A natural storyteller who studied theater in college, Nick arrived at Purdue Conferences in 2012 after stints with the Los Angeles Opera, the Autry Museum of the American West and the UCLA Conferences Services department. He considers hospitality to be a way of life, rather than just an industry.

Nick enjoys his job because he sees his work as the convergence of service, hospitality and storytelling. He loves being a part of making connections, bringing people together, learning new things and watching the team succeed.

Ruud Janssen of the Event Design Collective is having a conversation on his views and experiences as a CED - Certified Event Designer on designing to change and how Nick has experienced that in his career. 

To learn more about DESIGN to CHANGE check out https://www.designtochange.online

Nick Bonora ONSTAGE - Design Series - EDC MasterMind Edition - Purdue University

Who deserves the best view of your event? 
That's the question we explore with Chanet Ham, CEM, UTS, CED+ and EDC MasterMind. 

Chanet is the owner of Xpedition Travel and Managing Partner at PX Event Group based in Penang, Malaysia and Australia. 

She has been creating and planning business events for corporate companies and high net-worth clients for the past 26 years. She is exploring her new role as Event Creator and Producer in the digital space.

In this episode she speaks with Ruud Janssen of the Event Design Collective on the topic of Horizons of Change, and the perspectives it requires to shift for her team, herself and her event owners. 

Discover the "Perspective Questions" here: https://designtochange.online/conversations/ 

Connect with Chanet Ham at https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanet-ham-cem-uts-ced-ced-plus-coach-in-virtual-26637233/ 

find out more about #DESIGNtoCHANGE at https://www.designtochange.online

Chanet Ham #DESIGNtoCHANGE ONSTAGE - EDC MasterMind Series with Ruud Janssen

Panos Tzivanidis #DESIGNtoCHANGE BACKSTAGE - Change Makers Series With Roel Frissen And Ruud Janssen

Nick Bonora, CED, CMM - Director of Events & Conference and the Event Design LAB℠ at Purdue University ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasbonora/ ) speaks with Roel Frissen onsite at the Event Design Certificate Program Level 3 Cohort 46. Since becoming a CED-Certified Event Designer Nick has brought the concept of social change to life at Purdue University to life connecting academic research to social change using the Event Design using the #EventCanvas Methodology. 

Purdue University is a vast laboratory for discovery. The university is known not only for science, technology, engineering, and math programs, but also for our imagination, ingenuity, and innovation. It’s a place where those who seek an education come to make their ideas real — especially when those transformative discoveries lead to scientific, technological, social, or humanitarian impact.
 
 Founded in 1869 in West Lafayette, Indiana, the university proudly serves its state as well as the nation and the world. Academically, Purdue’s role as a major research institution is supported by top-ranking disciplines in pharmacy, business, engineering, and agriculture. More than 39,000 students are enrolled here. All 50 states and 130 countries are represented. Add about 950 student organizations and Big Ten Boilermaker athletics, and you get a college atmosphere that’s without rival.
. 
Connect to Nick Bonora, CMM, CED at https://www.purdue.edu/conferences/about/directors/nick-bonora.php 
Learn more about #DESIGNtoCHANGE at https://designtochange.online

Nick Bonora #DESIGNtoCHANGE PODcast With Roel Frissen from the Event Design LAB℠  at Purdue

We set goals based on what we know, which is incredibly small. When we choose to run fearlessly toward new experiences, sometimes what we gain is a million times greater than what we can imagine. (Credit: Sebastien Sassville) This quote inpired Marie France and in hindsight, this explains a lot about her horizon of change she shared with us two years ago.
Marie-France Watson, CED,DES is Business Development and Event Manager at LaunchLabs. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-france-watson-ced/)

In Conversation with Marie France ONSTAGE +2

Marie-France Watson, CED, DES shares her exciting news on a personal level, which is obviously connected with the professional career change she talked about in the ON STAGE edition of the podcast.

In Conversation with Marie France BACKSTAGE +2

Join us with Drew Holmgreen, CED (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewholmgreen/ ) Chief Experience Officer at MPI Meeting Professionals onsite at #The EVENT in Ottawa, Canada, where he discusses with Ruud Janssen the origin stories of The EVENT and how MPI got involved in 2024.

