Your Kona / Big Island CME conference.

Your dates. Your specialty. We handle everything else.

Plan in Kona / Big IslandFrom under $50 a day
A miniature Kona coast on Hawaii's Big Island with a lava-rock church, a colonial house, palms and an outrigger canoe, and a capybara resting on a bench.

Check in once for the entire trip.

Seamless, start to finish.

A personalized live conference. One-click check-in from your email. Automatic checkout when the conference ends. Documents generated automatically.

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The check-in area

Check-in area around the designated center of Kona / Big IslandA flat map drawn to scale, north at the top. A circle with a 20-mile radius is centered on the designated center. Designated center20-mile check-in areaAttractionsGetting hereN10 miDesignated center20-mile check-in areaN10 mi
Drawn to scale from the designated center. Not for navigation.

Check in within 20 miles of the designated center.

Unbeatable value. From under $50 a day.

One fee, $349, for a single conference of up to 7 days. Annual membership for multiple trips at the lowest cost per day.

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Make this trip yours.

$349 one time with Lite

One personalized conference in Kona / Big Island. Choose 1–7 study days for the same price.

Plus applicable tax.

Make room for more.

Membership: $999 a year

21 study days to use across your conferences throughout the year. Choose a new destination, new dates and a personalized program for each trip.

Renews annually; plus applicable tax.

Documentation, done for you.

Itinerary, certificate, reimbursement letter. In your inbox. Tax-ready.

Credit options
Sample confirmed itinerary: a conference agenda page with the Shift CME header, two study days of sessions from 9 AM, for a fictional participant in Kona / Big Island.
Sample professional development reimbursement request letter for a $349 conference in Kona / Big Island, with an employer decision box.
Sample Shift CME certificate of participation for a fictional participant, with location, dates attended and recorded study time.
Sample receipt: Shift CME Lite, one conference, $349 paid.

Shift CMEToday

Your Kona / Big Island conference documents

Built around your practice.

Personalized live conferences with relevant materials.

Your conference

Kona / Big Island

PresentationFever in the returning traveler
Next · 10:45 AMMosquito-borne infections
Journal moduleVaccines before travel

Live today · 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Day 1 · Travel and tropical medicine

  1. Fever in the returning traveler
  2. Mosquito-borne infections
  3. Vaccines before travel

The details.

Planning Kona / Big Island

How it works, step by step

Choose your dates and specialty.

Make Kona / Big Island your setting. Start any day of the year and choose 1–7 consecutive study days.

Review your personal program.

We build it from presentations and journal modules for your specialty. Swap or remove sessions before you confirm.

Go, check in and learn.

Check in once from your phone within 20 miles of the designated center. Study at your destination, then make the afternoon your own. See the Kona / Big Island check-in area.

Watch the full How Shift works video
Explore the full three-day primary-care sample

Your program draws on licensed educational content. Presentations pair audio with slides; journal modules link to source readings.

Sample 3-day conference in Kona / Big Island

IllustrativeSAMPLE CONFERENCE

A practical update in primary care

Tue 12 – Thu 14 Jan 2027 · 3 study days · 9:00 AM–2:00 PM Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time

Day 1 · Tue 12 JanTravel and tropical medicine

  1. 9:00–10:30 AM
    PresentationFever in the returning travelerAudio and slides at its scheduled time
  2. 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
    PresentationMosquito-borne infectionsAudio and slides at its scheduled time
  3. 12:00–2:00 PM
    Journal moduleVaccines before travelRead at its PubMed Central link

Day 2 · Wed 13 JanHeat, sun and active lives

  1. 9:00–10:30 AM
    PresentationHeat illness and hydrationAudio and slides at its scheduled time
  2. 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
    PresentationSun exposure and skin protectionAudio and slides at its scheduled time
  3. 12:00–2:00 PM
    PresentationSprains and overuse injuriesAudio and slides at its scheduled time

Day 3 · Thu 14 JanSleep and fatigue

  1. 9:00–10:30 AM
    PresentationInsomnia and sleep habitsAudio and slides at its scheduled time
  2. 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
    Journal moduleShift work and the body clockRead at its PubMed Central link
  3. 12:00–2:00 PM
    PresentationDaytime sleepinessAudio and slides at its scheduled time

Checked in 9:04 AM · location verified within 20 miles

This is a sample program. Review your available topics and formats before you confirm.

