The recent Honolulu Advertiser article about the return on investment of the Honolulu Convention Center furthers the discussion about the value and potential of this facility.

We firmly believe that Hawaii's visitor plant would be incomplete without a world-class convention center. Despite the ups and downs of world events and economic cycles, the Hawaii Convention Center is a necessary lynchpin of our travel infrastructure that can boost business throughout the state while diversifying and expanding our market beyond leisure travel.

To understand the full value of the Hawaii Convention Center, it is necessary to consider the multiplier effect of a convention on the economy —an effect many times greater than the revenue from booking fees for the facility.

Consider for example the economic punch of the American Dental Association (ADA) national convention in Hawaii Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. The 24,000-plus registered attendees booked almost 200,000 room nights and are expected to generate an estimated $113 million in visitor spending along with tax revenues of nearly $11 million.

Large citywide conventions such as the ADA are the supernovas of the meetings industry, spreading their wealth far and wide. Pre- and post-convention travel by attendees, along with breakout sessions on Neighbor Islands — like those held by the dentists on Kauai and Maui — improve earnings for an array of businesses including attractions, activities, restaurants and retailers.

The Hawaii Dental Association took the lead several years ago in earnestly lobbying their national affiliate to come to Hawaii and working side by side with salespeople from the Hawaii Convention Center and Hawaii's visitor industry to make the deal as attractive as possible.

HDA also took an active role in planning and staging the event, with members working at the convention and hosting their own receptions and other activities for the visiting dentists.

Along with ADA, past successful conventions of this size and scope have been won for Hawaii by the local chapters of professional organizations representing, for example, the nation's bankers and realtors.

If more Hawaii professional organizations took this kind of initiative to be involved from initial proposal to the close of activities, the potential of the Hawaii Convention Center would be better fulfilled. The conventions don't all have to be supersized; even groups of several thousand can generate a significant ripple of cash throughout the local economy.

We urge private industry, medical, education, government and other sectors to become active proponents in attracting meetings to Hawaii. Rest assured, Hawaii's hotel community will fully support them with competitive room rates, first class functions, and service with aloha.