by Pádraic Gilligan, Co-Founder, SoolNua Consulting | Head of Research & Consultancy, SITE

SITE returned to Hawai‘i in August 2025 after a long hiatus, bringing its annual flagship event, SITE Classic, to the sacred shores of Maui. Hosted at the Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, this year’s gathering of around 250 incentive travel professionals did far more than celebrate excellence in business events. It offered a vivid reminder that incentive travel can—and must—be a force for regeneration, reconnection, and responsibility.

This edition of SITE Classic achieved something truly remarkable. Yes, it generated close to USD $300,000 for SITE Foundation’s vital research and advocacy work. And yes, it delivered the usual high standard of networking, education, and exquisite hospitality that attendees have come to expect. But it also resonated at a deeper frequency—amplified by the cultural richness of Hawai‘i, the resilience of its people, and a shared desire to reimagine our industry with purpose.

A Destination Symphony

SITE Classic 2025 was made possible through the seamless collaboration of a dream team of host partners: the Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, the Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau, and legendary DMC partner MC&A, whose legacy in the Hawaiian islands (dating back to its origins as Mary Charles & Associates) brought profound local expertise and heartfelt generosity to every aspect of the program. Their orchestration of traditional Hawaiian ceremonies, off-site activities, and logistical flow was pitch-perfect—this was a destination symphony that’ll linger in our memory like a Beatles melody.

SITE’s volunteer and executive leadership continues to raise the bar each year with this event. But this year, something shifted. Hawai‘i—as place, presence, and philosophy—insinuated itself deeper into our hearts and minds. It didn’t just host us. It changed us.

Land, Fire, Water, and Resilience

From the airport at Kahului, the journey to Kapalua takes you past Lāhainā, the historic town devastated by wildfires in 2023. More than two years later, the scars remain—but so does the spirit. Rebuilding is visible in the form of timber frames rising from the ashes, and nature itself is quietly reasserting its will: grasses sprouting, trees budding, earth healing.

Further along the route, the typically lush fairways of Kapalua’s golf courses appear strangely sunburned. It’s no accident. In the aftermath of the fires, local authorities have restricted irrigation, prioritizing water conservation and long-term resilience over cosmetic perfection. In a world still slow to respond to climate change, Maui is taking bold, proactive steps—placing citizen welfare above visitor expectation, and daring to imagine a different kind of tourism.

Malama ‘Āina – Caring for the Land

This ethos of malama ‘āina—to care for and respect the land—permeated every moment of SITE Classic. For Native Hawaiians, the land is not scenery. It is genealogy. It contains the bones of their ancestors. To walk here as a visitor is to enter into relationship with a living, breathing organism. And SITE Classic honored that with humility and intention.

One of the most moving moments came just after sunrise during the E Ala E cultural service, when nearly 60 attendees gathered barefoot at the water’s edge to greet the dawn with chant, reflection, and immersion in the sea. There was no stage, no script—only the rising sun and the rhythm of the ocean. A spiritual reset, open to all.

Bottles, Not Plastic: Small Acts of Sustainability

Sustainability was not a buzzword at SITE Classic. It was embedded in the experience—from a no-irrigation policy to the Ritz-Carlton’s commendable initiative to provide every guest with a complimentary, refillable water bottle, thereby minimizing single-use plastics throughout the event. Attendees could refill at hydration stations across the resort, a small but significant gesture that added up across four days in the tropical sun.

This kind of tangible, everyday sustainability reinforces a key message: small choices matter, especially when they are consistently applied at scale. Hawai‘i leads by example.

A Manifesto for Transformative Travel

During the education day, Dr. Aaron J. Salā, a Native Hawaiian and President and CEO of the Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau, delivered what can only be described as a manifesto for the future of business events.

Drawing from his background in musicology and lived Hawaiian experience, Dr. Salā challenged us to reframe incentive travel as an act of regeneration—one that balances economic opportunity with cultural integrity and environmental stewardship.

Referring to the very land on which the Ritz-Carlton now stands, he reminded us of the complex past: the original plans for the resort placed it directly on Honokahua, sacred ancestral lands and burial grounds. It was only after considerable protest that the resort was repositioned, set back from the shoreline, allowing the site to be preserved. “This,” Salā suggested, “is what compromise can look like—when we listen, learn, and lead with respect.”

The Future Is Purposeful

SITE Classic 2025 marked a moment of convergence: a premier incentive travel experience that transcended logistics and luxury to deliver meaning, impact, and insight. The Hawaiian concept of pono—rightness, balance, harmony—was present not only in the protocols and programming, but in the decisions made behind the scenes, in who we listened to, and how we showed up.

In an era where business events are expected to do more than drive revenue, SITE Classic showed us what’s possible when purpose is placed at the center of the experience.

Mahalo, Maui. We came for connection. We left transformed.