect them for future generations.
Ms. Bento raised an issue that she wants the Commission to put in the back of theirminds. In contrast to many of the Pacific island nations’ governments, Hawaiʻi does nothave a Ministry of Culture within our government structure. Perhaps now is the time todiscuss this with government leaders in Hawaiʻi. Ms. Bento asked whether theCommission should be identifying either an existing entity or some type of model forconsideration.
Ms. Bento stated that she revised the programming spreadsheets by keeping the venues
that confirmed they will participate on the main sheet, and moving the other venues thatat this point were not going to be able to participate, onto a secondary sheet. She added
points of contact and what event/activity will be held at the particular venue. She is also
keeping detailed notes and a listing of additional contacts of others who are involved
because people and situations could change over the next three years, so it is important tohave all this information at hand for continuity and just to keep things in order, ingeneral. These spreadsheets will be shared with the Commission members.
Ms. de Silva indicated that they are working on grouping the activities into sub-categories
so that the information will be easier to digest rather than just having a running list ofactivities in alphabetical order. This will also make it easier to see how all thedelegations will fit together with the proposed activities as well as identify areas ofoverlap.
Chair English acknowledged what Ms. Bento talked about with respect to keeping goodnotes and records of the planning documents. He talked about how the State Archives
houses files and documents from various State agencies, for instance, the Senate sends
files to be archived. It is important to note that the State Archives staff does not sort
through the information given to them to catalogue, and so forth; they accept theinformation as is. The Commission will need to determine what information will be sent
to the Archives after the Festival is completed that will reflect the excellent work andplanning that was done.
Ms. de Silva reminded Commissioners that a Head of Delegation Manual needs to be
developed that includes all contact information covering the delegations’ entire stay in
Hawaiʻi. The binder should include all venues, information related to meals, housing,security, contact information for emergencies, etc. Each Head of Delegation will receive
this manual. Ms. de Silva acknowledged that this task has not yet been assigned toanyone
Chair English thanked Ms. de Silva because we have time to think ahead about how weshould proceed with Festival planning. The Chair mentioned that he feels there needs tobe a FESTPAC office where all files, wall charts, deadlines and reminders would be kept.

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, June 29, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. via ZOOMPage 5 of 6

He previously proposed that this space be located at DBEDT; however, other possibilities
include HTA or the Royal Hawaiian Center. He would like the Commission to consider
the idea of securing a physical space for FESTPAC 2024.
Ms. Kelaʻi expressed that since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, she and Ms.
Takitani-Puahi have been staffing the phones at the City’s Call Center. Ms. Kelaʻi also
reported that there is a new Office of Economic Revitalization (OER) headed by Mr.
Rick Keene. She reassured everyone that the City will now involve the OER and that allagencies are on board. She also indicated that her and Ms. Takitani-Puahi’s
appointments will remain in effect until 12:00 p.m. on January 2, 2021.
Mr. McComber expressed that it is important to document FESTPAC activities. Thereare videographers in Hawaiʻi and across the Pacific that would be able to produce videos.
He feels that the videos should be a centerpiece for 2024 and it should focus onresiliency. He suggested that funding be given to Pacific Islanders in Communication(PIC) to assist the Commission with accomplishing this endeavor.
Chair English confirmed that many individuals in the Pacific are involved with PIC. Fijiand Tonga established the New Way Broadcasting Corporation. Chair English believes
that if videos can be strung together, it will show the progression of FESTPAC.
Chair English requested that Mr. McComber look into creating a structure fordocumentation. Mr. McComber stated he will have a proposal by the next Commission
meeting.
Rep. Onishi, adding to Ms. de Silva’s report about the need to have a Head of Delegation
binder, also added that everyone should receive some type of information similar to what
one would find in a hotel room with information regarding food, first aid, lodging,
general information, etc. The idea would be to include as much information as possiblefor delegates.
Chair English asked what each delegate would be receiving. Ms. de Silva indicated thatduring the conference in American Samoa, each delegate received a cell phone with two
hours of talk time. Each delegate also received information on adding more phone
minutes, maps, venues, etc. and other pertinent information that would be useful to thedelegates. She mentioned that there should also be a printed program with schedules.
Ms. de Silva will share samples of previous Festivals at a future Commission meeting.
Ms. Bento thanked Ms. de Silva for sharing the information. She mentioned that in someconferences, the entire program is included on an app. Participants are able to accessinformation via their smartphone, computer or tablet. Hawaiʻi participants may want touse an app and keep the program as a souvenir.

