Event/Seminar locations in Lahaina Maui

[Kaukura]

Hello. I work for a company that does seminars on Oahu and the neighbor islands. On Maui, we currently do them in Kahului at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, other locations are in Hilo at Uncle Billy's or the Naniloa or in Kona at the Outrigger keauhou...

I have to go to Lahaina next week to find a few places where we could home them. Say for about 20-30 people.

Obviously one of the hotels would be an idea, but does anybody know Lahaina? even in town perhaps to have something? Deos not have to be the Ritz Carlton, something simple is fine too. Just have to be able to get pastries;/coffee in there. Would only be about 3 hrs or so, so no Hard Rock Cafe or anyplace loud or noisy.

Any suggestions even a hotel would be fine that you have experienced or know about?

Edited to say : It has to be Lahaina or environs. Not Kihei, Not Wailuku, not Hana. Thanks.

[oggboy]

Re: Event/Seminar locations in Lahaina Maui

Okay now, seminars in the Lahaina areas Hummmmm.... Can you give me more info, so I can check out whats available and help you out.
OGGBOY

[oggboy]

Re: Event/Seminar locations in Lahaina Maui

You could try calling (Business in Paradise) at the Sheraton Maui, 808-(662-0883). For that small amount of people I really cannot help but I hope everything turns out alright..... Good Luck!!!
OGGBOY

[LikaNui]

Re: Event/Seminar locations in Lahaina Maui

If the seminars are on weekdays, the Lahaina Yacht Club might rent you some space.
http://www.lahainayachtclub.org/

[Kaukura]

Re: Event/Seminar locations in Lahaina Maui

Thanks OGGBoy et LikaNui. They are on weekdays from 10 am to 12:00. Just chairs and some equipment. I do not know Lahaina at all, so even a hotel would be fine as most hotels have conf rooms. Dont' want to veer too far away, that's why I thought perhaps soemthing 'in town' might be nice, but if Lahaina is like Hilo where there are no downtown hotels, then we might have to go outside of town like we do in Hilo with the Banyan Drive hotels.

[Miulang]

Re: Event/Seminar locations in Lahaina Maui

You didn't specify when the meetings will be held or if they will be recurring ones. The Hyatt Regency at Kaanapali is set up as a conference center. The Royal Lahaina in Kaanapali has a small conference room and just underwent a major renovation recently.

If you want to be in Lahaina town itself, the Hard Rock does have separate meeting facilities (sorta).

The other thing to consider is the "hassle factor" for the attendees. Are these people from Maui who have to drive over from Central Maui? Or are they coming from off-island? Getting to Lahaina from OGG is a definite hassle factor. Flying into Kapalua is quicker but there are fewer flights. If folks are coming from off-island, then putting the meeting in Lahaina is probably preferable because then the attendees could go shopping after the meeting or during long breaks. If you hold the meeting in Kaanapali, there's nothing around except the hotels and Whaler's Village.

Miulang

[Kaukura]

Re: Event/Seminar locations in Lahaina Maui

Thank you Miulang..

We dont have a date yet. Me and a co worker were in Lahaina on Wednesday scouting possible locations. Currently we use the Maui Arts & Cultutural Center in Kahului where we had a seminar that morning and just drove over to Lahaina.

We did not find the large resorts to be overly friendly, the Sheraton for example, but it is large and a bit daunting perhaps to have people drive in for a 2 hr seminar. After the Sheraton and Hyatt, we'd figured all major Kaanapali resorts would pretty much would all be similar in nature.

We loved the Royal Lahaina. Very friendly, good parking, a nice lower key place (ie. not as glitzy as the Sheraton which to me is a good thing). We also liked the Pioneer Inn on Front St. They have a nice side room (fan cooled which worried us a bit as at 4:30 in the afternoon it was hot). We were told that the room at the Pioneer Inn was used often by local resident clubs/organizations. The parking situation is not the best, but were told residents knew where to park. We looked at several hotels and even the Lahaina Civic Center where they supposedly had meeting rooms.

The reason for scouting Lahaina locations is the opposite as we are trying to avoid people driving from that side of the island to the Wailuku/Kahului side. Most if not all attendees would be Maui residents as we already hold seminars on all islands except Kauai.

[Miulang]

Re: Event/Seminar locations in Lahaina Maui

Thank you Miulang..

We dont have a date yet. Me and a co worker were in Lahaina on Wednesday scouting possible locations. Currently we use the Maui Arts & Cultutural Center in Kahului where we had a seminar that morning and just drove over to Lahaina.

We did not find the large resorts to be overly friendly, the Sheraton for example, but it is large and a bit daunting perhaps to have people drive in for a 2 hr seminar. After the Sheraton and Hyatt, we'd figured all major Kaanapali resorts would pretty much would all be similar in nature.

We loved the Royal Lahaina. Very friendly, good parking, a nice lower key place (ie. not as glitzy as the Sheraton which to me is a good thing). We also liked the Pioneer Inn on Front St. They have a nice side room (fan cooled which worried us a bit as at 4:30 in the afternoon it was hot). We were told that the room at the Pioneer Inn was used often by local resident clubs/organizations. The parking situation is not the best, but were told residents knew where to park. We looked at several hotels and even the Lahaina Civic Center where they supposedly had meeting rooms.

The reason for scouting Lahaina locations is the opposite as we are trying to avoid people driving from that side of the island to the Wailuku/Kahului side. Most if not all attendees would be Maui residents as we already hold seminars on all islands except Kauai.

Yes, if it's local Valley Islanders, they "know" where the free public parking spaces are . Unfortunately, because Lahaina is so congested, the free lots have a 2 hour timelimit and parking REALLY sucks around the Pioneer Inn and the harbor. There's more parking near Old Lahaina Center (in the lots next to Hilo Hattie and Hard Rock) and that's validated so you could probably get the shopping mall to give your attendees some free validation and have them not have to worry about getting ticketed/towed. I've parked in the free lot across from Kamehameha III School but I've also never parked there for more than 2 hours at a time, so I don't know how diligent the local cops are about parking enforcement. I know they're pretty nasty about onstreet parking because the streets around Lahaina town are so narrow. The free public lots tend to fill up very early in the morning, too, so if your seminars don't start until 10, finding free parking might become a little more problemmatical.

Since most of the attendees are from Maui, shopping would not be a big thing for them, but free parking would be. So Kaanapali probably would be better for that. The Royal Lahaina is nice, as you noted, because it is smaller (it was also one of the first hotels in Kaanapali, which is why it just underwent a major renovation recently). Lahaina is ALWAYS hot; in the afternoon it gets pretty unbearable because of the western exposure, and there's no wind in the afternoon like there is in Kihei to cool things off. But your seminars aren't in the late afternoon so maybe it won't be such a big problem to use the room at the Pioneer Inn (except for the parking issue).

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: Event/Seminar locations in Lahaina Maui

This isn't on the Lahaina side, but if you need other space in Central Maui besides MACC, try the Dunes at Maui Lani. I've been to class reunions in this space. Lots of parking and easy to get to.

Maui Tropical Plantation also has a function room for rent and has lots of parking and the scenery is beautiful. It's in Waikapu, so it's not too bad a drive from Lahaina.

The King Kamehameha Golf Club has the Mana'o Pono Room has high speed internet access and is set up specifically for conferences and seminars. It's in Waikapu and isn't too bad a drive for people coming from Lahaina or Kihei.

Miulang