MADE IN HAWAII What an experience my 1st time ever coming to such a large event with 800 vendors downstairs in the main hall and 300 vendors up stairs omg food galore it was a VIP night omg got me some cute stuff and cookies pot stickers ume Sauce and so much more well put together event Marie read more

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Parking is tough. They're renovating (as of Apr 2026) so you're better off parking in a lot nearby. I stopped by for a four day convention and it was full most days. I stopped by for Kawaii Kon and it was quite humid. I guess that's standard for Hawaii but it was intense. The event was plenty of fun. Some of the convention rooms are well ventilated. The bathrooms were also well stocked. Naturally, food is pricy at the place but it's convenient. read more

The Hawaii Convention Center is a genuinely impressive venue that sets itself apart from most convention spaces through a combination of thoughtful architecture, natural light, and a location that is hard to beat anywhere in the country. The space is expansive and well designed, with high ceilings, spacious meeting rooms, and a balance between enclosed convention areas and naturally lit open spaces that kept the event from feeling claustrophobic even when attendance was high. The live palm trees integrated into the interior architecture caught me off guard the first time I noticed them, and the rooftop garden added another dimension to the venue that most people do not think to explore during a convention day. The restrooms throughout were clean and well maintained, which matters more than it sounds over a full day of convention activities. The location is one of the stronger points working in Kawaii Con's favor here. The convention center sits within walking distance of Ala Moana Beach and the broader Waikiki area, which made the surrounding context of being in Hawaii genuinely part of the experience in a way that extended beyond the convention floor itself. Mornings and evenings around the event felt entirely different from a typical convention trip as a result. Parking inside the venue fills up quickly and runs at a cost, so arriving early or parking at Ala Moana Shopping Center and walking over is a practical alternative that several people figured out over the course of the weekend. Staff were friendly and helpful throughout the building, which kept navigation easy even during the busier peak hours of the event. read more

Hawaii Convention Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The Hawaii Convention Center is currently undergoing major renovations in 2026. Can't wait to see the completed transformation! read more

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I'm in Hawaii for a convention for work and it's being held at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu. This is a great venue for any large gathering and this event has over 7,000 people in attendance! The staff has done a wonderful job accommodating all of the attendees. read more

Hawaii Convention Center - Outside signage - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This is the first time I was on the rooftop of the "Hawaii Convention Center". The "Diner En Blanc" held the secret dinner at this venue last week. We came up the back of the venue which has a-lots of stairs, unknown to us, There were elevators and escalators on the front side on the venue that will lead you to the rooftop. You can find that in the lobby. But it was nice to see the whole venue on all sides. The rooftop gave us an amazing sunset. It held 3000 people along with all of our chairs and tables that we all brought to the event. There was Entertainment on the grass dome. And Photo Booth set up around the venue. It was a perfect night. I have come to the Hawaiian convention center when they have had the comic con and also a car show. Apparently, there's several rooms other than the two places that I have been. The large lobby is beautiful and they have bathrooms on every floor. They have a paid parking area. Most places are wheelchair accessible. I will be coming back to check out the Christmas light event in December. See you soon read more

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It took 3 hours to get in to the convention center for Kawaii Kon... bruh.. LOL I understand that the construction will take a while but I think it's definitely a big inconvenience to people who decide to hold events here. Granted I'm glad they still had it - just wish the Convention Center could accommodate the organizers more. It must be tough having to plan a huge anime convention with all the renovations. read more

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The Hawai'i Convention Center is always a great place to visit. Wide open spaces and its cleanliness makes it a place to look forward to visiting when there's an event held there. The recent Honolulu Marathon bib pick up was very crowded at opening day, but the facility still hit right. read more

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Literally hundreds if not thousands of people in the facility...limited parking, the escalators are broken, only 4 chairs in the lobby and one bathroom. How is this facility supposed to attract events without proper amenities? Meanwhile their "security" is barking orders at kids for going in and out of facility doors. Why not lock the doors instead? Oh that's right, because it's a fire hazard. So shouldn't these barriers be removed? read more

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Yes, its in a central location. Yes, there is construction that limits the parking especially the handicap parking since several of those stalls is where they are storing construction equipment. Yes, they have some really nice workers. But WTF $6 for a can of soda and you only take credit cards? read more

I didn't realize how huge this place is. Our family was here this past weekend to check out AAU basketball. It was on the bottom floor. Half of the space was used for basketball. The other half had a girls volleyball tournament. There were women's and men's bathroom in the gigantic room and two concession stands. Both stands sell different items, so be sure to look at both before purchasing. We bought a chili bowl $12 and coconut flavored iced coffee $6. They put a lot of syrup in the coffee as we could definitely taste the coconut. We really liked the chili bowl. They sprinkled on some cheddar cheese and raw onions. It made all the difference. read more