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, June 29, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. via ZOOMPage 6 of 6Ms. de Silva mentioned that there are many ways to plan and execute these programmaticmatters. The Commission may want to consider selling programs to the general public.
Mobile phone providers might be interested in donating, for example, three phones perdelegation. The intent is to encourage connecting delegates with each other. Having
access to cell phones will be important since Heads of Delegations may not necessarily
have experience traveling to Hawaiʻi even though the SPC members are used to travelingaround the Pacific.
Chair English liked the idea of selling programs and ad space within the programs.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Chair English invited members of the public to testify.
Ms. Burke spoke about her artwork that represent Lono and Kū which are powerful metaphorsthat would be appropriate for the Festival. She expressed interest in presenting her artwork tothe Commission that could be used as models of unity, culture and sustainability.
CLOSING REMARKS
Chair English expressed his thanks to everyone for attending the meeting including nonCommission members who also joined.
NEXT MEETINGThe next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, 2020, at 2:00 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 2:50 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,

Senator J. Kalani English
Chair

July 13, 2020
DateJuly 9, 2020
TO:
FR:
RE:

Dennis Ling, DBEDTKalani Kaʻanāʻanā, Commissioner
S360
FESTPAC Hawaiʻi Website & Social MediaThis memo provides a brief overview of work performed from June 25-July 9, 2020. It details the projectdeliverables and next steps.

OVERVIEW
S360 has continuously maintained and updated the FESTPAC website and social media pages as Hawaiʻinavigates through this Covid-19 pandemic. We continue to monitor media and website inquiries and post
on FESTPAC’s social media platforms, as instructed. As requested, we also crafted and widelydistributed a news release to announce the new festival dates.

PROJECT DELIVERABLES••••Website: Adjusted website copy to reflect new dates and added news releases in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi,English, and French. Continue to monitor email inquiries and submissions from website email.
Social media posts across all platforms as approved by designated FESTPAC HawaiʻiCommissioner
Respond or redirect inquiries via social media as directed
Monitored social media and media for festival-related posts

ONGOING COMMUNICATION•••

Continuing communication with designated FESTPAC Hawaiʻi Commission supervisor
Social media calendar for June submitted, awaiting approvalContent strategy meeting with Commissioner KaʻanāʻanāADDITIONAL DELIVERABLES••

Coordinated & distributed news release announcing new dates for FestPAC Hawaiʻi
Monitored media for FestPAC Hawaiʻi coverage following news release announcemento https://www.kitv.com/story/42317636/new-dates-set-for-festpac-after-covid19postponemento https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/post/hawaii-updates-new-cluster-contributes-9new-cases-new-student-immunizations-required#stream/0
o https://bigislandnow.com/2020/07/01/festival-of-pacific-arts-and-culture-sets-newdates/• 851 FORT STREET MALL, SUITE 500 • HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I 96813 • (808) 524-1100

2|PageWEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYTICSoooo

In the last two weeks, festpachawaii.org has received 413 users. The biggest spike was after theannouncement of new dates on July 1. Most users were directed to the site via Facebook orFacebook mobile.
The FestPAC Hawaiʻi Facebook page acquired 37 new followers since the big announcement ofnew dates. The 7/1/20 post regarding the new dates reached 11.3K people and had 1.1K
engagements.
The FestPAC Hawaiʻi tweet regarding the festival dates had a 19.5% engagement rate. Theaccount is very close to 100 followers, having picked up five new followers since theannouncement.
@festpachawaii on Instagram now has 507 followers. The post regarding the new dates madenearly 400 impressions and reached 343 people. It also led at least one person tofestpachawaii.org.

NEXT STEPS••••Content strategy planning with Commissioner KaʻanāʻanāContinue to monitor website and social media pages
Continue weekly posts on social media, as advised
Continue to compile assets for FESTPAC Hawaiʻi promotion on social media• 851 FORT STREET MALL, SUITE 500 • HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I 96813 • (808) 524-1100