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"E' komo mai" (Welcome)
Aloha kakou AOM Honolulu 2005

On behalf of the Local Arrangements Committee, we would like to welcome you to the 2005 Honolulu meeting. Aloha to all members, families, and friends that will be visiting. Honolulu is on the island of Oahu, the most populous island of the seven major Hawaiian islands. The convention hotels are in Waikiki, along the beautiful white sand beaches. The information below will provide some information for planning. In addition, please read through the Attendee Information page.

Meeting Locations and Access for people with disabilities:

The two major conference hotels are the Hilton Hawaiian Village and the Sheraton Waikiki, two oceanfront properties. The two hotels are a 10-15 minute walk from each other. Meetings will also be held in the Hawai'i Convention Center, which is a 10-15 minute walk from the Hilton and a 25-30 minute walk from the Sheraton. Shuttle busses will run during the meetings. The quickest route between the Hilton and Sheraton is along the beach. Waikiki is relatively flat, but we are committed to assisting people with disabilities. For those with special needs, please contact us at needs@aom.pace.edu. As in past years, we will work to accommodate those members who require added assistance, such as electric scooters.

Overheads, Copies and other business services:

If you are a presenter, please plan to bring your acetate transparencies with you to Hawaii! Regular AOM attendees know that overhead projectors are the standard for meeting rooms. Please do NOT assume that there will be computer projectors in the meeting rooms. Bring your transparencies! The AOM meetings have been known to wipe out all of the overhead acetate transparencies in a city-40,000 in just 2 days. Since we live on an island, once those transparencies are gone, new supplies will not arrive until the next cargo ship. Be on the safe side and plan ahead! All three of the conference properites have business centers for copying or other services, and other copy businesses are just a bus or taxi ride from Waikiki.

Travel Arrangements:

Association Travel Concepts (ATC) has been selected as the official travel agency for the Academy of Management Annual Meeting in Honolulu and has negotiated discounted airfares with Continental and United Airlines as well as car rental rates from Enterprise and Avis Rental Car. ATC will also search for the lowest available fare on ANY airline serving Honolulu.

Transportation:

From Honolulu International Airport: Rental cars, taxis, and the airport shuttle are all available for travel to Waikiki hotels. The Airport Waikiki Express shuttle operates 24 hours a day and is $8 one-way or $14 round trip. If you take the shuttle to Hilton Hawaiian Village, it will drop you at the edge of the complex at the shuttle entrance. Taxi Service is available on the center median, outside the baggage claim areas, and is managed by a taxi dispatcher. Taxis should cost from $25-$28 dollars during non-rush hour periods. Traffic can be very heavy during morning and evening rush hours.

You can make rental car reservations with Association Travel Concepts (ATC), the official AOM travel agency for Hawaii 2005, on-line. Be sure to also check the Honolulu airport website for additional information.

Around the Island and in Waikiki: Walking in Waikiki is safe and pleasant. If you want to see other parts of Oahu, you might consider renting a car. The Honolulu city busses, called TheBus, are also a convenient way to get around. City bus schedules should be available from hotel information and concierge desks. There is regular service to Ala Moana shopping center, to Haunama Bay, into downtown Honolulu, and around the island. Ala Moana shopping center and Hilo Hatties (a local apparel outlet) have open air shopping trolleys from various Waikiki stops to take you to their stores.

Pre-Arrival Agriculture forms

What are those Department of Agriculture forms for? Hawaii is concerned with invasive species ruining the unique ecology of our islands. All airline passengers will be asked to fill out an Agricultural Declaration Form on their flights into Hawaii. Passengers arriving in Hawaii must declare animals and plants, and some animals are forbidden (like snakes). Be on the safe side-eat that last orange or apple on the plane before your plane touches down and leave Fido at home with a pet sitter.

When you depart, if you want to take pineapples with you, be sure to buy them at a store that will transport them to the airport for agricultural inspection and then just pick them up there. You will also have an agricultural inspection of your luggage as you depart Hawaii. Most convenient is buying pre-inspected fruit or flowers at an airport shop, after you have cleared security.

T-Shirts

2005 Academy of Management Annual Meeting T-Shirts are available for purchase while registering for the meeting. View the t-shirt design online. The cost is $15.00 and the 2005 t-shirt sales will benefit tsunami relief. Shirts will be available for pick up at the registration area when the meeting starts.