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I came here for a conference. The staff was very friendly all the time. They have all the rooms clean as well as the restrooms. During the social time, the staff did a great job keeping the food and water ready for all attendees. Also, it is located in a convenient location. Different food options around. read more

Great location. Recently attended a conference and it appeared there was never enough space. Every room had 25-50 sitting or standing in the back. Not sure if this was a conference organizer issue. But, challenging. Over a nice space just not spacious enough for the recent event. read more

Attended the Pacific Festival at the Hawaii Convention Center. I love the Convention center venue but this time no one was helping to others to find the exhibit rooms. Nobody needed to register or get a QR code. Performances were an hour late, although very entertaining. The main exhibition hall was too dark and some people had a problem finding family members. Could not see the details in the crafts. Some participants left early and left their booths empty except for the area name on a banner. There was not a clear sign to refreshments to buy. Still I enjoyed the positive vibes from the whole time I was there. read more

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I was here for The Institute of Violence and Trauma conference. I have been here on a few occasions for different events since I have moved here. I am always impressed with the ambience of the center and how it highlights pieces from Hawaiian culture. There are plenty of rooms for conferences to ha e multiple workshops. The bathrooms are well maintained. I love the cup holder feature in the door where I can set my hydroflask instead of on the floor or at the sink. My only gripe is the availability of food vendors inside. The ones available are pricey. I am unable to eat the food they have available due to multiple food allergies. Other than that, this is a great venue. read more

Hawaii Convention Center - Fountain by the entrance - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This place is huge and great for events! We've been to a ton of things here (Made in Hawaii, Comicon, etc) but the most recent thing we went to was the Aloha Immersive Experience & my kids loved it. The staff was super friendly & everyone there showed amazing Christmas spirit. The parking is always kinda up there at $15 but definitely worth the convenience. read more

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The Hawaii Convention Center is really beautiful with lots of natural light and beautiful architecture. I remember when they were building it it was quite costly, but I must say it's quite a pretty building. Parking is $15 a day, and does not include In-N-Out privileges. From the parking garage, you can take an escalator down to the main lobby area on the first floor. They typically have an exhibit hall down here, as well as a café, with pastries and coffee. Another escalator takes you up to the third-floor where the majority of the rooms are for conferences /conventions. I recently had a convention here and I found out that the convention center was well designed, and very clean. There definitely was a lot of artistic effort that went into creating the architecture as you can tell there was an emphasis on allowing natural light into the convention center, and in the lobby area all the structures that hold up their roof are in the form of palm trees. They also have a waterfall in the lobby area as well as in the back of the building. Bathrooms are clean and spacious with plenty of stalls, and I thought it was pretty cool that on the back of the doors they have a little place where you can put your Hydroflask. I've actually never seen this before so that was interesting. I enjoyed having my conference here at the Hawaii Convention Center. read more

