Hawaiʻi Convention Center

Keith Regan, the state comptroller at the Department of Accounting and General Services, has been tasked with taking over the project of fixing a leaky roof at the large events venue.

The governor planned to set aside money in a discretionary fund for the renovation — however, it was never released due to the Maui fires. This year, lawmakers are being asked for the $64 million again to finally fix the roof.

The Hawaiʻi Convention Center is asking lawmakers for $64 million to fix a leaking roof; Oʻahu man bikes across the globe to raise money for charity

While lawmakers did set aside $64 million to fix a chronic leaky roof, it may take another year for renovations to start. Teri Orton, the head of the convention center, shared the latest.

Watching anime and playing video games are mainstream activities — but it wasn’t always that way. With about 20,000 attendees this year, Kawaii Kon has played a crucial part in creating a safe space for the fandom community. HPR's Zoe Dym has more.

Event organizers are automatically in the program when using the Convention Center, but can opt-out. The center will donate money from the program’s fund to the Hawaiʻi Legacy Reforestation Initiative every month.

The Conversation talked to John Reyes from the Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau about the future of large conventions as the lead time for some conferences is several years in the making.

If you enjoyed last year’s "Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience" traveling exhibit, you’re in luck. "Beyond Monet: The Immersive Experience" opened this week in Honolulu. HPR’s Zoe Dym shares what to expect.

Over the weekend, the Hawaiʻi Convention Center hosted its first full-capacity event since the pandemic began. HPR’s Zoe Dym attended Kawaii Kon 2022, the largest anime convention in Hawaiʻi, and spoke to attendees dressed up as their favorite fictional characters.

State agencies have used the Hawaiʻi Convention Center for nearly two years to meet increased workloads in response to the pandemic. Those expanded efforts are winding down and restrictions for large managed events have eased, allowing the building to host conferences, conventions and meetings.