Come Join Us! October 30th through November 2nd 2008 Honolulu, Hawaii
1. Who can attend?
Any Barbershopper and Sweet Adeline and their guests can attend the convention..
2. Who is eligible to compete?
Barbershoppers from the Pacific Rim defined as: New Zealand Australia Japan Hawaii Far Western District Divisions 1 SCW, 2 SCE, and 3 NCW Evergreen District Divisions I, II, and IV
3. Why are only certain countries and districts/divisions eligible to compete?
This is the Pan Pacific Convention and thus only competitors whose country or division of their district, in the case of FWD and EVG, are in or border on the Pacific Ocean are eligible.
4. Is this an Official Contest?
No, this is not an officially sanctioned competition of the Barbershop Harmony Society, Inc.
5. Will medals and or plaques be awarded?
Yes
6. What judging rules will apply?
The judging panel will consist of certified Barbershop Harmony Society judges in the
Singing, Music and Presentation categories who will follow Barbershop Harmony Society Rules
7. Will there be an evaluation session for the competitors?
Yes. All competitors will be evaluated by judges in each of the judging categories of Singing, Music and Presentation.
8. How long has the Pan Pacific Convention been in existence?
The 1st Pan Pacific was held in Auckland, NZ in 1994. The 2nd in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1998. The 3rd in Melbourne, Australia in 2001. The 4th in Christchurch, NZ in 2004. The 2008 Pan Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii will be the 5th Pan Pacific Convention.
9. What categories of competition will there be?
There will be at least the following:
Chorus contest
Quartet contest with Open, Senior, and Novice divisions
Mixed Harmony (Quartet and Chorus/Ensemble/VLQ)
10. What are the eligibility requirements for competing as a senior quartet?
Each member of the quartet must be a member in good standing of an eligible chapter in their respective Barbershop Associations. Each member of the quartet must be 55 years of age or older and the sum of the accumulated ages of the quartet must equal or exceed 240 years. These age requirements must be met on the basis of birthdays reached on or before October 31, 2008, the day of the quartet contest.
11. What are the eligibility requirements for competing as a novice quartet?
Each member of the quartet must be a member in good standing of an eligible chapter in their respective Barbershop Associations. No more than two members of the quartet may have competed previously in any divisional, district, national (i.e. NZABS, AAMBS, Japan), Pan Pacific, International, or International preliminary contest.
12. Will there be a Mixed Harmony contest division?
Yes, we will have a Mixed Harmony contest which will include both mixed quartets and mixed choruses/ensembles/VLQs. If there are enough entries a Mixed Harmony contest session will be held on Friday morning of the convention. If you are entering as a Mixed Harmony quartet, please use the quartet registration form. If you are entering as a Mixed Harmony chorus/ensemble or VLQ (in other words any group greater than 4 persons), please use the chorus registration form. If there are not enough entries, you will be notified in a timely manner.
13. How do I register for the Mixed Harmony division?
If you are entering as a mixed harmony quartet, use the quartet registration form and check the Mixed Harmony division when filling out the form. If you are entering as a group greater than 4, then use the chorus registration form and check the Mixed Harmony division when filling out the form.
14. How can I make Hotel Reservations?
The Headquarters Hotel is the Ala Moana Hotel. We have arranged special convention rates with the Ala Moana Hotel. The “Group Name” to use when making reservations is “Pan Pacific Convention.” This will ensure that you receive the special rates. Download the Hotel reservation PDF form from the convention web site http://www.panpacificharmony.org and FAX or mail it to the hotel. If you are coming as a member of a chorus, we suggest that one person in your chorus make the hotel reservations for the entire chorus as a group.
15. What can I do if I can’t download the hotel reservation form?
You can call (800) 367-6025 (U.S. & Canada) or direct (808) 955-4811/Group Reservations and make your reservation. Please be sure to mention that you are with the “Pan Pacific Convention” so that you will receive the special convention rates.
16. Are there any alternate Hotels besides the Ala Moana Hotel?
We have only negotiated special convention rates with the Ala Moana Hotel which we feel are very competitive. You may choose to make reservations at other Waikiki hotels, but you must do so independently.
17. How do we get to and from the hotel and the airport on arrival and departure?
We have arranged with a transportation company to provide transfers for a fee. This is an optional service and you will be charged separately by the transportation company. We recommend that for choruses that the chorus manager book this service for the entire chorus. There is a place on the chorus registration form to indicate whether you want to order this service. We will pass this information on to the transportation company which will contact you separately. If you would like to arrange transfers as an individual only, you may indicate that on the individual registration form.
18. Where is the Contest Venue?
The Historic Hawaii Theatre, absolutely the best theatre in Hawaii for the audience and the competitors, is the contest venue. Find out more at http://www.hawaiitheatre.com/
19. How do I get from the headquarters hotel to the Hawaii Theatre for the contests?
Transportation is included in the registration. We will have buses running from the Headquarters Hotel to the Hawaii Theatre at regular intervals during the contests. The Hawaii Theatre is in downtown Honolulu about 3 to 4 miles from Waikiki. For logistical reasons, all competing choruses and quartets will leave from the Headquarters Hotel, the Ala Moana, for the Hawaii Theatre for the contests. If you are not staying at the Headquarters Hotel, you must get to the Ala Moana Hotel to board the buses. Further instructions and a schedule will be provided at a briefing for choruses and quartets on Thursday of the convention.