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The one-star review is based on the queue into the venue for the annual Made in Hawaii Festival, and the parking within the convention center itself. Both the entry queue (controlled by the convention center) and the parking during this festival (also controlled by the convention center) are abhorrent and lacking. Attended on Friday 8/15/25 at 1200 noon. Little did we know that the longest single entry line to enter a venue would be the resulting experience. I've been in lines at the Sphere in Las Vegas that holds 17,000-plus guests. Disneyland parks in Anaheim, Hong Kong and Tokyo, and concert venues from Staples Center in LA (now Crypto Arena), the Verizon Center in DC (now Capitol One Arena) -- both concert venues hold over 20,000 guests. Never have I waited 90 minutes to enter any of these massive venues which hold thousands and thousands more than the volume of people attending Friday's 8/15/25 Made in Hawaii Festival. The Sphere, Crypto and Capitol One Arena all process these 20,000 guests for a single start time efficiently with more than a mere two entry lines. The fact that the Made in Hawaii Festival had only TWO entry lines and one set of doors open is extremely poor planning. Event organizers stated that the Hawaii Convention Center only allows two entry lines/two doors open which is absolutely abysmal. Even the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall in previous years provided more than a single line queue. QR codes do not have a separate line (you can't even purchase entry tickets at the venue). And there's no way to avoid all the online ticketing/processing fees. Then, once inside the convention center lobby, the queue to scan QR codes was dismal at best with lines that made no sense, or criss-crossing lines of people exiting and entering the convention center at the same time with no rhyme or reason. Stanchions were all over the lobby of the convention center with no orderly funneling for people to queue into the actual lower level exhibition hall where the festival took place. Outside in the blazing heat, we saw people ditching/abandoning the line after making their way up stairs by the Ala Wai side of Waikiki/Ala Moana Blvd, drenched in sweat, and suffering from near heatstroke. There were NO staff to direct people or give an estimated time of entry for the line that went on and on and wrapped completely around the entire convention center. There were no hydration options during the 90-minute wait, and no shade once you hit Ala Moana Blvd or Atkinson Drive, and no way to ensure line-cutters were being monitored. The single file line was even funneled into the residential area of Kahakai Drive (Google map to see how insane that is), with residents there trying to get into their driveways or parking stalls and queuing attendees inadvertently blocking their ingress or egress. The "kupuna station" or elderly/handicapped waiting area fronting the convention center had no fans or water for elderly attendees. (Kim Morris, the festival lead, said they'd "look into fans for the Kupuna area next year" so no guarantees). Kupuna had to wait for their party to make their way through the line to then enter the convention center so they were forced to sit there for 90+ minutes as well. Ticket sales would easily have indicated what kind of attendance was about to show up -- but no additional staff or security was hired to support or direct attendees and alleviate the initial queue of guests. Kim Morris, the event lead, stated that the line cleared the first day (Friday, 8/15/25) at 1:15pm but remember that from opening til about 12:30pm the line was UPWARDS of a 90 minute wait! The second day (Saturday, 8/16/25), she reported that lines cleared by 10:30am. So note for future festival dates: take heed for the first day -- and especially the first half of the day -- unless the convention center opens more than one door and allows more than one queue to enter the venue! And also note that the convention center limits structure parking -- so forget about the overpriced parking lot queue at the site itself. read more

We have attended a couple of events at the Convention Center and found it to be conveniently located. Parking was right there on site. Like the coffee and snack vender in lobby. The pickleball tournament we went to recently had a food vender inside the large room it was held in which was nice. The lighting was good for those competing. There were bathrooms located on either side of entry and vending machine. Nearby a walking distance there were food trucks and other restaurants. read more

Okinawan Festival has been at this location for several years. Plenty parking, AC, lots of great activities, delicious food, awesome members, volunteers and all located on one floor. Come and check it out!!!! Today is the first day, WOW lots of people. Pick up my favorite tofu from Aloha Tofu. Come down early to see the fabulous entertainment, eat delicious food and visit all the educational booth. Games for kids read more

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Came here to attend the Okinawan festival. It is a lovely facility that has wonderful air conditioning. We arrived on foot so not sure about the parking situation. The side with windows can get hot so if you are inside rest away from the windows. Bathroom cleanliness: above average and plenty of stalls Cleanliness: above average read more

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Good convention and events venue. Went to the Okinawan festival on September 3, 2023 Facilities are generally clean, plenty of restrooms, security guards on site, air conditioning generally works (except for the lobby area). read more

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An update: Here for another tournament and went to the concession for a cheeseburger and fries..the taste was not as flavorful as last time but still good and fries had a little seasoning that was tasty read more

I have been here several times throughout the years. As we know Hawaii is hosting this year's FestPac. To be completely honest, this event has changed my perspective on the convention center. It can actually accommodate a lot of people. Usually when there have been events hosted here, I could neverrrrr get parking, so I'd park at Ala Moana and pay. The past 3 days I have visited even during the weekend, I was able to find parking in the garage. Parking here is $15. Thank you to all the workers! read more

Been here a few times now for different events - Hawaii made festival, Okinawan Festival, Honolulu Marathon, etc. It's quite big and they have 2 (or more?) floors but I just always stayed on the ground floor. It's a big venue at a very convenient centered location, perfect for a convention, right between Waikiki and Ala Moana. The bathrooms rarely had lines, but I wish the signs were positioned a little higher since the stalls covered the signs and it took me so time to know which wall to walk to for bathrooms. Good AC, not too strong and never felt stuffy inside. Sometimes I'd rather shop here than at the farmers market. I don't know what the parking situation is like. I either walked from home since I live in Ala Moana, or I took the bus. Not having to deal with parking is a great plus. The bus stops right at the corner of the convention center and it costs only $3 if you don't live far from the bus line. A pretty decent convention center and always busy with different events. If you live here, you most likely will go there at least once for something! read more

Beautiful job setting up the rooftop for the Sony Banquet. Andrew Le was the chef for the event. Wonderful wait staff. All in all great event read more

