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PRESS RELEASE
HAWAI‘I INTRODUCES ITS FIRST-EVER SHOPPING EVENT IN NEW YORK
Mana Up & Shopify partner to bring Hawai‘i's Aloha Market to Manhattan
for new, unique pop-up experience
New York, NY – (April 5, 2024 ) Mana Up announces the first-ever Aloha Market in Manhattan, a three-day Hawai’i-themed immersive shopping event that will be held April 26 - 28. Held at Shopify NY in SoHo, this new pop-up will offer only unique products from over 40 Hawai‘i creators and entrepreneurs, plus will feature live tastings, demonstrations and community programming.
Aloha Market is presented by Mana Up, an award-winning Hawai‘i-based economic development initiative, along with Shopify, the leading global commerce company. This one-of-a-kind event will also feature iconic Hawai‘i brands including Hawaiian Host Group, a Hawai‘i-based confectionery and pioneer of the original chocolate-covered macadamia, and Kahala, Hawai‘i’s oldest operating apparel company known for its aloha shirts.
Aloha Market will be a celebration of “Lei Day,” an annual statewide cultural tradition in Hawai‘i held every May 1 for nearly a century. All weekend, visitors will enjoy a range of activities including lei making, Hawaiian food tastings, live cooking demos, keiki (children’s) activities, and other special events. Additionally, Mauna Loa will provide its world-famous macadamia nut products, plus Kō Hana Rum will serve complimentary cocktails.
"Hawai‘i has transformed into a growing hub of innovative and world-class products, and this event is an exclusive opportunity to introduce exceptional Hawai‘i-made items and incredible entrepreneurs to New York City,” says Meli James, co-founder of Mana Up. "Aloha Market will feature Hawai’i products for the first time ever on the east coast – so the New York community can truly experience our Islands.”
Mana Up’s ongoingHawai‘i-based initiative is designed to scale businesses globally.With a mission to expand the economy and grow jobs for the people of Hawai‘i, the company has seen 85 companies graduate from its annual business accelerator program. Over 40 of them will feature products at Aloha Market.
Following the Maui wildfires crisis in August 2023, massive resources and efforts have been dedicated to rebuilding the island’s economy. Aloha Market will highlight Maui companies and share their captivating stories in a special feature presented by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Several Maui-based companies include: HI Spice, Maui Chili Chili Oil, Maui Crisps and Nāpili FLO Farm.
This event will offer attendees the chance to enter prize giveaways, such as the “Ultimate Hawaii Vacation,” which includes two roundtrip tickets to Hawai‘i on Hawaiian Airlines, a hotel stay at Sheraton Waikiki, and a shopping spree at House of Mana Up.
Central to the event is the ongoing partnership between Mana Up and Shopify, which aims to expand the presence of Hawai‘i brands in new markets through e-commerce. Through this partnership, Hawai’i brands - including many Native Hawaiian-founded brands - have learned how to build robust e-commerce businesses using Shopify’s products and tools, helping them become better diversified and more resilient.
“This is more than just a shopping event – it's a unique chance to discover the brands and founders who are driving Hawai’i forward. Hawai‘i is famous for its aloha spirit, but my hope is that Hawai’i will also be recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit,” said Chris Schmicker, brand marketing director at Shopify. “Aloha Market represents a continuation of our partnership with Mana Up that started in 2018. At Shopify, we’re grateful that our platform has been able to help emerging Hawai‘i businesses bring their products to the world."
Aloha Market Pop-Up details:
For more information and to RSVP, visithttps://newyork.shopify.com/manaupalohamarket.
Companies represented (Founders are hosting live activations at Aloha Market*):
About Mana Up
Mana Up is an accelerator and venture fund for Hawaiʻi-based products growing to markets globally, with the mission to increase economic opportunity and jobs for the people of Hawaiʻi. To date, 85 local companies have participated in the six-month accelerator program that provides expansion opportunities and helps solve business challenges. For more information about the accelerator program, visit www.manauphawaii.com, and to shop House of Mana Up, visit https://houseofmanaup.com.
Mana Up is supported by Kamehameha Schools, Castle & Cooke Hawai’i, Bank of Hawaii, ALTRES, Hawaiian Airlines, Kaiser Permanente Hawai’i, Hawai’i Technology Development Corporation, Innovate Hawai’i, American Savings Bank, Ulupono Initiative, Young Brothers, UHA Health Insurance, Pineapple Tweed, Shopify, Foodland and Dole.
About Shopify
Shopify is the leading global commerce company that provides essential internet infrastructure for commerce, offering trusted tools to start, scale, market, and run a retail business of any size. Shopify makes commerce better for everyone with a platform and services that are engineered for speed, customization, reliability, and security, while delivering a better shopping experience for consumers online, in store and everywhere in between. Shopify powers millions of businesses in more than 175 countries and is trusted by brands such as Mattel, Gymshark, Heinz, FTD, Netflix, Kylie Cosmetics, SKIMS, Supreme, and many more. For more information, visit www.shopify.com.