2014 sets record for isle convention center

The Hawai‘i Convention Center had its best financial year last year, with 320,680 attendees spending more than $501 million, officials said in a news release Monday.

Participants at the 182 events in 2014 generated more than $48 million in tax revenue for the state, officials said.

"We are very pleased with our first-year results," said Brad Gessner, senior vice president, convention centers, for AEG Facilities. Last year was the first year the Los Angeles-based AEG managed the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

"The first year of management of the Hawai‘i Convention Center by AEG Facilities generated some positive results both in the convention center’s bottom-line performance and in room night generation," said Brian Lynx, vice president of meetings, conventions and incentives for the Hawaii Tourism Authority, in the news release.

The convention center is doing better than some of its competitors: Hawaii is running at 104 percent of its historical pace over the next eight years versus the "competitive set" at 88 percent, the news release said. In 2015 the convention center is at 130 percent of its pace compared with the competitive set at 95 percent.

The convention center is marketed by Meet Hawaii, a collaboration between the center and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. Meet Hawaii is overseen by the Hawaii Tourism Authority.