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Comic Con K-pop Concert Auto Show Meetings Graduation Okinawan Festival Van Gogh Experience What do these events have in common? They were all held at the Hawaii Convention Center! There are many more events held at this venue. These are just some examples of what has drawn me to this site. Opened in 1998 at a cost of $200 million, the Hawaii Convention Center is situated at the edge of Waikiki. PARKING: enter from Kalakaua Avenue in the Makai direction. On 7-1-21, the flat rate was $12 for covered parking in the structure. Some people have parked for free at the nearby shopping center and walked over... There are clear directional signs, good lighting, and adequate air conditioning. Temperature checks were done at the parking lot, before visitors entered the escalator to the ground level. This was my mom's first time at the Convention Center. Like me, she was amazed at the high ceilings, spacious interior, and striking architecture. The indoor waterfall and gigantic rotating ceiling fans are awesome! During my experiences here, I found the place to be safe, clean, and appropriate for all types of events! I just didn't like the parking fee. It's one of my pet peeves... Haha! read more

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Can't believe this is my first time checking in and reviewing now that I'm a dedicated Yelper! Been coming here for years, mostly as a pageant fanatic. Universal Showqueen is usually in May, Miss Hawaii (Scholarship) in June, and in November Miss HI USA (Beauty). 2019 was the last since I've stepped foot here for an event, now that large social events are returning. This month was Beyond Van Gogh the Immersive Experience! Excellent clean facility, huge and spacious parking, multiple floors with massive ballrooms, and the most convenient location for visitors when they're in Honolulu for conventions and other major events conveniently located near Waikiki, Ala Moana Center, and minutes from Honolulu International Airport!! read more

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My sister held events here and always a great outcome. I've also attended various events and never had any issues. I must share the excellent customer service and the Aloha felt when speaking with Mapuana today. The expressed empathy and compassion reminded me that during this holiday season and post pandemic lifestyle, Hawaii, my home, always gives that Spirit of the Islands that continue to make Hawaii great! Such a friendly voice from the beginning and quick resolution with care all the to the end. Mahalo Mapu! read more

Can we just take a second to appreciate the architecture with the blue glass panels? So strikingly aesthetic and reminiscent of the turquoise waters surrounding Oahu! read more

Hawaii Convention Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I recently attended this venue as part of our several-day meetings/presentations with our organization. I'll say, the building itself is beautiful, in the middle of Waikiki; our rooms were well-appointed and tended to by the staff. We consistently had good food and drinks, and were always treated with respect and privacy with regards to our meetings. There was a nice Asian woman, I think her name was Amy? She frequently checked on us to make sure our needs were met. All of the other staff seemed friendly. Of course, nothing is perfect, there was a very brief period when our keurig didn't work, but someone came and fixed it right away. I don't think that's something to detract from 5 stars. I recommend this location for company retreats, meetings, etc. It's huge, and accommodated a large group of us with no problems. I think there were other groups present at the same time, but we were separated enough that it felt like our own personal space. read more

Beautiful and comfortable place for a seminar or large meeting. Various size meeting rooms, all sorts of catering is available. The center is very photogenic, it's nicer than having a convention in a hotel, no matter how nice the hotel is. read more

Nice convention center. Attended sneaker con 2023. Was a fun event, what I would expect from attending sneaker con read more

