Travel & Logistics
Akamai Mentor Workshop

Workshop times: 

Friday, May 2: 11:00 AM – 5:30 PM (with dinner hosted by ISEE, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM at the hotel)

Saturday, May 18: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (with breakfast and lunch hosted by ISEE. Breakfast 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM)

An agenda will be posted soon.

Workshop and lodging location: Naniloa Hotel, 93 Banyan Drive Hilo, HI 96720

Lodging is paid for through a group contract; we will reserve your room for the nights indicated on your workshop acceptance email. Please do not contact the hotel directly to book a room.

The workshop is in the Sandalwood Room, which is downstairs from the lobby.

Travel companions and extra nights at hotel:

• Participants staying at the hotel will be in single rooms, and may request either a king bed or two queen beds.
• Travel companions are welcome, however the workshop days are quite busy and we hope the participants take advantage of networking opportunities at meals and social times.

The nearest airport is the Hilo Airport (airport code ITO). Flying to Kona (KOA) is possible, but the drive time is about two hours. Arriving in Kona is not recommended.

The driving time from the Hilo Airport to the hotel is about 10 minutes, and participants will need to manage their own ground transportation. There is a taxi service and ride-shares available at the airport.

We do not reimburse for rental cars, and they should not be needed.

For airline ticket purchase and reimbursement process see below.

For those driving, parking is free directly across from the hotel, on Banyan Street (big dirt lot). The hotel does not encourage people to park there (liability), however that is where Akamai staff routinely park. There is also valet parking service, but the $25 charge is not covered by ISEE.

ISEE will be providing lunch and dinner on Friday, May 2, and breakfast and lunch on Saturday, May 3.

Complimentary coffee and tea will be available.

You will need to cover your own costs for meals outside of what is provided (breakfasts, meals during travel, snacks, etc.).

For meals outside of what is provided during the workshop, there is a restaurant at the hotel, several options within walking distance, and many more in the downtown area of Hilo, about 1 mile away. 

The workshop confirmation form captures your dietary restrictions.

All participants receive workshop fee waivers.

Hotel lodging is provided to participants who need it, and is arranged and paid for through a group contract (all rooms are paid for through a master account except any personal nights added)

For participants who have received a travel award for their airfare, the following process should be used to purchase ticket:

• IMPORTANT NOTE: If ISEE has provided you with a travel award that covers your airfare, we are only able to reimburse for a ticket that matches the travel dates indicated in our acceptance email.
• Purchase your ticket by Tuesday, April 1, 2025. See recommended flight samples HERE.
• Purchase your ticket directly, if it is no more than 10% above what is indicated on your acceptance email
• If your airfare is more than 10% above what is indicated on your acceptance email, please contact us to approve the additional expense.
• Send your airfare receipt to akamai-admin@ucsc.edu as soon as you have purchased it
• If you would like for us to purchase your ticket directly, please send a request to akamai-admin@ucsc.edu

For reimbursement:

• We will reimburse you after the workshop

Workshop sessions and accommodations are all at the Grand Naniloa Hotel. Information about accessibility at the Grand Naniloa Hotel is available on their amenities page. Guest rooms with ADA accessible bathrooms are available. Workshop sessions include discussions in groups of 2-8, with participants moving between groups in the Sandalwood Room, a wheelchair accessible meeting space. Please let us know if you will need accommodations to fully participate in the workshop.

Please bring your laptop computer.

In early mid-April, we will send out reading material, and a short task to be done before the workshop.

 Bring rain gear; Hilo gets an average rainfall of 8 inches in May.

ISEE’s Program & Event Coordinator, Nicole Mattacola, can answer questions about travel, lodging, and other logistics: akamai-admin@ucsc.edu