The festival's 16th year kicks off this week across three islands, and the business-focused FEAST Summit is the centerpiece for anyone in food, travel, or hospitality.

• The festival opens Friday on the Big Island, then moves to Maui and finishes on Oʻahu, bringing in more than 125 chefs, winemakers, and bartenders from around the world.
• FEAST Summit lands November 5th in Waikīkī with over 75 speakers on food, education, leadership, technology, and culture.
• The lineup leans business as much as cooking — food and travel host Adam Richman, the New York Times chief food critic on how AI is changing hospitality, Kerry Diamond on women in leadership, plus local leaders from banking, hotels, and development.
• Lunch doubles as the networking event, with Roman cooks sharing family recipes alongside about ten celebrity chefs.
• Tickets are $250, with a discounted student rate, and last year's talks are already out as a podcast for people who can't attend.

Outlook: Organizers want attendees to leave with action plans, not just conversation, so expect follow-through projects out of the Oʻahu weekend.