The NFL and HTA Designates Pro Bowl Committee
News Release from HTA October 5, 2012
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), the state’s tourism agency, in partnership with the National Football League (NFL), is pleased to announce the designation of a Pro Bowl Committee comprised of Hawai‘i business and community members. The Committee is chaired by Dr. Edison Miyawaki, a local business leader and limited partner of the Cincinnati Bengals. The goal of the Committee is to support the NFL’s continued investment in Hawai‘i by providing unparalleled experiences for residents, visitors, players and their families, NFL representatives and team owners during Pro Bowl Week in 2013.
The 49-member Committee will play a key role in developing and implementing programs to increase Pro Bowl Week and Game Day attendance, generate broad media exposure, increase community engagement and support, raise military involvement, create business partnerships and opportunities, enhance player and family experiences, and develop inbound travel packages for domestic and international visitors. The Committee member list is attached.
“We are pleased to welcome the Pro Bowl back to Hawai‘i in 2013 and look forward to working with the Pro Bowl Committee to enhance overall resident and visitor experiences during the week,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of the HTA. “This event has been home to Hawai‘i for more than 30 years and is very special to us. The Pro Bowl and events attract visitors and their spending, provides worldwide exposure for our Hawaiian Islands, creates economic opportunities for local businesses, and generates social, recreational and charitable benefits for residents and especially our youth.”
The 2012 Pro Bowl attracted 48,423 attendees (18,873 of which were visitors), contributing $25.3 million in visitor spending and $2.8 million in tax revenues. Pro Bowl Week events generated an additional estimated $4 million in local economic activity, while annual NFL charitable donations exceeded $100,000 in 2012. The Pro Bowl broadcast also reached 12.5 million viewers nationwide.
Committee chair Dr. Miyawaki’s experience with the NFL dates back to the 1970s when he established an NFL training camp for local athletes aspiring to play professional football. In 1994, he became the first Japanese-American to purchase minority ownership of an NFL franchise. For the past two decades, Dr. Miyawaki has played an instrumental role in securing the Pro Bowl in Hawai‘i.
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority is a state agency established by law in 1998 to ensure a successful visitor industry and tourism economy in the state of Hawai‘i. As the state's tourism authority, its mission is to strategically manage tourism to optimize benefits for Hawai‘i, integrating the interests of visitors, the community and visitor industry. Through the implementation of the statewide Hawai‘i Tourism Strategic Plan and HTA’s own strategic plan, the authority works to direct Hawai‘i tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with our economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, community desires and visitor industry needs. For more information on the HTA, please visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Pro Bowl Committee Members
1. Vince Baldemor
2. Bob Barlow
3. Rick Blagiardi
4. Scott Chan
5. Al Chee
6. Chris Chun
7. Bruce Coppa
8. Lee Donahue
9. Nola Donahue-Lewis
10. Jim Donovan
11. Rick Egged
12. John Fink
13. Raymond Fujino
14. Jim Fulton
15. Jerry Gibson
16. Kerry Hadaway
17. Bob Harrison
18. Percy Higashi
19. Peter Ho
20. Paulette Kaleikini
21. George Kam
22. Alvin Katahara
23. Victor Kimura
24. Chris Kobayashi
25. Duane Kurisu
26. Russell Lau
27. David Matlin
28. Mike McCartney
29. Lynn McCrory
30. Chuck Mills
31. Edison Miyawaki
32. Sam Moku
33. Randy Perreira
34. Mark Polivka
35. Carol Pregill
36. Michael Story
37. George Szigeti
38. Tony Takitani
39. Barry Taniguchi
40. Chris Tatum
41. David Uchiyama
42. Art Ushijima
43. Bill Villa
44. Ron Williams
45. Alan Wong
46. Roy Yamaguchi
47. Gary Yoshida
48. Hugh Yoshida
49. Sanford Yuen