Saturday Briefing

By Milton Lafitaga

Spread the word! Embassy Suites - Waikiki Beach Walk is offerings its first-ever Thanksgiving Day Dinner Buffet on November 26, 2009, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the hotel’s Grand Lanai. Read the rest of this entry

By Burton Kong

The “ghosts” and “goblins” of the Outrigger Enterprises Group (OEG) staff pulled out all the stops to give more than 125 guests lots of treats with no tricks at the recent Mahalo Party and Trade Show. The October 29, Halloween-themed event was held at Outrigger Reef on the Beach to unveil the renovated property and to thank attendees for their business.

The varied guest list included Pacific Business Connection members, Outrigger Hospitality Specialist Travel Agents, OEG Executive Management Team, Ala Moana Hotel and Japanese Sales clients, and Honolulu Executive Association members.

Attendees were greeted at the Outrigger Reef’s poolside Diamond Head Terrace by costume-clad staff. Spotted were Snow White and the Beachfront Dwarfs and the Evil Queen; Willie Wonka and the Oompa-Loompas; Madonna; John Lennon; a pirate; a devil; biker gals; and an escaped convict.

Guests enjoyed such goodies as photo mouse pads, live entertainment, and a delicious buffet with ghoulish creations that included “bat” wings (chicken), “Adam’s” ribs (spare ribs), chicken lady fingers, red-eyed cheese balls, deviled eggs, and tombstone sandwiches. Some dishes were placed in an ice-chilled wooden coffin, complete with cobwebs.

Door prizes galore were given away, including restaurant gift certificates, hotel room nights, inter-island airfare, and rental car vouchers. The highlight of the evening was the awarding of two grand prizes each consisting of round-trip interisland airfare for two and two-night accommodations at an Outrigger Condominium Collection property on Maui and the Big Island. Congratulations to our grand prize winners Richard Char of Equity Travel Inc., and Debra Pompadur of Evergreen by Debra, LLC.

A big mahalo to Tom “Jailbird” Wakita and Milton “Willie Wonka” Lafitaga for doing a spook-tacular job serving as emcees for the well-received, successful event.

By Barbara Campbell

Employees, retailers, and restaurants at Outrigger Reef on the Beach, Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach, and Waikiki Beach Walk® really got into the Halloween spirit this year with creative pumpkin contests and lots of “spook-tacular” activities over the Halloween weekend. Read the rest of this entry

By The Human Resources Service Center

The Outrigger ‘ohana gathered at the OHANA Waikiki East on Tuesday, October 27, to honor and recognize Employees of the Quarter for the Third Quarter of 2009. David Carey, Barry Wallace, Dr. Chuck Kelley, and Department Heads extended their congratulations and offered words of praise to all of the distinguished honorees and nominees. Read the rest of this entry

By Ka‘ipo Ho

I am attending Kapi‘olani Community College’s Ho‘okipa Me Ke Aloha Hawaiian cultural immersion program, and we recently completed a segment on the wa‘a, or Hawaiian canoe, that was both refreshing and a timely reinforcement of what the canoe symbolizes in Outrigger Enterprises’ culture. Read the rest of this entry

By Nancy Daniels

On October 22, more than 300 visitor industry professionals, government officials, and other invited guests gathered at the Royal Hawaiian Theater for the Waikiki Improvement Association’s (WIA) annual meeting, during which winners of the Ho‘owehiwehi Awards were announced. Walking away with one of three Ho‘owehiwehi Lihi Awards presented that afternoon was Outrigger Hotels & Resorts for the Outrigger Reef on the Beach’s just completed $110 million transformation. Accepting the award on behalf of Outrigger were President and CEO David Carey, General Manager Bill Comstock, and Senior Projects Manager Bob Finan. Read the rest of this entry

By Pila Hanson

This past week, Outrigger held a lunch to honor eight of our Supervisors who recently received their Certified Hospitality Supervisor (CHS) designation from the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA). Read the rest of this entry

By Una Murray

The annual Digicel Coral Coast Carnival was held from 17 to 24 October, and included a float parade and various performances throughout the day. The event finale was the much anticipated crowning of the Miss Digicel Coral Coast Queen. The competition for the crown was strong this year, with six Queens vying for the title. Read the rest of this entry

By Bill Peters

(Dr. Richard Kelley is traveling. His column will return on October 31.)

Outrigger’s Worldwide Contact Center in Denver has become greener than ever. In fact, as a distinct physical location that can be found on a map, it has ceased to exist. All its employees are now doing the Center’s work from their respective homes, tied together and to Outrigger and the rest of the world by purely electronic means. Read the rest of this entry

By Patsy Narimatsu

It was a picture-perfect evening on Thursday, October 15, when the Outrigger Beachfront Division unveiled its new wedding packages, while at the same time showcasing the Outrigger Reef’s stunning Voyager Deck as the newest oceanfront wedding venue. With the availability of the Voyager Deck at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach and the expansive lanai fronting Suite 123 at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach, Outrigger’s beachfront properties now have two of the most memorable oceanfront settings on Waikiki beach for weddings.

Nearly 80 guests, comprised of wedding planners, meeting coordinators, vendors, and Outrigger executives, gathered at the exclusive Wedding Launch event. The Voyager Deck was set as it would be for an intimate, oceanfront wedding. Guests were greeted at a reception table, just as they would at a real wedding. They then mingled, while enjoying passed hors d’oeurves and chilled lychee martinis. The popular wedding trio Soul Bucket provided entertainment, and Billy V from Hawaiian 105 KINE and Sunrise on KGMB was the evening’s emcee.

Tables were set beneath a clear tent, and each was beautifully decorated with peach silk table linens, the finest of dinnerware, and a stunning floral centerpiece courtesy of University Flowers. The dinner buffet was top-notch, with Chef Harold Beltran, Food and Beverage Manager Dietrich Chillous, and the Kani Ka Pila Grille kitchen crew and wait staff showing off their skills. Everyone’s eyes lit up when they saw the colorful and tasty candy bar, and guests couldn’t resist snapping photos of the charming wedding cake surrounded by individual red velvet cupcakes.

A special addition to the evening was a fashion show of the all-new bridal fashion line from in-vogue local label, Fighting Eel, known for its simple, chic, and romantic line of dresses. Models passed through a lace-draped bamboo trellis decorated with fresh florals, then strolled among the tables for everyone to enjoy.

From comments received that evening and a flurry of follow-up emails asking for more information about the new wedding services, we can safely say the wedding launch was a success and our beachfront properties can look forward to a new avenue of business.

Many weddings can take a year to plan, but the professionals at the Outrigger Reef pulled together the wedding launch event in just a few weeks thanks to the efforts and hard work of a great team. Special mahalo to Gay Shinbara, Ricol Akana, Chef Harold Beltran, Dietrich Chillous, and Nurhan Enustun. We also need to say a big mahalo to our vendors who were generous in showcasing their special products and services, including wedding planner Linda Saito, Royal Party Rentals (tent/chairs), photographers David Miyamoto and Arna Johnson, University Flowers and Spinning Web for the exquisite florals, and Le Saison (linens).