Forum

The APEC 2011 Hawaii Host Committee and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii today launched the Hawaii Virtual Business Marketplace (HVBM), designed to provide businesses the opportunity to advertise and market their products and services, and engage with global audiences through a virtual medium. The platform will help connect local Hawaii businesses with the 21 APEC Economies and U.S. mainland companies.

“The Host Committee looked at unique ways to provide opportunities for businesses to market themselves to an audience they wouldn’t normally have access to,” said Peter Ho, Hawaii Host Committee Chair. “Companies will be able to easily upload their information to build their virtual booth. Delegates will be able to log in to the site from their own laptops and also through tablets available at the Hawaii Convention Center during Leaders’ Week.”

HVBM is a virtual campus that will provide a variety of buildings and venues that cater to separate focus areas including elements such as an exhibition hall featuring individual companies’ booths; a Hawaii Industry Showcase Hall highlighting the state’s key industries of Clean Energy, Ocean, Earth & Sky Sciences, Health & Life Sciences, and Corporate Conventions; a resource center providing a knowledge bank of important and useful resources to help enable the easy exchange of information and promote seamless business transactions; and a networking lounge where informal dialogues can take place through real-time chats.

Interested Hawaii businesses can submit applications to qualify for a booth now by visiting www.apec2011hawaii.com/virtual.html.  The cost for each booth is $525. Post-APEC Leaders Week, prices are subject to change.  For more information, please contact virtual@apec2011hawaii.com.

Unisfair, a provider of virtual platforms for business environments, was awarded the contract to produce the HVBM following a Request for Proposals (RFP) that was issued by the Host Committee on June 13, 2011.

The APEC 2011 Leaders’ Week will take place in Honolulu on Nov. 7-13 with the Leaders’ Meeting on Nov. 12 and 13, and is the culmination of a series of events held throughout the year in the United States. The Leaders’ Meeting is expected to attract approximately 20,000 attendees including the leaders of the 21 APEC economies, ministers, business leaders and news media.