HONOLULU – The Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu will host the American Dental Association’s (ADA) 150th Annual Session Sept. 30-Oct. 4.

The meeting is expected to draw an international attendance of 40,000, resulting in statewide spending of over $189 million and tax revenue of nearly $18.3 million. The center’s hotel partners will benefit with over 321,000 booked room nights.

“Hawaii is a popular venue for our annual session attendees and we are thrilled to return here to again experience its great warmth and hospitality,” said Dr. Robert Skinner, 2009 chair of the Council on ADA Sessions. “This year’s Annual Session represents a special occasion for us because the ADA will be celebrating its 150th birthday and we cannot imagine a better location for the celebration than Hawaii. We look forward to an outstanding annual session and 150th anniversary celebration, and enjoying the many wonders of the islands.”

The last time the ADA held their meeting in Hawaii was in 1999 and proved to be the litmus test for the then new Hawai‘i Convention Center that showed it was more than capable of hosting a large convention. It paved the way for other dental organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry to hold meetings in Hawaii. In 1999, 30,000 ADA members were in attendance.

“We are very pleased to have the ADA come back to Hawai‘i again,” said Joe Davis, SMG general manager of the Hawaii Convention Center. “This is an extremely important event for everyone involved and validates Hawaii as a world-class meetings destination.”

“It will definitely be a win-win situation for everyone involved and will clearly offset the economic slowdown that we are seeing,” Davis said. “The economic impact to the state will be tremendous and when this group sees the Aloha spirit first hand, they will surely share their great experience with the people back in their home towns.”

The ADA was established in 1859 and has more than 152,000 members. Based in Chicago, the ADA is the world's largest and oldest national dental association and promotes good oral health.