"There's some amazing people that deserve it, and I feel privileged and honoured that people felt this way," he said.
"I'm humbled to be recognised and I feel lucky to have made an impact on this industry."
Previous winners of the title include Gregg Brown, Joe of Joe's Diner and Pipiana Whiston.
"To be recognised in party with past winners was humbling," he said.
"It made me reflect on all of the great people I met along the way, all of my knowledge in this industry came from Rotorua."
Te Puia general manager sales and marketing Kiri Atkinson-Crean said she couldn't think of anything but good stuff to say about Mr Thomasen.
"He's certainly deserving of that acknowledgement for a whole lot of reasons," she said.
"As a manager and a mentor for young people coming into our industry he's exceptional in his ability.
"I'm really happy for him that he's received this honour."
Mrs Atkinson-Crean said one of the secrets to Mr Thomasen's success was that he was old fashioned in his work ethic.
"He values trust, keeping your word and doing what you say you will," she said.
Destination Rotorua marketing general manager Oscar Nathan said Mr Thomasen was one of Rotorua's greatest protagonists.
"He's full on, always wanting to innovate and push the boundaries," he said.
"He's worked for me and with me, he's been on my board and he's awesome.
"The thing about having the icon award is it only goes to someone who's made a big change in the tourism and hospitality industry."
Event organiser and president of the Rotorua Branch of the Restaurant Association Sharon Wallace said a lot of things came into play when deciding the icon award.
"I have total respect for Bruce," she said.
"He started off as a waiter, a very shy person and he just went from strength to strength.
It hasn't been an easy road to the top, but he just kept going. He's very passionate about delivery and excellence."
Mrs Wallace said Mr Thomasen had never been a negative person.
"He's relatable at all stages of this industry, he's been through this journey. He's had highs and lows, but he's stuck at it," she said.