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Post-COVID Review for Honolulu Marathon Expo 2021: I've been here plenty of times for the Kawaii Kon, Amazing Comic Con and Comic Con Honolulu before the pandemic. But only got to visit the Honolulu Marathon Expo in 2019 before it all changed. The Marathon Expo used to have lots of local running groups, shopping from various local running shops and your bib number packet pick up. I went and walked around the Expo in 2019, so I could somewhat experience the marathon. The Expo was held in the Kamehameha I or Kamehameha II Ballrooms on the first floor. In 2021, they check your COVID vaccination card and ID before entering the Convention Center. They have a body heat camera temperature check after checking your vaccination. You are required to have a face mask on in the convention center. They moved the Honolulu Marathon Expo to the 4th Floor Ballroom, where you have to take two escalators up after entering the Convention Center. The Convention Center staff will direct you to go to the longer elevators because the ones on the far right are for the parking garage. Then you have go up another smaller escalator before reaching the 4th floor Ballroom. There you will see in big signs for the Honolulu Marathon with the bib numbers. A clear bag area for your clothes that you can drop off to change into after the marathon. Then the Start to Park 10k with the logo and sign. Then the Kalakaua Merrie Mile with the logo and sign. Runners must show their bib numbers to get their race packets and shirts (Only Start to Park 10k and Kalakaua Merrie Mile recieve their shirts at the Expo). There's a few photo areas for you to take pictures and show your race bib numbers. People did take their masks off briefly for a quick picture with their bib numbers. The race bib numbers are widely space out, but it does get crowded at the Mizuno merchandise area especially for the shirts. Then you pass by all the Mizuno merchandise area for bags, race belt, shirts, face masks, towels, and socks. They have their running sneakers for purchase too. But never buy running shoes before a race that you haven't already broken in from previous races; it's more of a splurge to bring home to use for future races. They had cute reusable bags and a good luck cat charm that they gave at the register for the merchandise. There was two laptops on either side of the exit that you can use to check your bib number timing chip, if all the information is correct before leaving the ballroom. You just put the white timing chip over the red scanner to check your bib numbers are correct and working. All the volunteers were sweet and nice when getting the race packets. The volunteer's Mizuno orange volunteer shirts and hats are awesome! Thank you to all the volunteers and Honolulu Marathon Association staff for making this marathon happen! Thank you to the Hawaii Convention Center staff for making sure it all goes smoothly! Thank you for the Honolulu Marathon first in-person race that I'll get to do since King's Runner 10k in 2020! There are NO SHUTTLES from Waikiki to the Starting Line of the Honolulu Marathon and Start to Park 10k this year. The Marathon Staff said to walk, ride share/taxi and get dropped off on your own. More self serve water stations this year and less entertainment than in year's past is expected at the marathon. The finisher's certificate will be digital this year, you can download them after the race when you get your finisher's email. read more

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The security staff was extremely argumentative and confrontational. There was no where to sit outside the lobby area and my husband and I found an area near an EMPTY bar where there was seating. After being there at a cheer competition all day we sat there and the security guard approached us VERY rudely and said, "you guys can't sit here, so move" there was also not enough seating inside the arena. We paid 50 dollars per person for the event. Terrible experience and the restrooms were disgustingly dirty and had no toilet paper. read more

Pretty good size place. Came to see the Van Gogh exhibition. It was interesting, but may have over paid for the VIP tickets because it was not crowded. Moreover, the complimentary freebies only limited to posters and masks. Learned a lot about the artist and his works. Overall, it was one enjoyable outing with loved ones. read more

Hawaii Convention Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Public Parking was easy to find. Very clear signage off of Kalākaua. Structure is large. Parking stalls are a good size. The Convention Center is a nice, large, clean space. This was my first visit here so attending Van Gogh was a nice way to see the Center. I would definitely want to see other events, shows, expos and performances here. It's a beautiful space. read more

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Opened in 1998, this is the largest exhibition space in the 808. What brought me here was the 2018 Okinawan Festival, its inaugural year at this new venue after years of being held at Kapiolani Park. From the outside, it's a window washer's dream and a bird's worst nightmare. Four levels of thick, blue-green glass acts as the building's facade. From inside on the third level, you can see out onto a flat roof surface just above the lobby that is sometimes littered with dead fowl. On the inside, I was impressed by its size especially since it sits on such a small parcel of land. LEVEL 1: The ground floor features a four level-high lobby with floor to ceiling glass, and the gargantuan Kamehameha Exhibit Hall, which at 204,000 SF, can be divided into thirds. Concession areas and restrooms line the backside of the room. PRO TIP: There are two escalators in the lobby. The left one side leads directly to the third level. The right side leads directly to the second level parking area. LEVEL 2: The parking garages is house on the second level. Parking is limited for a venue of this size, IMO. Luckily we were staying at the Ala Moana Hotel across the street and simply walked over. LEVEL 3: A plethora of meeting rooms in all sizes and two theaters with stages are housed on the third level. LEVEL 4: The top level of the complex sports the 35,000 SF Kalakaua Ballroom which can be divided into thirds. And, a super-cool rooftop garden with great views of the city is available for outdoor events. OVERALL: As far as the Okinawan Festival went, I feel they should've used larger meeting rooms on the third level to house the craft and snack vendors. While I haven't been to other convention centers for comparison, I think the HCC is a top-notch facility. read more

Hawaii Convention Center - View from level 3 - VN - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Pros: friendly service Clean Location Easily accessible by public transit read more

Although the outside of the center appears to be a bit dated, the inside is quite beautiful. The center is pretty easy to navigate and the accommodations (e.g. restrooms, dining areas, meeting rooms) were pretty clean. The food served was pretty much on par with other convention centers (i.e. nothing to really write about); however, I did notice more variety with meal selections. Although the convention center and the staff were nice, I found the convention center to be very warm. The conference I attended was held in Oct. Although Hawaii was not super hot, many of the men (including myself) were melting in our suits, especially in the large exhibition hall. read more