Brian Lynx, Hawaii Tourism Authority’s former vice president of meetings, conventions and incentives, has joined with two other industry veterans to launch a new site selection and destination management company.

Lynx is partnering with Scott Obley, formerly of the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, and Russ Speck, owner of a destination management company in Hawaii, to open Hawai‘i Insiders. The Maui-based company, which kicked off Sept. 18, is a full-service hotel site selection and destination management company.

Site selection services are free to meeting planners since hotels and other venues across the state will pay Hawai‘i Insiders a commission if their services result in a booking. The company also will offer services such as contracting, transportation, coordinating tours/activities and creating special events.

“After I lost my job as part of the HTA’s reorganization, I was courted by different organizations,” said Lynx, who along with Obley and Speck was on Oahu this week. “I was weighing my options when my two partners and I were playing golf and started talking.”

The trio say their hotels and destination management expertise will help sell Hawaii as a group destination, filling hotel rooms and other venues.

“We have had the honor and privilege of hosting many of the most recognized companies throughout the United States, Canada and Oceania,” said Speck, owner of Pleasure Island Incentives. “Brian and Scott also have extensive hotel contacts. In fact, they hired many of the people that they are contacting. Together we’ve got a database of more than 10,000 potential clients, mostly meeting planners.”

At HTA, Lynx was responsible for increasing Hawaii’s visibility as a global meetings destination. He managed the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau, Hawai‘i Convention Center and HTA’s international meetings, conventions and incentives contractors to promote group business statewide. Prior to HTA, Lynx served as director of sales and marketing for Grand Wailea on Maui, where he was named sales and marketing director of the year for Hilton Hotels International in 2011. He also has served in leadership roles at Starwood Hotels, including Waikiki’s Moana Surfrider, Westin Maui and Ka‘anapali Ocean Villas, and opened St. Regis Bora Bora in French Polynesia

Obley has held senior leadership roles with Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, Starwood and Hilton Resorts nationally.

The three say their service is needed to help Hawaii’s visitor industry regain footing in the lucrative group market, which has slipped from 640,000 arrivals in 2007. Through August the sector had only 223,886 visitors.

“We want to help the industry get back to peak numbers,” said Lynx. “If we can move the market even an inch, it will be good for Hawaii.”