Drew Holmgreen #DESIGNtoCHANGE onsite at #TheEVENT in Ottawa Canada w/ Ruud Janssen

Meet Datuk Dr. Hajah Rosmawati Haji Lasuki J.P. , CEO of the Sabah International Convention Centre and event owner of the #BEinSABAH Business Event in Sabah (https://beinsabah.com.my) on this special episode of the #DESIGNtoCHANGE ONstage + BACKstage PODcast with Ruud Janssen.  

Explore what it takes to open a convention centre operating at the highest degree of competence in Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, East Malaysia. From first meeting at #IMEX24 through a previous podcast guest Chanet Ham to running the EDC Level 3 Cohort 56 in Kota Kinabalu and exploring the #DESIGntoCHANGE concepts onstage at the #BEinSABAH event in February 2025, they discuss the special #AugmentedHumanity that Sabahans bring to event design.  

YBHG Datuk Dr. Hajah Rosmawati Haji Lasuki J.P is the organising chairperson of BE in SABAH, MACEOS Sabah Chair and CEO of Sabah International Convention Centre. The 2nd International Business Forum – BE in SABAH was designed to empower and elevate Business Events across the Asia-Pacific region, leveraging the East ASEAN countries to unlock opportunities for growth and collaboration, ultimately driving economic development.

Check out the key takeaways and highlights in this AI powered recap courtesy of Snapsight - https://www.snapsight.com/live-channel/34157377-a0ba-4f82-8812-32d56e274967/e1be71ca-a1cb-4f34-8ecd-1d9e0efd487e/attendee?tab=takeaways
Based on the content of the #DESIGNtoCHANGE book written by Roel Frissen, Ruud Janssen and Dennis Luijer we are guided through a fascinating conversation amongst friends. 
More episodes can de found at https://designtochange.online

Datuk Dr. Hajah Rosmawati #DESIGNtoCHANGE ONstage PODcast with Ruud Janssen

Meet Datuk Dr. Hajah Rosmawati Haji Lasuki J.P. , CEO of the Sabah International Convention Centre and event owner of the #BEinSABAH Business Event in Sabah (https://beinsabah.com.my) on this special episode of the #DESIGNtoCHANGE ONstage + BACKstage PODcast with Ruud Janssen.  

Explore what it takes to open a convention centre operating at the highest degree of competence in Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, East Malaysia. From first meeting at #IMEX24 through a previous podcast guest Chanet Ham to running the EDC Level 3 Cohort 56 in Kota Kinabalu and exploring the #DESIGntoCHANGE concepts onstage at the #BEinSABAH event in February 2025, they discuss the special #AugmentedHumanity that Sabahans bring to event design.  

YBHG Datuk Dr. Hajah Rosmawati Haji Lasuki J.P is the organising chairperson of BE in SABAH, MACEOS Sabah Chair and CEO of Sabah International Convention Centre. The 2nd International Business Forum – BE in SABAH was designed to empower and elevate Business Events across the Asia-Pacific region, leveraging the East ASEAN countries to unlock opportunities for growth and collaboration, ultimately driving economic development.

Check out the key takeaways and highlights in this AI powered recap courtesy of Snapsight - https://www.snapsight.com/live-channel/34157377-a0ba-4f82-8812-32d56e274967/e1be71ca-a1cb-4f34-8ecd-1d9e0efd487e/attendee?tab=takeaways

Based on the content of the #DESIGNtoCHANGE book written by Roel Frissen, Ruud Janssen and Dennis Luijer we are guided through a fascinating conversation amongst friends. 
More episodes can de found at https://designtochange.online

Datuk Dr. Hajah Rosmawati #DESIGNtoCHANGE BACKstage PODcast with Ruud Janssen

Connect with Michael Ackerbauer PhD here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelackerbauer/ 
Connect with Ruud Janssen here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruudwjanssen/

