Made in Hawaii Festival grows

A record 450-plus exhibitors and more than 40,000 people attended the Made in Hawaii Festival over the Statehood Day weekend, according to event producer Amy Hammond, president of Special Events Hawaii.

Attendance was on par with last year’s festival, she said.

This year’s 20th annual event at the Neal Blaisdell Center, in the Exhibition Hall and Arena, expanded into the Pikake Room, which housed the New Product Showcase as well as local entertainment. Exhibitors came from all around Hawaii, including the island of Niihau, she said.

"It seemed like people were carrying out more bags" than last year, Hammond said. "We calculate that about $10 million is transacted over the course of the weekend."

During the festival "there is also tons of business-to-business networking," she said. For example, one company that makes baked goods may arrange to buy products from another company to incorporate into its line of foods.

That activity adds to ongoing economic impacts of the festival. The residual impact is estimated at $10 million to $15 million, she said.