Maui Business

The Hawai‘i Lodging and Tourism Association announced that its President and Chief Executive Officer, Mufi Hannemann, will be retiring from his role following years of dedicated service to the organization and Hawai‘i’s visitor industry.

An online information workshop will be held Thursday,  May 14, 2026, for potential applicants for the County of Maui’s new Small Grants Program, which opened today, May 1, to offer community-level funding to nonprofit organizations and community groups for projects and activities serving Maui County.

JAH volunteers delivered Personal Finance lessons to 25 boarding students at Lahainaluna High School in April as part of an ongoing effort to expand access to financial literacy education statewide.

Maui Economic Opportunity’s Being Empowered and Strong Together offers a pre-employment training program for recently incarcerated individuals that includes financial support for credentialing and certifications in trade jobs.

The US Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today the opening of Disaster Loan Outreach Centers in Kīhei, Kailua-Kona and Waialua to assist businesses, private nonprofit organizations and residents affected by severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides occurring March 10 – 24.

The Hawai‘i REALTORS Charitable Foundation, the charitable arm of Hawai‘i REALTORS, will distribute $200,000 in grants to Hawai‘i residents impacted by the Kona Low storms in March. 

Hawai‘i State Film Commissioner Donne Dawson will be retiring from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism effective April 30, 2026, concluding 25 years of service managing the Hawai‘i Film Office and the state’s film program.

Back-to-back Kona Low storms in March hobbled Hawaiʻi’s tourism economy, triggering an estimated $300 million in lost revenue as flooding, flight cancellations and attraction closures disrupted spring break travel across the islands.

Akakū Maui Community Media will host itʻs May Maui Business Tuesdays event with the theme “Maui Food Trucks.” The salon will be held Tuesday May 5, 2026 from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at Akakū Center in Suite 204 and hybrid via Zoom.

The department was recently alerted that Iqbal Khowaja is allegedly presenting himself as the “CTO of the State of Hawaiʻi” at the Bitcoin 2026 conference underway in Las Vegas and has made similar claims in prior conference appearances and on social media profiles, according to the state.

The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua announced the appointment of Courtney Conching as Director of Group Sales. With over a decade of expertise in the luxury hospitality sector, Conching will spearhead the resort’s efforts to drive high-impact group business through a unique lens of authentic Hawaiian culture and world-class sales expertise.

Beginning today, ʻOhana Rewards Members will earn a minimum of 1,000 Rapid Rewards points for every one-way interisland flight, paired with an ability to purchase one-way interisland flights for as few as 4,000 Rapid Rewards points—this means Members earn enough points to redeem a one-way interisland flight after four one-way interisland flights flown.

Much of Hawai‘i’s diversified agriculture falls under this specialty crop designation. Eligible plants must be cultivated or managed and used by people for food, medicinal purposes, and/or aesthetic gratification to be considered specialty crops. 

Applicants are invited to attend a grants information session for the County of Maui Fiscal Year 2027 Environmental Protection and Sustainability Division Grants Program at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 30, 2026.

Hawai’i Visitors and Convention Bureau appoint leaders for a new enterprise that focuses on treating Hawaiʻi as a living system to be stewarded rather than a product to be sold.

Southwest Airlines commemorates seven years of dedicated community service across Maui on the anniversary of its first flight at Kahului Airport where Southwest first touched down April 8, 2019. 

The much-anticipated HouseMart Ben Franklin Crafts “Spring Craft Fair” is back at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center on Sunday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the first floor of the parking structure, inviting guests to shop, explore, and support local makers at one of Maui’s favorite seasonal events.

The airport shops now include a spot dedicated to incubator concepts, showcasing Hawaiʻi-based businesses, creating a sense of place, while delivering a “best-in-class” experience for travelers and meaningful impact for the local community.

Positions are designed for recent high school grads and college students; the utility is recruiting for a range of posts at all locations statewide.

The state of Hawaiʻi today secured a significant legal victory in federal court, with the US District Court for the District of Hawaiʻi issuing an order dismissing a lawsuit filed by the United States, that sought to stop Hawaiʻi’s separate lawsuit filed in state court against major fossil fuel companies.