And see there Key Takeaways, Idea Cloud and Summary (in 70+ languages) here courtesy by Snapsight : 
https://www.snapsight.com/live-channel/ba005022-bc7b-42b6-bc5b-419c21f3833c/e1be71ca-a1cb-4f34-8ecd-1d9e0efd487e/attendee?tab=takeaways

Summary
In this captivating "Year plus three" episode of the #DESIGNtoCHANGE PODcast, Ruud Janssen engaged Michael Ackerbauer in a rich dialogue about change, technology, and personal growth. Michael, now at the helm of ACK Labs, a third-generation consultancy with roots in forensic chemistry, shared his journey from a 26-year IBM career to his current role as an innovation catalyst.

Ackerbauer's multifaceted background includes facilitating at the Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI) conference, teaching as adjunct instructor, and lecturing at Buffalo State University, which is launching a Doctorate of Professional Studies. His expertise in agile coaching and design thinking shaped his approach at IBM's client engineering, where he focused on "retiring quota" and showcasing generative AI like WatsonX.

The conversation delved into the "cone of uncertainty," creative abrasion, and continuous improvement. Michael emphasized the critical importance of trustworthiness and veracity in AI applications, drawing insightful parallels from the early days of "sneaker net" to current applications in insurance claims adjudication. He articulated a nuanced view of AI implementation, stressing the irreplaceable role of human oversight and emotion.

A highlight of the discussion was Michael's innovative rock balancing metaphor for leadership, which he demonstrated at Italy's Crea conference. This powerful analogy illustrates his triad of effectiveness, efficiency, and empowerment in team dynamics, complemented by his framework of capability, capacity, and commitment for assessing team performance.Ackerbauer's approach to change management acknowledges the often-overlooked aspect of grief associated with transitions. He cited the resilience of Blatten village after a natural disaster as an inspiring example of human adaptability in the face of drastic change.

The podcast touched on the evolution from centralized to decentralized computing, the rise of mobile and social computing, and the concept of "augmented humanity" in the AI era. Michael shared fascinating insights from using AI to analyze his own career trajectory and TEDx talk on rock balancing, hinting at exciting future book projects.

As the conversation concluded, both speakers reflected on the power of intentional dialogue in driving change, embodying the core principle of "Design to Change." The podcast's innovative use of AI-generated summaries in 70 languages served as a fitting demonstration of the transformative technologies discussed, bridging theory and practice in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and human interaction.

See the link to the Rock Balancing article mentioned here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/principles-balance-michael-ackerbauer-phd/

Michael Ackerbauer #DESIGNtoCHANGE #PODcast with Ruud Janssen Year +3

Friends, THANK YOU FOR A MINDBLOWING FUSION! 

It is known that Fusion is a state of mind. Somehow I have very few memories of it this year's festival. But I'm pretty sure I was there. Here's two pieces of evidence: a picture of the rocket, that was found on my phone (the image you see here) 🚀, and a recording named "Fusion 2020" on found on my hard drive.

The backbone of this comes from an intimate but fun open-air here in Copenhagen, that I then readapted some. While recording it I got pretty emotional to be honest. Fusion was my entrance gate to this music, and I haven't skipped a year since 2010. Luckily 2017 showed that summer happens also in the Fusion-less years.

This set is a bit of a BPM rollercoaster. It starts one place, go up, then down, then I drop 20 BPM at once and start again at 90, to end around the 113. I like to think that the different sections will also take you by hand on a little imaginary journey through our favourite playground. We probably start at fernab's beach paradise, head over to Sonnendeck, back to Karla Kutter, jump for a beer at Räuberhöle before heading to Tanzwüste and perhaps a little sprinkle of Bachstelzen - just to make sure that everything is out of control and as crazy as it is supposed to be at this time and place of the year.

Keep strong out there, keep clean outside and dirty inside, and hope to catch you soon, or at the latest at the 2021 rocket-science enthusiasts gathering.

So: here comes my Fusion set for 2020 - don't let the pandemic cheat you and get your yearly dose of rocket medicine.

Michael Ackerbauer #DESIGNtoCHANGE #PODcast with Ruud Janssen Year +3

Event Design Collective

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