Maui wedding and events industry asks county for $300,000 to host 'Engage' summit as small businesses report steep decline

Business owners representing Maui’s wedding and events industry told the Budget, Finance & Economic Development Committee on April 30 that the sector remains depressed and asked the committee to keep $300,000 in the county budget to help bring the Engage summit — a national wedding‑industry conference — to Maui.

Why it matters: Witnesses said destination weddings generate outsized local economic benefit because couples and their guests spend on venues, hotels, vendors and local services. They described multi‑year declines in nonresident weddings and asked the county to help market higher‑spend, culturally respectful weddings to bring revenue back to small businesses.

What testimony said: Tara Murphy, a wedding photographer and board member of the Maui Wedding & Event Association, told the committee that the number of nonresident weddings on Maui dropped from 6,070 in 2015 to 2,491 last year — a roughly 59% decline. “This decline appears to be a direct result from COVID, the fires, and mixed messaging about visiting Maui,” Murphy said. She asked the committee to support the proposed $300,000 to host the Engage summit, which she said attracts 350–500 top wedding professionals and has never held an event in Hawaii.

Della Peacock, owner of Della’s Floral Design and a 20‑year industry veteran, said the decline is squeezing a wide supply chain that includes florists, musicians, caterers and banquet staff. “This isn’t just about weddings. It’s about jobs, small businesses, and the heart of our local economy,” Peacock said.

Other witnesses from photography and salon businesses echoed the request. Several committee members suggested alternative sources if the committee could not find the money in the general fund; Member Gabe Johnson pointed out that the county’s Office of Economic Development runs a $600,000 “economic diversification and development initiative” pot that could be a fit.

What the committee did: Members debated where to place the funding in the budget. Several different proposals were floated during the meeting — moving the $300,000 into tourism program management, into a broader economic‑diversification pot, or keeping it in the mayor’s proposed line. Multiple votes on alternative placements failed when the committee was split. Committee debate continued about whether the pot that funds the summit should be competitive and whether the county should instead look for existing tourism or economic‑development grants that could be adapted.

What happens next: Committee members asked staff to confirm existing pots and whether non‑budget sources (tourism grants, economic diversification funds) could be used; the committee did not finalize a change to the budget line for the summit during the session.

Ending: Organizers said the summit — if funded — could help rebuild bride‑and‑groom traffic to Maui and restore work to hundreds of dependent subcontractors and seasonal employees.