Beth Harpaz, Editor of SUM, City University of New York

“This guy is the real deal. He is so knowledgeable, so funny, so smart, so on top of the trends. I was travel editor at The Associated Press for many years and met him a few times over the years at industry events, while following his work online. I can’t say enough good things about him. Honestly, there are a lot of folks you meet in the travel industry who are poseurs. Spud is the guy who actually knows what he’s talking about, and he’s got an engaging, fun way about him to boot.”

Published by Spud Hilton

Spud Hilton is the former Travel Editor of The San Francisco Chronicle, where in the past 18 years he has written about, reported on and been hopelessly lost in destinations on six continents. His attempts to divine, describe and defy the expectations of places -- from Havana's back alleys to Kyoto's temples to the floor of a hippie bus in Modesto -- have earned 13 Lowell Thomas Awards, the standard for travel journalism. Those skills and experiences now go into consulting, workshops and keynote speeches aimed at reaching different audiences and changing the way we look at travel's tired cliches.