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Neil Everett, the popular ESPN SportsCenter anchor known for opening each show with Howzit! and frequently referencing other Hawaii terms during broadcasts, will present the opening keynote address on the second day of the 2017 Global Tourism Summit in Honolulu.

Everett will make his presentation on Wednesday, September 20, starting at 8:30 a.m., at the Hawaii Convention Center. His topic, Paying Aloha Forward – How Hawaii Saved My Life, will draw upon the inspiration of Hawaii’s aloha spirit in helping to steer him through a difficult period in his life and how, today, he shares the power of aloha miaraka amin'ny hafa.

“I spent 15 years in Hawaii and the love I have for the people and aloha will forever be in my heart,” said Everett. “Living in the islands changed me and made me into a better person, and now I pay aloha forward whenever I can.”

Everett moved to Honolulu in 1985 after graduating from the University of Oregon. For the next 15 years, he worked in the athletics department at Hawaii Pacific University, while also writing, producing and reporting news and sports at various times for three Hawaii TV networks, KITV, KHNL, and KGMB. Everett joined ESPN in 2000 as a SportsCenter anchor at its headquarters studio in Bristol, CT, before moving to Los Angeles in conjunction with the opening of ESPN’s West Coast studio in 2009.

Presented by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), the three-day Global Tourism Summit, September 19-21, will share the significance of the Hawaiian culture, global marketing, technology and innovation in presentations and panel discussions, with the overall intention of bringing people together to help improve tourism in Hawaii and abroad. Sustainable tourism is the summit theme.

“Like people throughout the country, I’m a fan of SportsCenter because of Neil Everett and how he cleverly combines fun with professionalism in the telling of scores and reporting of sports news,” said George D. Szigeti, HTA president and CEO. “You meet Neil and can quickly tell his soul is filled with a goodness to do what’s right and to help others, and much of that stems from him living in Hawaii. Attendees of the Global Tourism Summit will enjoy hearing his story of personal inspiration.”