Dianna Shitanishi, former director of catering and conference services at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental, has formed her own company.
Hawaii Kai-based Hawaii Weddings and Events will offer free initial consultations and is billed as handling events of any size.
The president of the Honolulu chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives, Shitanishi won the 2005 "Best Themed Food and Beverage Presentation" award at the National Association of Catering Executives Educational Conference. She has coordinated more than 800 weddings as well as graduation celebrations, fundraisers and galas as well as such disparate events as a Michelle Wie news conference, an AAA Five Diamonds Award Dinner and a visit to Hawaii by President Bush.
http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2006/04/17/daily29.html
The "Thai Room" from the AAA Five Diamond Awards Dinner was just the beginning of the progressive dinner that won an award on a national level.