Page 11 - MidWeek - March 23, 2022

MARCH 23, 2022 MIDWEEK 11
STORY BY
BILL MOSSMAN
PHOTO BY
ANTHONY CONSILLIO
Sysco Hawai‘i president Jason Wong (left)
and Domino’s Hawai‘i franchisee Mike Rompel are two key sponsors of this year’s showcase.
It’s often said that timing is everything in life. The same might also be said of good fortune.
Hawai‘i Hotel & Restaurant Show is back after a two-year absence, signaling that the islands’ economic recovery is well on its way.
In the case of the organizers of Hawai‘i Hotel & Restau- rant Show, they appear to have lucked into a little bit of both earlier this year when they committed to bringing back the foremost trade showcase in the Pacific. This they did despite not knowing whether they would once again expe- rience a series of false starts and ultimately have to cancel the event just like they were forced to do in 2020 and 2021.
“The timing couldn’t have been better for us,” says a clearly relieved Mufi Hannemann, president and CEO of Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association (HLTA), when asked about the fortuitous timing of the governor lifting the indoor-masking directive less than a week before the show’s kickoff.
be back,” he says. “We feel that this will be a strong mes- sage to the rest of the United States and the world, if you will, that we’re back in terms of having large, structured gatherings again.”
important industry event. The show is an all-inclusive resource bringing the best of Hawai‘i and the Pacific Rim together. It can’t be missed by those working in the relevant industries.”
pected to draw over 200 exhibitors from Hawai‘i, the mainland and Japan. It will also feature educational seminars by industry experts, live demonstrations, and the latest trends in information technology and quality op-
erations, according to Jones. But just as important as being a show for profes- sionals and students in the lodging, travel, hospitality and food service industries, the event will provide ample
SEE PAGE 14
The much-anticipated showcase is set for 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March 30 and 31 at Ha- wai‘i Convention Center.
This will be the first show- case since the event — a partnership between organiz- ers HLTA, Hawai‘i Restau- rant Association (HRA) and Honolulu Star-Advertiser — was first held in May 2019. Naturally, Hannemann is delighted with the return of what he calls “the premier hospitality and restaurant trade show in the Pacific.”
Adds Honolulu Star-Ad- vertiser president and publisher Dennis Francis, “Working closely with our partners, Hawai‘i’s newspa- per is focused upon getting good news and information to the community. We con- tinue to assist HLTA and HRA with ongoing recovery efforts and the return of this
“We’re super excited to
“Hawai‘i’s restaurants and hospitality industry will emerge from the pandemic crisis stronger than ever,” promises Tom Jones, past chairman of HRA, and pres- ident and co-owner of REI Food Service, LLC (dba Gyotaku Restaurants). “We look forward to the second Hawai‘i Hotel & Restaurant Show acting as a key indica- tor of Hawai‘i’s resiliency.”
Already, the event is ex-
SYSCO HAWAI‘I
If anyone was born to work in the world of food, it’s Jason Wong.
“I have been in the food business since I could walk — no kidding,” he says. “My family had a small Chinese grocery store and restaurant supply business. That business was founded in 1934 by my great-grandfather.”
Small wonder that when Wong grew up, he became a major player for Sysco, the world’s largest broadline food distributor. As regional president for Sysco Hawai‘i, he considers himself fortunate to have been tabbed for the lead role after the company acquired HFM Foodservice in 2017.
“I feel very blessed to work with such wonderful people and in such a resilient in- dustry,” says Wong, who oversees five distribution centers in the islands and Guam.
Now, he eagerly awaits the start of this year’s Hawai‘i Hotel & Restaurant Show and Sysco’s participation as the event’s lead sponsor.
“There’s a lot to share about new products and innovation that can help operators’ businesses,” says Wong. “We are going to be demoing some of our best Sysco brand items that help our customers deal with the big challenges of today’s market — tight labor, inflation, supply chain challenges. Our consultants and Sysco chefs will be on-site to talk directly with operators on how best to leverage these items to create more value for their restaurants and kitchen operations.”
But with Gov. David Ige’s recent decision to end several COVID-related mandates, in- cluding Hawai‘i’s Safe Travel program, the early commit- ment has paid off. Now, it is all systems go for the hospital- ity and restaurant industries’ signature event.
“We definitely picked good dates. Now you can come and you don’t have to worry about, ‘Do we have to mask? Are they going to ask for our vax card?’”