The events and hospitality industry is a leader when it comes to resilency and creativity.  It's easy to see why, being made up of idea generators, people connectors, deep thinkers and solution seekers. My first guest of the new season embodies all of these things and as a result, has made a lasting impact on the strength of the industry. David Kliman, founder and president of The Kliman Group has been serving the industry in this capacity for almost 2 decades, but his legacy of holding space for hospitality and events extends beyond that. From hotelier and event planner to meeting facilitator and connector, hear about where David started in the industry, how building relationships and making connections catipulted his career, and what led him to be the epitome of servant leadership as co-founder of the Events Industry Council APEX COVID Business Recovery Task Force. 

David Kliman, CMM is founder and President of The Kliman Group, which specializes in creating and facilitating think tanks and performing in depth research and training for tourism industry organizations. The Kliman Group’s clients include numerous destination marketing organizations, convention centers and hotel companies.

In 2020, David co-founded the Events Industry Council APEX COVID Business Recovery Task Force and also currently serves on the MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees. David has served as International Chairman of MPI (Meeting Professionals International) and on the White House Council of Travel and Tourism.  He’s been awarded MPI’s International Planner of the Year and was named Top 25 Influencer of the Meeting Industry by Northstar Meetings Group for 2020.