You might not think of Maui as a pinnacle location for technological advancement, but on Monday, Feb. 22, the island will host the third annual WedTech Summit at the Royal Lahaina Resort in Ka‘anapali. The fact that the summit has moved from an urban hub to our shores is in itself a huge boost to our wedding industry and Maui as both tech center and wedding destination. Major industry players will speak on building startups, digital content for weddings, marketing to millennials, fashion and video.
While Pinterest has made a huge impact on the industry, there are also plenty of other apps and websites that appeal to the modern couple planning a wedding, and this is the place to find out about them all. The WedTech Summit can help island wedding specialists reach this market, develop their own apps or utilize new services that can streamline their operations.
WedTech runs Monday and Tuesday with a full schedule of speakers, both local and from the Mainland. The days begin with an hour-long keynote followed by attendees choosing which hour-long panels they would like to attend. Following a noon break, there are more speakers and panels throughout the afternoon. There will also be a expo room with vendors and evening mixers that start at 6pm.
On Monday evening, the Wed Zeppelin mixer party is open to the public for $40 (WedTech Summit ticket holders will have access with their passes). The party features live entertainment from the Deborah Vial band and a gorgeous bar and lounge. For more information or to buy tickets, go to wedtechsummit.com
Speaker Highlights
- Amanda Allen, Newly Wish: Curated online registry site that defies the usual boring wedding registries. Newlywish.com
- Brittney Barrett, HoneyBook: Bookeeping, invoicing, payment systems; project management and client collaboration zipped into one pretty package. Honeybook.com
- Bogdan Constantin, Menguin: Never step foot in a tux shop again. This site mails suits to you. Menguin.com
- Brittny Drye, Love Inc Magazine: Love Inc is a digital space packed with wedding ideas, tips and looks for ceremonies same sex and otherwise. Loveincmag.com
- Alex Gold, Buzzstarter: Want customers to see your brand? This company turns brand campaigns into blog content. Buzzstarter.com
- Chenoa Farnsworth, Hawaii Angels: Investment network firm for seed level equity investments. Hawaiiangels.org
- Rob Farrow, Aisleplanner: Think Basecamp for your wedding plan. Aisleplanner.com
- Carolyn Gerin, Anti-Bride: The founder of WedTech Summit and author of the Anti-Bride series of books that trended the “out of the box” wedding ideas.
- Rachel Holllis, Chic Media: Hollis is a party planner extraordinaire. She writes books, blogs and brands herself on her website. Thechicsite.com
- Afeisha James-Kipps, Wedspire: Digital wedding marketplace and look book that kicks butt. Wedspire.com
- Lindsay Landman, Lindsay Landman Events: Event production company. Lindsaylandmanevents.com
- Yaron Lipshitz, AllSeated: Where to seat your guests, done in an app. Allseated.com
- Ian McFarland, Neo Innovation: Want to sketch out a new business model or startup? Then listen to this guy. Neo.com.
- Preeti Moberg, The Big Fat Indian Wedding: Gorgeous South Asian weddings from Cancun to Minnesota. Thebigfatindianwedding.com
- Tim Sae Koo, Tint: Want to pull all your Facebook, instagram and other social media feeds into one place? Tintup.com
- Nick & Nate Simmons, Venticity: Digital medium to hook up wedding vendors. Venticity.com
- Harmony Walton, The Bridal Bar: Curated luxury wedding planning in LA and San Diego and host of Bridal Bar radio. Bridalbar.com
- Jingyi Zhang, WedReality: This app lets you create–and try on–virtual wedding gowns and looks without setting foot in a shop. Wedreality.com
Schedule
Monday February 22 2016
9am: Becoming A CEO: 10 Things I Wish I Knew 10 Years Ago. Rachel Hollis – Chic Media
10am: New Voices in Digital Content. Brittny Drye – Love Inc Magazine; Katie McMillan – TEDX Maui; Brittney Barrett – HoneyBook; Darren Keala – Bliss Weddings and Spectacular Events
10am: Engaging the Millennial Consumer on the Web and in the World. Amanda Allen – Newly Wish; Samantha Howard – Wings Hawaii; Lindsay Landman – Lindsay Landman Events
11am: Raising Capital Tips + Tricks to get Funded. Chenoa Farnsworth – Hawaii Angels; Thelma Alane – HI Technology Development Corp.; Ian McFarland – Neo Innovation; Jesse Merl – Major League Fantasy Inc.
