These days, it has become our reality to avoid big gatherings. We can never be too sure or too safe when it comes to our health amidst this pandemic. While—thankfully—we’ve diverted to online events and gatherings, it’s natural that people are eventually going to crave the live event experience. After all, there’s definitely nothing like being with people in real life. But of course, every problem has a solution, and the solution for safer events in the future lies in outdoor venues!
Here’s why outdoor venues will eventually be the best option for events in the near future: because viruses tend to spread faster in enclosed spaces, outdoor spaces allow less chances of transmission between attendees. They also give event planners more room for flexible venue designing according to proper social distancing.
As for Hawai’i, we have an edge with these circumstances—our beautiful islands have amazing views, nature, and fresh air. What better way to bring back events than to do it in the safe and great outdoors? So, CIH Events presents to you a blog series on outdoor corporate and experiential event spaces in Hawai’i! For this series, our first feature will be on Maui’s Sugar Beach Event Venue.
Oh, to party or take a stroll on a beach with soft sand, kites flying around and a cool breeze to match. How dreamy does that sound?
Let’s take you to the long aisle of Sugar Beach and its own homegrown catering service and event venue, Sugar Beach Events in Maui.
Sugar Beach, also known as Kealia Beach, runs along the coastline of Maui and is said to be the longest beach on the island. While it’s not the best place to swim due to coral reefs in the water, its long stretch, wide skies, and little amount of buildings allow winds to blow freely here. It’s this popular Sugar Beach breeze that makes it a hotspot for kite surfing, windsurfing, kayaking, and occasionally surfing. On the other hand, in the winter, it’s a nice spot for whale watching. With these natural attractions, Sugar Beach is a popular place for corporate events, galas and incentive trips and actually has its own events scene.
Sugar Beach Events, established in 2013, is run by executive chef and owner Chef Lee Anderson.
It is popular for having hosted all kinds of gatherings such as large corporate events, holiday parties, experiential events, birthdays, weddings, and public events in its renowned event venue named Hale O Aloha. This beautiful oceanfront property boasts of a grand ballroom, suites for entertainer staging areas, a restaurant quality kitchen for the best dining experience, and a stunning capacity of up to 200 people outdoors. However, what makes Sugar Beach Events and Hale O Aloha special is the thoughtful process behind its construction and conceptualization. We were lucky to be able to speak to Chef Lee Anderson, who shared with us the vision and stories of Sugar Beach Events.
Sugar Beach Events is designed by the dream to give all guests the opportunity of enjoying the splendor of the Hawaiian islands, and extending Aloha to all things. Physically, it responds to and embraces Hawaii’s environmental elements and cultural heritage. For instance, much detail was put into the architecture:
Roof: In Hawaiian culture, the roof is the primary architectural element that protects people from the sun, wind, and rain. Hale O Aloha’s roof is designed as a modernized version of traditional Hawaiian building roofs, yet it accomplishes the same protection while respecting older styles.
Stone columns: The roof is held up by stone columns, which emulate stone poi pounders or pohaku ku’i ‘ai. These stone poi pounders are finely carved pohaku (stone) which are soft to the touch, yet heavy enough to be used to pound baked kalo roots and make poi. This is a symbol to acknowledge the strength and bond a marriage needs to receive its rewards.
Walls: The venue’s walls are made of lava rock, respecting ancient Hawaiian gathering places/markers/building platforms called ahu or he’au. These lava rocks are meant to welcome and gently embrace each guest that sets foot on Hale O Aloha.
Interior: The venue’s interior is a broad space that opens to the oceans and mountains, providing much functionality. More importantly, this structure allows the spirit of Aloha to flow freely, from inside to outside where the ocean horizons and mountain tops lie.
Exterior: This ocean-facing venue’s front is made of retractable glass to welcome the sea and fresh breeze, like arms wide open. It also offers an impeccable view of the wide front yard, beach, nearby islands, and Maui sunsets.
Apart from its culturally informed architecture, the beauty of Sugar Beach Events is how dynamic the space is, making it well loved by corporate event planners and event producers. It can accommodate a party of ten people, as it can a hundred guests. This magic lies in the design and flow of the event, which Sugar Beach Events’ broad indoor-outdoor structure gives much room for.
Many global brands have used Sugar Beach Events as a venue for getaways such as Audi, Volkswagen, Bank of Hawaii, and Prudential to name a few. It has also become a favorite among the community, as it has hosted fundraisers for local politicians running for office, events for non-profit organizations, and even exclusive Luaus for private clients.
To revel in the beauty of Sugar Beach Events, there are luckily a number of convenient accommodations in Kihei. For a signature Sugar Beach experience, Sugar Beach Resort is a prime beachfront condominium with luxurious amenities like a pool, jacuzzi, and private lanai. You can also never go wrong with a homey place and seaside view at Dreams Come True on Maui Bed and Breakfast, or a unit at Mana Kai Maui for a condominium-hotel experience. For couples or groups of friends, the Kohea Kai Resort is the island’s latest adults-only boutique resort, ready to take you in. Whichever way you go, you’ll never run out of options to stay at Kihei.
Sugar Beach Events’ outdoor charm, excellent services, and hospitality makes it an ideal place for events. You’ll certainly fall in love with the true Hawaiian beauty of it all, and leave the place knowing you were part of something special. Perhaps you can put it on your list for your next celebration!
Check out Sugar Beach Events on their website official website: https://www.sugarbeacheventshawaii.com/
