8th Annual Hawaiian Airlines Made in Maui County Festival Pivots to Virtual Event

The Maui Chamber of Commerce announced that the 8th Annual Hawaiian Airlines Made in Maui County Festival will be a virtual event again this year. The Maui Chamber has been monitoring the pandemic and has been taking measures to prepare for the possibility of this decision.

“With the Maui County Safer Outside rules in effect and the teetering of case counts, an in-person event is not possible at this point,” explained Maui Chamber President Pamela Tumpap.

“With the Mayor re-reviewing the situation mid-October, there are significant uncertainties on where we will be then. Having vendors ramp up production for an in-person event that later gets cancelled could be harmful to our local vendors,” Tumpap added.

In response to the change, the Maui Chamber of Commerce is extending the submission period for the Product Vendor Applications. For those vendors who participated in last year’s virtual event and wish to participate again, there will be an expedited approval process. Vendor applications will be accepted now through Sept. 30, 2021 and can be found at www.madeinmauicountyfestival.com.

The 8th Annual event supported by the County of Maui and Office of Economic Development, will be held virtually on Nov. 5 and 6, 2021 through an online marketplace.

“We are thrilled to showcase Maui’s local businesses and amazing products to the world,” shared Tumpap. “A virtual event has the potential to connect vendors and sponsors with more buyers than ever, as attendees from all over the world may join the event from the comfort of their home.”

Along with expanding buyer reach beyond Hawaiʻi, the virtual event platform has been improved, including better sorting by categories, a new pop-up when a vendor is available for a live chat, virtual booth brand color options and more. This year, the virtual event will include special live streamed demonstrations from the Maui Arts & Cultural Center during the virtual event for a select number of vendors.