20. What other options do I have if I choose not to use the included roundtrip transportation between the Ala Moana Hotel and the Hawaii Theatre?
You may drive there as parking is available. The city bus system is quite extensive.
Taxies are readily available. There is a trolley system from Waikiki to downtown. There is a MAP link on the web site showing the locations of the hotel and theatre.
21. What about rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, makeup rooms and warmup rooms?
Rehearsal rooms for choruses are at the Ala Moana Hotel and we will arrange them for you through your designated chorus representative. No rehearsal rooms are being provided for quartets. A briefing for both chorus and quartet representatives will be held on the Thursday of the convention at which time the questions regarding rehearsal, dressing, makeup and warmup rooms will be addressed.
22. Will we get to visit the contest venue prior to the competitions?
Yes, visits to the Hawaii Theatre by quartet and chorus representatives are scheduled for Thursday morning and afternoon of the convention.
23. Will there be any seminars or educational sessions?
There will be eight optional seminar sessions on Sunday morning, November 2, 2008 prior to the Awards Presentations and six optional seminar sessions on Sunday afternoon following the Awards Presentations. See the “What You Should Know” page for seminar titles and descriptions along with a list of presenters and times for each seminar.
24. Are there any post convention activities?
We plan to have a tour desk available for post convention optional tours. If there are enough persons interested in playing Golf, we will arrange for you to play on a PGA championship course at the Turtle Bay Resort on the Monday following the convention. There is a place on the registration form to indicate your interest.
25. How do I register and what are the fees?
Please go to www.panpacificharmony.org and click on REGISTER and follow the instructions to register online. Registration fees and other costs are listed on the website and available during the registration process.
26. What types of Registration are there on the website?
There are three types of registration as follows:
A. Individual – Everyone who plans to attend the convention must complete an individual registration.
B. Chorus – One (1) registration per competing chorus please. The chorus manager or chorus contact registers the chorus and uploads the names and voice
parts of the chorus members along with an optional photo of the chorus. A fillable Excel spread sheet is available to fill in, and upload.
C. Quartet – One (1) registration per quartet please. One person registers the quartet and has the option to upload a quartet photo.
27. What is included in my individual registration?
Your individual registration includes the Welcome Reception on Thursday evening, entry into all contest sessions, the Saturday evening show, transportation to and from the headquarters hotel and the contest/show venue, entry into the afterglows, the Sunday Breakfast Buffet, the Awards Presentations and the Sunday morning and afternoon seminars. The Welcome Breakfast on Friday is not included and a separate ticket must be purchased. You can order those tickets on the registration form.
28. Can more than one person be registered using the same individual registration form?
Yes, you may register a spouse or other guest on a single registration form. After you finish registering yourself, you will be prompted to add the next person and so forth. You will need an e-mail address to process a registration. You will receive one invoice for all persons registered under your name.
29. How do I upload the required chorus roster?
The easiest and best way to provide a chorus roster is to click on the link for the sample Excel file provided on the registration page. This is a fillable Excel file which you can fill in online and then save to your computer. When prompted to upload the chorus roster, simply select the file from your computer and hit the “upload” button.
30. How can I make changes to my Registration?
Simply log back in with the same e-mail address you used initially and the password you chose and make the changes.
31. Are there other methods of registration besides Online?
Yes, you may also register manually and mail in your registration or you may register by telephone. To register manually, E-mail registration@panpacificharmony.org and request that manual forms be sent to you. For an extra $15 fee you can also register by telephone and speak to a live person. In the US call toll free 1-866-483-0171 or from outside the US call 1-303-530-4907. If the line is busy, leave a message with your name, phone number, time zone and best time to call and someone will call you back. These options apply to individual registrations only. Chorus and quartet registrations must still be done online.
32. What forms of payment are accepted?
Payment is by credit card only.
33. What if I have to cancel my registration?
If you cancel prior to October 30, 2008, a 10% fee will be charged to cover the processing, bank, and administrative fees charged to the Sounds Of Aloha and the balance will be refunded to you. If you cancel after October 29, 2008, there is no refund.
34. How do I cancel my registration?
On the Pan Pacific Convention homepage, click on “Register.” In the new window that appears Click on “Individual Registration.” For Registration Status choose “Existing” and log in using the e-mail address you entered when first registering. After entering your e-mail address, Click “Continue” at the bottom of the page. You will then be prompted to enter the password you chose when you first registered. Click “Continue.” If you have forgotten your password, Click on “Forgot your password?” and follow the instructions to have your password e-mailed to you. After you are logged in you will see several options. Click on “Cancel” to cancel your registration. Please note that there will be a 10% cancellation fee as explained in #33 above.
35. What if the Sounds of Aloha cancels the convention?
Although highly unlikely, if the Sounds of Aloha cancels the convention, you will receive a full refund of all undelivered merchandise purchases and registration fees paid by you for the contests and seminars.
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