Made in Maui County Festival Earns National Recognition
Maui County’s annual Made in Maui County Festival (MIMCF) has been recognized with an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The awards honor innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents.
NACo recognized the MIMCF, a locally made products festival, in the category of Community and Economic Development.
The County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development (OED) and Maui Chamber of Commerce established the annual MIMCF in an effort to further develop the County’s manufacturing industry.
Held on the first Friday and Saturday of November at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului, the goal of this annual event is to: showcase locally made products; grow independent businesses headquartered within the county (islands Maui, Molokai and Lanai); strengthen the community by encouraging job creation; and diversify the county’s economy.
According to Pamela Tumpap, President of the Maui Chamber of Commerce, “We value our partnership with the County of Maui and OED, who was a catalyst in uniting partners and resources to establish this major annual event. Beyond advancing our island’s niche manufacturing industry (demonstrated by the tremendous results achieved to date), the festival is also a stellar public, private and nonprofit sector model that leverages local resources and talents to spur economic development and collaboration on activities that benefit all businesses in Maui County.”
Since the first MIMCF was held in 2014, this annual event has attracted over 40,400 residents and visitors in attendance, with participating vendors reporting over $1.8 million in total product sales, 982 total new wholesale accounts, and 6,291 new leads gained at the two-day event.
“It is very gratifying that the Made In Maui County Festival continues to receive national recognition, not just for the event itself, but for the entrepreneurial eco-system that we have built for our ‘locally-Made’ manufacturers,” said Teena Rasmussen, director of the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. “We are very proud to receive this recognition by NACo and it validates the hard work by our event committee, the vendors, our business partners, and our volunteers.”
The 5th Annual Made in Maui County Festival will be held on Nov. 2 and 3, 2018 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. For more information, visit www.MadeInMauiCountyFestival.com.
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