Kilohana (pronounced key-low-hah-nah) means "best, excellent, superior" in Hawaiian. I named the company that on purpose — it's the standard I hold every trip to, from the first planning conversation through the day you return home.
No templates. No copy-paste itineraries. I learn what matters to you, build the trip around it, and handle every detail in between — so the only thing on your plate is showing up and enjoying it.
your travel, designed with care
You get the upgrades, the reservations, the insider access and the peace of mind. I get the joy of knowing your trip was everything you hoped for.
about KILOHANA EVENTS AND TRAVEL
I'm Native Hawaiian, born and raised in Hawai'i. I started traveling with my grandparents at age nine — they gave me a love of travel, a curiosity about the world, and a real respect for other cultures. Hospitality isn't a brand idea I picked up along the way. It's how I was raised.
Before I started Kilohana Events and Travel, I spent 20-plus years running events for academic deans and program directors at MIT, Columbia, Arizona State University, and American University. That work taught me how to manage logistics for high-stakes events where the schedule could not slip, the room had to be right, and a hundred small things had to land at exactly the right moment. That's the muscle I bring to your trip — whether it's a family vacation, a milestone celebration, or an incentive program for 50 people.
MEET THE FOUNDER
beth nakamura
meet
I specialize in destinations I know deeply — Japan, the Caribbean, and Hawai'i — but I design trips worldwide. My sweet spot is culinary and cultural travel, adventure experiences, and sporting events: I've attended the MLB World Series, the NBA and WNBA Finals, the U.S. Open (tennis), F1 at Circuit of the Americas, multiple NCAA Final Fours — and in 2024, my husband and I traveled to Paris for our first Summer Olympic Games.
I'm based in Washington, DC, and I work as an independent affiliate of Andavo Travel and a proud member of the Virtuoso network. That membership is not a logo on my site — it's how I get my clients into rooms that aren't on the public booking sites, breakfasts and resort credits worth $100 to $300 a stay, and on-the-ground connections at 1,400+ hotels worldwide.
If you want to build a trip around a live event, I'm your person.
AT A GLANCE
BASED IN
HOMETOWN
FAVORITE DESTINATION
Can't travel without
travel specialties
ask me about
Washington, DC
Honolulu, HI
Japan
A good restaurant list
Culinary + cultural
Planning a trip around a sporting event • What you actually get from a Virtuoso advisor
who i work with
Busy families — You're managing a hundred things (who isn't?) and want someone to plan your vacation so you can actually enjoy it.
Friend groups and celebrations — Overwhelmed by the options and logistics? I coordinate everything so nobody gets stuck being the unpaid travel agent.
Couples — Honeymoons, anniversaries, milestone trips. The best suites, the best tables, the experiences you'd never find on your own.
Small companies — Incentive travel is the most underused tool in your employee engagement toolkit — and I make it easy to get started.
Based in Washington, DC, serving DC, Virginia and Maryland. The trips go everywhere!
FOLLOW ALONG for travel inspiration — @KILOHANAEVENTS — FOLLOW ALONG for travel inspiration — @KILOHANAEVENTS — FOLLOW ALONG for travel inspiration
