Hawaii tourism officials could find out as soon as next week whether Honolulu will be chosen to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation annual ministerial meeting in 2011, according to Hawaii Convention Center General Manager Joe Davis.

Hawaii is vying to host the gathering of international leaders of 21 heads of governments from the Asia-Pacific region who discuss the economy, trade and investments.

Davis told a meeting of the Hawaii Tourism Authority board yesterday that holding the meeting here "would be a major coup for us." "This would really put us in a new league of quality," he added.

State tourism liaison Marsha Wienert said state officials have been working with the State Department but added she is uncertain of when the decision will be made.

This year, the meeting is in Singapore, and the following year in Japan. The 2011 event will be held from Nov. 12 to 20.

Wienert said she does not yet have an estimate of what the economic value of having the international meeting here would be. The Singapore meeting is expected to attract 10,000 delegates, media and business people.

The last high-level international gathering for Honolulu was the Asian Development Bank meeting in 2001.

Besides Honolulu, San Francisco, the Los Angeles-Orange County area, New York and Miami were being considered as possible venues for the conference. Davis said he had heard that the decision was narrowed to between Honolulu and the two California destinations.