Baris Onay #DESIGNtoCHANGE BACKstage PODcast with Ruud Janssen

About this episode

The episode explores the intersection of event design, AI, and strategic ambiguity through a conversation between Ruud Janssen and Dr. Barış Onay.

What happens when event design, AI, and strategic ambiguity collide? Episode 222 of Season 6 of the DESIGN to CHANGE Podcast explores exactly that question. In this conversation, host Ruud Janssen sits down with Dr. Barış Onay, a London-based strategist operating at the intersection of events, data, and digital transformation. What begins as a shared curiosity about AI’s role in event design quickly unfolds into a wide-ranging dialogue on leadership, incentives, and the often-underestimated cultural footprint of events. With more than two decades of experience, Barış traces his journey from architecture and urban planning into the global events industry—bringing with him a systems-oriented mindset and a deep comfort with ambiguity. He reflects on the evolution from improvised CRMs and spreadsheets to today’s sophisticated platforms, while making a clear point: technology only creates value when it is anchored in intended outcomes and behavior change. Tools follow strategy, not the other way around. The episode also dives into one of the most pressing challenges for event leaders today: understanding audiences well enough to design meaningful incentives. From B2B trade shows to…

People in this episode

Host: Ruud Janssen

Guest: Dr. Barış Onay

Topics covered

• event design
• AI
• strategic ambiguity
• leadership
• audience understanding
• technology in events

Keywords

• event design
• AI
• leadership
• audience engagement
• technology
• data
• digital transformation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Event Strategy Bot

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