Kevin Iwamoto

Kevin Iwamoto, GLP, GTP, has enjoyed over 35 years in the travel industry. He is considered one of the original founders of Strategic Meetings Management (SMM), and is acknowledged globally as a leading subject matter expert in the discipline. Kevin is a former President & CEO of the Board of Directors for the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), and is a highly sought speaker in the business travel and meeting and event industries. Iwamoto has been honored with every major business...See more

Kevin Iwamoto, GLP, GTP, has enjoyed over 35 years in the travel industry. He is considered one of the original founders of Strategic Meetings Management (SMM), and is acknowledged globally as a leading subject matter expert in the discipline. Kevin is a former President & CEO of the Board of Directors for the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), and is a highly sought speaker in the business travel and meeting and event industries. Iwamoto has been honored with every major business travel industry accolade, including most recently being named one of the Top 25 Most Influential People in The Meetings Industry from Successful Meetings magazine. In 2016, GBTA named him a Corporate Top 100 Honoree as Past President; MeetingsNet magazine named him a Top 20 "Changemaker"; and Meeting Professionals International (MPI) gave him the RISE Award for Meetings Industry Leadership. He has also received the GBTA's Industry Icon Award, the association's highest honor which recognizes contributions to managed travel that are so important as to elevate an individual to the status of an industry icon. Iwamoto is Senior Consultant at GoldSpring Consulting, an independent travel management consultancy. He specializes in global procurement, category management, strategic sourcing, meetings and events, SMM programs, and SMM Maturity Indexing for programs. Prior to joining GoldSpring, Iwamoto was Vice President of Industry Strategy at Lanyon, where he guided the strategy for engaging with buyers, associations and suppliers. He also worked with key influencers across industries to raise awareness of the benefits of SMM. Before joining Lanyon, Iwamoto was a key manager in the Hewlett-Packard Global Travel & Meetings Team, serving as Global Corporate Card, Hotels & Meetings Category Manager. He worked with HP's management team and global offices, negotiating and creating worldwide purchasing and supplier strategies. Prior to that, Iwamoto served as a Senior Travel Account Manager with The Walt Disney Company and as a Corporate Sales Manager with Northwest Airlines. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Hawaii, Honolulu and a Global Leadership Professional (GLP) Masters designation from the Wharton School of Business. Iwamoto often serves as an industry spokesperson, representing business travel interests to the U.S. Congress and the media. Read more about Kevin Iwamoto: https: //... See less