11am: InspirAction Find Clients with Online Marketplaces. Afeisha James-Kipps – Wedspire; Nick & Nate Simmons – Venticity; Jack Weiner – Event Accents
12pm: Lunch
12-2pm: Learn the Aloha Principle and How to Build your Business like a Lean Startup. Ian McFarland – Neo Innovation
2pm: Future Fashion Wearables + Beyond. Bogdan Constantin – Menguin; Cyrina Hadad – SHOUXproductions; Jerry Isdale – Maui Makers; Karen Hartline – Reinventing Events
2pm: SnapStreamScope Workshop Video Marketing Workshop. Jesse Merl – Major League Fantasy Inc; Tommy Russo – Mauitime; Ashley Jones – Ashley Ann Events
3pm: Future of Wedding Entertainment. Shoshana Zisk – SF MusicTech Summit; Del Sol – Maui Wedding DJ; Brian Kohne – Hawaii Cinema; Lindsay Landman – Lindsay Landman Events
3pm: How to Reach Media + Tell Your Brand Story. John Boitnott – Writer; Rob Farrow – Aisleplanner; Peter Isacksen – Content & Company; Alex Gold – Buzzstarter
4pm: Future of Weddings–Wed Trends, Innovation and Changes. Alexis Asbe – Serial Entrepreneur; Jingyi Zhang – WedReality; Shane Canada – Bliss Weddings and Spectacular Events
4pm: Path to Success: Get Organized & Stay Productive. Rachel Hollis – Chic Media
5pm: Marketing 2.0: Innovative and Effective Solutions for Marketing to Modern Couples. Harmony Walton – The Bridal Bar
6pm: Booze Trends + Tastings: Wed Zeppelin & Networking Mixer
Tuesday February 23 2016
8am: Yoga
9am: How to Get Published Workshop: Print & Digital. Sasha Vasilyuk – I DO PR; Brittny Drye – Love Inc Magazine; Carolyn Gerin – Anti-Bride / WTS; Preeti Moberg – The Big Fat Indian Wedding
10am: Social Media Hacks for Biz–Beat the Social Media Beast. Andre Bourque – Huffington Post; Leah Goold-Haws – Girls Gone Global; Melissa Wilmot – WedBrilliant; Danielle Miller – Miller Media Management
11am: Food Trends–Future of Food + Booze in the Digital Ecosystem. Jana McMahon – Private Chef; Ted Wilson – Fine and Rare SF: Shonna Pinheiro – Ocean Vodka: Jason Vendrell – Monkeypod Kitchen: Dania Katz – Edible Hawaiian Islands magazine
12:30: Break
1pm: Mastering Destination Events Workshop. Lindsay McKinney – SummitSync; Deborah Moody – ACPWC; Darren Keala – Bliss Weddings and Spectacular Events; Jill Stein – The Wedding Faire
2pm: WedPro Back Office Hacks–Apps + Platforms that Free You. Rob Farrow – Aisle Planner; Yaron Lipshitz – AllSeated; Brittney Barrett – HoneyBook; Eric Waddell – Fleetwood’s on Front St.
3pm: Building an Online Presence & Getting Seen: John Boitnott – Inc Magazine; Chris Norberg – Hawaii Web Group LLC; Ashley Jones – Ashley Ann Events; Brian Zisk – SF MusicTech Summit
4pm: Documenting Your Day & Social Photography. Tim Sae Koo – Tint, Jill Stein – The Wedding Faire
5pm: Networking Mixer in the Expo Room. Deal Making + Cocktails
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MauiTime Wedding Guide
Maui boasts a multi-million dollar wedding industry that serves brides and grooms from all over the world. The island offers unparalleled locations, hidden beaches and luxurious honeymoon amenities. In fact, nearly 87 percent of the nearly 7,000 weddings performed on Maui each year are destination weddings for non-residents. Put another way, Maui hosts about 30 percent of all the weddings held in Hawaii.
This year’s MauiTime Wedding Guide profiles a local bride and groom, explains why the wedding tech industry has Maui in their crosshairs, touches on homegrown bridal couture and offers a bit of advice on the latest trends from wedding industry experts.
Weddings can be manic events, so let our guide help smooth things over.
In this Maui Wedding Guide:
Maui Bridal Style Hair and Makeup
Maui Wedding Cakes, Events, Settings and Flowers
Maui Wedding Profile Louis Kanoa Kukaua and Jessica Lewis
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