The 2026 Aloha Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE Aloha) returned to Honolulu Sept. 29-30, gathering hotel operators, investors and hospitality suppliers at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort for two days of panels, presentations and networking focused on the accommodation sector in the Hawaiian Islands.
Industry leaders on stage
AHICE Aloha’s program featured speakers and moderators from major hotel companies, management groups and real-estate advisors. The conference — which listed more than 25 partners and sponsors with Outrigger Hospitality Group as foundation partner and Accor as principal partner — assembled local and international voices to discuss operations, investment and cultural experience in hotels across the state.
- Speakers included top executives from Outrigger, Castle Resorts and Nobu Hospitality.
- Panels addressed trends affecting lodging in Hawaii, from commercial strategy to cultural programming.
- Networking events combined local cuisine, entertainment and social receptions to connect delegates.
On-stage contributors from Hawaii and beyond included: Outrigger Hospitality Group President and CEO Jeff Wagoner; Castle Resorts and Hotels President and CEO Matt Bailey; Outrigger Area Director of Cultural Experience C. Luana Maitland; and Nobu Hospitality Regional Director – Asia Pacific Lee Lin. Other participants representing management, development and investment perspectives included Colliers’ Michael Perkins and a slate of hotel general managers and executives from brands and management companies active in the islands.
What Honolulu operators and visitors should note
For Honolulu stakeholders — owners, managers, employees and residents who depend on tourism — AHICE Aloha served multiple local functions:
- It provided a forum for hotel leaders to share operational responses and strategic planning that will influence staffing, renovation cycles and guest experience across Waikiki and other visitor corridors.
- It highlighted cultural programming in hospitality, an area of growing importance to Hawaii’s tourism industry, with local cultural leaders among speakers.
- It fostered investment dialogue that could shape future development or repositioning of existing hotels in Honolulu’s market.
The conference schedule combined formal sessions with social programming, including a gala poolside networking event showcasing local and international artists, cuisine and Hawaiian cocktails. These elements are typical of industry gatherings that pair deal-making with cultural presentation and hospitality tradecraft.
Participants and topics
Panels and presentations drew a cross-section of the sector. Presenters and panelists included:
| Role | Name | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| President & CEO | Jeff Wagoner | Outrigger Hospitality Group |
| President & CEO | Matt Bailey | Castle Resorts and Hotels |
| Area Director, Cultural Experience | C. Luana Maitland | Outrigger |
| Regional Director – Asia Pacific | Lee Lin | Nobu Hospitality |
| Associate VP – Hawaii | Michael Perkins | Colliers International |
Other panelists represented hotel brands, management companies and advisory practices, including general managers from properties in Princeville and Ala Moana as well as executives focused on development, operations and investment in California and Hawaii markets.
Organizers and sponsors positioned the event as both educational and practical for those doing business in the islands. With Hawaii’s tourism economy closely tied to lodging performance, conferences such as AHICE Aloha are opportunities for local professionals to benchmark against mainland and international counterparts and to attract outside capital or partnerships.
As Honolulu continues refining its approach to visitor strategy, workforce challenges and cultural stewardship in hospitality, gatherings that convene multiple industry layers — owners, operators, designers, investors and cultural leaders — will play a role in shaping near-term decisions about property upgrades, branding and guest offerings.
Further coverage could examine specific takeaways from panels and how local hotels plan to apply lessons from the conference to operations in Waikiki and greater Honolulu.
