64: A Once in a Lifetime Experience with Kevin Kirby

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, we have the pleasure of speaking to another amazing person! We are delighted to have Kevin Kirby, the Executive Director of the MPI Foundation, joining us as our guest! </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kevin started his career with companies like Universal and Disney and went on to work for Hard Rock International. He has a lot of knowledge and some great points to share today that will benefit everyone in our industry! </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this episode, Kevin talks about his challenging transition from Universal to Disney, volunteering, building relationships, rebranding, and believing in yourself.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Enjoy our conversation!</span></p> <p><strong>Kevin Kirby’s bio:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kevin Kirby is a senior global sales and marketing executive with more than 30 years of experience advancing entertainment-centered hospitality brands. He has served in leadership roles for Universal Orlando, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, and Hard Rock International. He led the marketing efforts of regional theme parks in Ohio and Western New York earlier in his career. While at Hard Rock International, he championed locally designed, multi-platform sales, promotions, and advertising campaigns in over 55 countries, including China, Russia, and India. He directed both B2C and B2B segments initiatives while collaborating with operations leaders and franchise owners. He has led teams with multiple discipline representation (creative, IT, finance, operations, and C-level roles). Kevin has been a member of Meeting Professionals International since 1998. MPI is the world’s largest meeting and event professional association spanning 70+ countries and over 15,000 members. Throughout his 23+ years as an MPI member, he has served on numerous international committees (awards, marketing, and brand development), as an international board member in 2008-2010, and as an executive committee memb