Conference Center of The Pacific

"The vision of the Turtle Bay Conference Center is to bring East and West divisions of the same company together for serious, executive level meetings with no distractions - aside from the natural allure of Oahu's North Shore of course," said Burt Cabanas, CEO of Benchmark Hospitality. "Considering the current political climate, some companies and planners may regard Hawaii as an extravagance. However, Asia and the Pacific Rim can often be too far to travel or too complicated to plan, while Hawaii is at the crossroads of the Pacific, a perfect halfway point. It's one of the reasons why we spared no expense adding a high-tech destination-resort conference center to this renowned property."

Overview: New Meeting Spaces and Conference Center

With the completion of the Kuilima Ballroom in December 2003 there will be a total of twenty eight thousand (28,000) square feet of meeting space and accommodations for up to 800 attendees making Turtle Bay Resort the perfect location for corporate meetings and large gatherings. An experienced staff is trained to assist with all logistical and menu planning, technology support and arranging of all recreational activities, ensuring a seamless event.

• The Kuilima Ballroom is 9,340 square feet with 2,863 square feet of pre-function space. Complete with ocean views the ballroom accommodates 650 people in a classroom style set up, 560 people for a seated banquet and 1,000 people for a reception.
• The Kahuku Ballroom is 9,040 square feet and can be divided into six meeting rooms. The prefunction space for the Kahuku Ballroom is 2,100 square feet and can be used for exhibits or receptions.
• The Sunset Room is 3,800 square feet, offering dramatic oceanfront views of the Pacific. The room seats 260 for banquets and up to 350 for receptions.
• Six smaller conference rooms of various sizes and a 1,000 square foot seaside pavilion. Conference amenities include a full service conference concierge, all-day refreshment break kiosk, and private restrooms.

All break out rooms have solid and tackable wall surfaces with optimal acoustical design for conference communication, blackout and sun shades, unobstructed interior sightlines, adjustable lighting and individual climate control, ergonomically designed chairs that allow for better comfort and concentration, wide work tables with hard writing surfaces that are non-reflective and phones with direct dial to the Conference Concierge for immediate assistance.

State Of The Art Technology And Connectivity

Turtle Bay Resort features leading-edge technological amenities that create the ideal environment for productive meetings and help keep business objectives moving forward. All conference rooms feature the latest in communications technology:

• CAT5 data jacks on every wall for lightening-fast Internet access
• CAT6 cabling for high-end videoconferencing
• Phone jacks on every wall for modem access to the Internet
• Audiovisual equipment and support including LCD projectors, VHS and DVD players, cable TV and more.
• A floor box is in the front of each room with a Phone and a Data jack.
• Three of the bigger rooms have an extra wall plate in the front to accommodate A/V intensive presentations

A Web Cam is currently focused on the ocean at poolside, and there are plans to add an additional camera for events to be broadcast over the Internet through proprietary technology which allows digital images to be sent as data at up to 30 frames per second of broadcast quality resolution. The cameras can be remote controlled for panning, tilting, or zooming in on a particular item or event. This technology will also include a plug-in for local news casting companies to televise over the Internet. Additional technological developments at Turtle Bay include HDTV over the Internet for guest room viewing.

Turtle Bay's Coconut Wireless Is Fast And Easy

From its guest rooms, beach cottages, Kahuku ballroom, lobby, or virtually anywhere within the Resort, guests have wireless Internet access via high-speed T1 connectivity. This degree of mobility allows business guests to stay in touch at lightening speeds using a laptop, PDA, or handheld computer configured for wireless access. Wireless network cards and Ethernet converters are available for rent and the resort will provide setup services and technical support throughout one's stay.

Also known as 802.11, Wi-Fi wireless Internet access operates on an unregulated radio spectrum and promises speeds of up to 11 Mbps, about 200 times faster than a dial-up modem. Wi-Fi subscribers can access their accounts throughout the United States, with more than 400 networks deployed across the country at airports, hotels and coffee shops. 802.11 is also a global standard, with deployments in Tokyo, London and other parts of the world. Wireless 802.11 Cards have become as indispensable as the toothbrush for travelers of elite hotels that provide Wi-Fi services.

In addition to wireless access, all guest rooms and cottages are equipped with a data port separate from the phone line for modem access to the Internet without interrupting the phone service. The East Cottages are hardwired with high-speed T1 connections.

Turtle Bay's Meeting and Banquet Cuisine

Conference Dining is an important respite from a busy meeting agenda, and is often a perfect opportunity for the exchange of ideas and the development of camaraderie. Turtle Bay Resort offers superb dining options in one of the most beautiful locations in the world. Plan a memorable event on the lawn of Bay View Beach in the glow of a Hawaiian sunset, or gather on the Kahuku Terrace for a traditional Polynesian luau complete with buffet dining and entertainment.

For all dining menus related to meetings, special receptions, private banquets and theme dinners, a conference planning manager will work with the meeting coordinator to create fabulous and memorable events in the spirit of True Hawaii!

Turtle Bay is the only resort on Oahu with 36 holes of championship golf: the Fazio and Palmer courses. Annually, the Palmer course plays host to the Turtle Bay Championship, a premier stop on the "PGA Champions Tour". In addition to world class golf, Turtle Bay Resort is rich in other recreation and resort amenities, an exquisite new spa, two lushly landscaped oceanside pools, riding stables with ocean and trail riding, a full-service tennis center and 12 miles of ocean-front hiking trails. Here on Oahu, the Hawaiian island that has it all, Turtle Bay Resort offers a true "neighbor-island" experience.

Benchmark Hospitality, an independent hospitality management company based in The Woodlands, Texas, operates resorts, conference centers and hotels both domestically and internationally.