Credit options

Category 1 through a session’s accredited provider, where offered.

Category 2 self-claimed by eligible physicians for qualifying learning.

It depends on the session. A presentation or journal module offers AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ only where its accredited provider offers a CME activity and supplies instructions for claiming it; then you claim it as that provider directs. That credit comes from the provider, not from Shift CME, and not every session offers it. Physicians may also self-claim AMA PRA Category 2 Credit™ for learning they judge meets the AMA's requirements, and your Shift CME records can support that claim. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants follow their own certifying bodies' rules: NCCPA lets PAs self-claim Category 2 CME, while AANPCB and ANCC require accredited contact hours, which Shift CME does not award.

Where to stay in Kona / Big Island

From the walking tour of Historic Kailua Village on Aliʻi Drive to the coffee village of Hōlualoa and the fishponds at Kaloko-Honokōhau, Kona’s west side is built around history, coffee country and calm water.

Historic Kailua Village
The tourism board names Historic Kailua Village as part of the Kona area, one of the island’s major resort destinations. Choose it to be near Aliʻi Drive, Hulihe‘e Palace, Mokuaikaua Church and the village’s shops and dining.
Keauhou
The tourism board also names Keauhou as part of the Kona area, just south of the village. Choose it if seeing manta rays and honu is a priority, since the board names it for both.
Afternoons, travel and weather in Kona / Big Island

The tourism board recommends January to May or September to November for milder weather and fewer tourists, and it calls the Kona District sunny, with calm, clear water along south Kona. Conferences are available all year.

Kona after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM Hawaii time. The tourism board describes Historic Kailua Village as a lively seaside town with shopping, dining and important historic sites, and lists a walking tour of Kona’s history there. Hulihe‘e Palace sits on Aliʻi Drive and recalls the Hawaiian monarchy, and Mokuaikaua Church and Ahu‘ena Heiau are on the same tour. Keauhou, just south of the village, is a resort area where manta rays and honu, the green sea turtles, are often seen.

Travel, lodging and attraction admission are arranged separately. Your conference follows your specialty and interests, and the island is simply the setting you pick for it. Check an attraction’s hours against your 2:00 PM finish before you plan a stop, and look at a national park’s alerts page for current conditions.

Coffee country and the fishponds

Hōlualoa is a village and art enclave on the cooler upland slopes of Kona’s coffee country, and the tourism board says it is known for 100% Kona coffee. The board says coffee powers Hōlualoa.

North of Kailua-Kona, Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park covers 1,160 acres with heiau, fishponds and petroglyphs. The National Park Service says it preserves a landscape of rugged ʻaʻā lava where Hawaiian people built a settlement long before written history. The park includes the Kaloko and ʻAimakapā fishponds with their kuapā, or fishpond walls, and Honokōhau Beach with the historic ʻAiʻopio fishtrap. Nearshore reefs and hundreds of anchialine pools are part of the park, and almost half of it is underwater. Wildlife in the park includes the kōlea, the Pacific golden plover.

South Kona: the bay and the place of refuge

Kealakekua Bay is where Captain James Cook first landed on the island in 1778, and where he was later killed. It is a Marine Life Conservation District, and the tourism board describes it as good for snorkeling and diving. South Kona has calm, clear water for snorkeling, diving and sailing, and visitors often see dolphins and honu.

Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park commemorates a Hawaiian place of refuge. On the Royal Grounds, visitors can see Hale o Keawe, a sacred temple, and ʻĀleʻaleʻa Heiau, a temple built centuries ago. The park also has a kalo garden, carved wooden kiʻi figures and shaded picnic areas. A Junior Ranger program is offered, and special events, commercial tours and filming there require a permit. It runs weekly arts and crafts demonstrations, and it posts alerts and a calendar for current conditions.

North toward the Kohala Coast

Farther north on the Kohala Coast, Hāpuna Beach State Park has one of the island’s largest white sand beaches, in an area with an annual average rainfall of only nine inches. Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site is part of the National Park System and has a restored heiau, which the tourism board describes as one of the last temples built in the islands. The Puakō Petroglyph Archeological Preserve holds an extensive petroglyph field.

The tourism board lists the Kohala Coast and Kona among the island’s major resort destinations. Waimea is an upcountry town of cool, green pastures in paniolo, or cowboy, country, and the board lists horseback riding and ATV tours at nearby Kahuā Ranch. These places lie beyond Kailua-Kona, so treat them as a day away from your study setting rather than an after-2:00 PM stop. Check local conditions before entering the water anywhere on the coast.

When to visit Kona

The tourism board recommends visiting from January to May or September to November for milder weather and fewer tourists, and suggests Hāpuna Beach and the Hilo waterfalls as highlights in those months. It says the island’s size and varied climates set it apart, so conditions on the Kona side can differ from the east side around Hilo. The board also lists the International Billfish Tournament in Kona each August among local events.

The board also notes that hotels and accommodations in Hilo and Puna, on the east side, are closer to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. If your stay is on the Kona coast, plan the volcano as a separate trip rather than an after-study outing.

Getting to Kona and your study setting

Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA) is at Keahole in West Hawaii and is the primary airport on the island, according to the state’s airports division. The tourism board says it offers non-stop transpacific flights from major gateway cities, and both Kona and Hilo airports connect to other Hawaiian islands. At Kona, a cell phone waiting lot is available for pickups, and parking is run through a separate website. Ground transportation at the airport includes car rentals, pre-arranged ground transportation, taxicabs and rideshare pickup zones.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.

Destination
Kona / Big Island, Hawaii
Travel season
Year-round
Arrival airport
Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport · KOA
Check-in area
Within 20 miles of the center

Weather guidance helps you choose a travel season. Shift conferences are available all year.

Sources & local details

Local guidance by Shift CME, with official sources and individual review dates below. Confirm opening hours, transport and admission directly before booking. The diorama is an illustration, not a venue or included attraction.

FAQ

How does a conference work?

Choose your destination, dates and specialty. Your program includes journal modules and scheduled presentations. Presentations start at their scheduled times, rather than on demand. Review the program before you confirm. See each step.

Why do I need to be at the destination?

Shift CME licenses educational content for live conferences at designated destinations. Those licenses restrict use to the conference location, so you need to be at your selected destination to participate. Presentations start at their scheduled times as part of your personalized program.

Where do I need to check in?

Select a destination from the destinations page. Check in once during your conference, within 20 miles of the destination’s designated center. Check-in is open from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM destination time on any study day. If you haven’t checked in by 10:00 PM on your last study day, no participation is recorded. Enable browser location access; if your phone can’t confirm your location, you can confirm it yourself when you check in.

How long is a study day?

Study days run from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM local time, with presentations starting at scheduled times. That leaves the rest of the day to enjoy your destination.

What does it cost?

Membership is $999 a year (introductory price), plus applicable tax, and renews at $999 a year until you cancel. It includes 21 conference days a year. Each conference uses 1 to 7 conference days. Members can add days for $40 each. Without a membership, one conference of up to 7 study days is $349, paid before you create it. Read about membership.

Can I change a confirmed conference?

Before you confirm, you can swap or remove sessions, or regenerate the plan. Choosing Confirm and lock itinerary locks the program. To change it after that, cancel the conference and plan a new one. Cancelled or incomplete confirmed conferences keep their confirmation.

See the complete FAQ

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Kona / Big Island. Your conference.

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Plan in Kona / Big Island