Executive Conference canceled due to economy

“Growing concerns about attending a conference during such difficult times” led to the cancellation of April’s Hawaii Executive Conference, a private annual meeting of the state’s corporate and educational elite, according to conference chairman Dee Jay Mailer, CEO of the nonprofit Kamehameha Schools.

This is reportedly the first time the conference has been canceled since it started in 1963. The invitation-only event was limited to about 300 people, including spouses. Attendees are charged a significant fee that covers the cost of rooms and meals. High-profile speakers from around the world were to be brought in to help facilitate discussions over four days.

The conference, usually held at a Neighbor Island resort, was to be held at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa at Poipu. This year’s conference theme was “The Power of Community.” Mailer said the conference would resume in 2010 at the same resort.