Weather and Dress

The dress code for Hawaii is more casual than the usual AOM meeting. You will be in a resort setting, so pack your golf/polo shirts and lightweight clothing. Local businesses have adopted a dress style that may seem more like casual Fridays in the office. Aloha shirts are everywhere-and the bright ones will mark you as a visitor. Consider sandals or slip-on shoes because the easiest walk between the Hilton and Sheraton is along the beach. There are no pantyhose police! Think about sand in your shoes or on your bare feet.

You may want a light sweater to slip on inside air-conditioned rooms, but the architecture of Hawaii tends to blend the inside and the outside together. Open hallways, terraces, lanais, breezeways, and beachside restaurants are part of the hotels. Temperatures in August should be in the mid-to-upper 80s (F°) or about 30° C. Generally, trade winds modify the humidity, keeping it comfortable. Honolulu is on the leeward (dry) side of the island, so rain is unlikely.

Sun and Ocean safety

Please apply sunscreen (SPF 15 or stronger), carry bottled water on your strolls, and pay attention to beach signs. All beaches in Hawaii are public, but be sure to frequent beaches with life guards. While unlikely in August, especially on leeward shores, high surf can create dangerous rip tides that can pull the unwary out to sea. Box jellyfish are common in all waters and regularly swarm Hawaii's south and west shores 8-10 days after the full moon. This should not be a problem during the meeting. If you are hiking a trail, take water and be sure to have a cell phone. Hikers sometimes get lost or misjudge the terrain. We do not have long, late summer nights, like in more northern latitudes, so sunset comes quickly over the ocean. If you want to snorkel, be sure to have a buddy. If you plan to scuba, make sure you allow enough time afterwards before flying (12-24 hours-ask your physician).

Food

We take food very seriously in Hawaii. Enjoy Pacific Rim Cuisine. Plan a luau night. There are many price levels with many great restaurants within walking distance of your hotel. Prize winning chefs abound in Hawaii and you may have seen some of them on the Food Network, i.e. Roy Yamaguchi, Sam Choy, Chef Mavro, Alan Wong, etc. Waikiki has casual to continental dining, with Japanese, Hawaii Regional, French, Thai, American, Luau, Euro-Asian fusion, Seafood, and Chinese restaurants. We will have information available on the Academy website and on site at the conference.

Sightseeing

There is plenty of information about tours and sights available in the hotels and at concierge desks. Websites provide plenty of visitor information for those of you who plan ahead. If you are planning to visit another island, start planning early. Inter-island flights have been very full for the past year. The two major inter-island airline carriers are Hawaiian and Aloha. Island Air is another option. The islands are further from each other than many people realize, so plan ahead and add on some extra days to your Hawaiian stay. For a pre- or post-meeting vacation, consider booking a fly-drive-room option, since you may save on the package deal. Also, consider an inter-island cruise; while not inexpensive, you and your family can avoid hotel and airfare charges while making day stops at several island destinations.

On Oahu, visit sites like Pearl Harbor, the Missouri and Bowfin submarine, the Polynesian Cultural Center on the North shore, and Waimea Valley Audubon Center which is preserving native plant species. Iolani Palace (the only royal palace in the U.S.), the Mission Houses Museum, and the Bishop Museum will give you some sense of Hawaii's history, Hawaiiana, and the territorial past. The Honolulu Academy of Arts has an excellent Asian art collection including many pieces contributed by James Michener. The Doris Duke house Shangri La is administered by the Honolulu Academy of Arts, and tours leave from the Academy (get your tickets in advance online). There is an aquarium and zoo at the end of Waikiki and a beautiful beach walk to get there. Try snorkeling Haunama Bay or taking a surf lesson in Waikiki. Hike Diamond Head crater. And we cannot forget golf! There are more golf courses on O'ahu than any other island, so don't leave your clubs at home if you want to hit the links.

You may link to the official state site http://www.gohawaii.com for more information. You can check for classes at the hotels in lei making, hula, and Hawaiian culture. There are also free 90-minute guided walk of Waikiki to learn about everything from human sacrifices to horse racing. Tours start at 9 a.m. daily except Sunday at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center in Waikiki. Or just sit in the sun and watch the ocean. Relax and kick back, slow down, and enjoy!

Aloha, from your Local Arrangements team Co-Chairs:

Jerry Calton, University of Hawaii-Hilo
Mary Mallott, University of Hawaii-West Oahu