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

Michael Ackerbauer, PhD (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelackerbauer/ ) Designer and Transformational Leader at IBM is back for his Year +2 PODcast with Ruud Janssen. 
Join their conversation for deeper insights into claiming design time the IBM way and how the creative process is approached in Cloud Services and Watson AI related services and a promising new book on the #HORIZONSofCHANGE for Michael for his Year +3 episode. 
#DESIGNtoCHANGE

Michael Ackerbauer IBM #DESIGNtoCHANGE PODcast Year +2 with Ruud Janssen

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

This #DESIGNtoCHANGE Podcast, recorded live  on 11 September 2025 in Melbourne, Australia and you can find the AI Recap of the contact, key takaways and idea cloud by Snapsight here:  https://www.snapsight.com/live-channel/c78561ad-1c5f-47b9-992d-5e03bc95e1ea/e1be71ca-a1cb-4f34-8ecd-1d9e0efd487e/attendee?tab=takeaways  . It is hosted by Ruud Janssen, Roel Frissen featuring Genevieve Lim, and Weemin Ong, executive leaders of Marina Bay Sands, explored the transformative power of conversations in shaping the future of event design. Marina Bay Sands' adoption of the Event Design Canvas (EDC) methodology was highlighted as a key driver of innovation and excellence in the global events industry. Central to this effort is the Marina Bay Sands Event Design LAB℠ , Asia's first dedicated space for applying the EDC methodology, fostering collaboration between clients and certified event designers to create impactful events.

Genevieve Lim and Weemin Ong shared insights into Marina Bay Sands' initiatives, including the EDC Young Professionals Program, which introduces event design principles to students in partnership with institutions like the Singapore Institute of Technology. The Event Design Certificate Level 3 program has trained nearly 100 team members as CED - Certified Event Designer across departments, including culinary, audiovisual, and operations, creating a unified culture of event design. The Rising Tides metaphor underscored their belief in collective industry growth through shared methodologies and collaboration.

Marina Bay Sands, hosting over 2,500 events annually and welcoming 1.4 million delegates, operates across 120,000 square meters of event space. Plans for the Integrated Resort 2 expansion, featuring luxury event spaces and a 15,000-seater arena, reflect its commitment to innovation and excellence. The recent showcase event, themed "Elevate," demonstrated Marina Bay Sands' philosophy of engaging not just clients but the "client of the client" to design meaningful outcomes.

The speakers emphasized the global reach of EDC training, with sessions held in cities like Sydney, San Francisco, Beijing, and Melbourne. They highlighted the importance of deep listening and understanding stakeholder needs, enabling Marina Bay Sands to remain at the forefront of the industry. The session celebrated the partnership between Marina Bay Sands and Design to Change, showcasing their shared mission to empower event professionals, foster innovation, and elevate the events industry through intentional design and collaboration.

Learn more about Marina Bay Sands Event Design LAB℠ here: https://www.marinabaysands.com/expo-and-convention/gallery/event-highlights/2023/12/elevating-experiences.html 

Learn more about Event Design LAB℠ opportunities here: https://edco.global/event-design-lab/

You can find the AI Recap summary, key takaways and idea cloud by Snapsight of this episode here:  https://www.snapsight.com/live-channel/c78561ad-1c5f-47b9-992d-5e03bc95e1ea/e1be71ca-a1cb-4f34-8ecd-1d9e0efd487e/attendee?tab=takeaways

And the Marina Bay Sands and Event Design Collective collaboration here: https://www.marinabaysands.com/expo-and-convention/gallery/event-highlights/2023/12/elevating-experiences.html

Michael Ackerbauer IBM #DESIGNtoCHANGE PODcast Year +2 with Ruud Janssen

Event Design Collective

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