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How Event Leaders Use AI Without Killing Creativity and Connection with Doug Emslie
In this episode, host Heather Holst-Knudsen is joined by industry titan Doug Emslie, Chairman, Cuil Bay Capital & Raccoon Media Group; former CEO, Tarsus Group With a career spanning "nearly a third of a century", from negotiating multi-million pound deals in his 20s to guiding Tarsus to a billion-dollar exit—Doug offers a masterclass on the tension between financial efficiency and creative soul.
Doug discusses the dangers of "optimizing serendipity out of existence," the rise of the Middle East as a global event hub, and why the trust component of face-to-face interaction will command a higher premium in an AI-saturated world.
Key Takeaways:
• The Geographic Market Shift: The global map is changing. Legacy markets like Germany are losing ground because they fail to deliver energy and fun. Meanwhile, the Middle East is capturing market share, with LEAP in Saudi Arabia dethroning CES as the largest technology show.
• The Trust Premium: As artificial intelligence floods digital channels with synthetic content, face-to-face interaction commands a premium. Live events are the only remaining environment where buyers and sellers can verify reality.
• Engineering Strategic "Inefficiency": Deep relationships require shared experiences. Jacobs Media structures 30-minute meetings with 25 minutes dedicated to an experience and only five minutes for business. At TrailCon, organizers replaced standard expo formats with a 100-meter sprint for elite ultra-runners, creating viral social media engagement.
• Time Creation: Technology must handle the mundane. Using AI for sales prospecting and list building should buy leaders 20 percent of their day back specifically to think and execute creative strategy.
About RevvedUP 2026
RevvedUP 2026 is where CEOs and revenue-critical C-Suite leaders reset their growth playbook for the AI-first economy. Taking place March 23–24, 2026 at The Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, FL, this two-day strategy lab helps leaders pressure-test how AI moves from cost center to growth driver and turn data and disruption into competitive advantage.
About Heather Holst-Knudsen
Heather Holst-Knudsen is the founder and CEO of H2K Labs and Revenue Room™ Connect. A seasoned executive and operator across media, marketplaces, events, and technology, she specializes in digital transformation, data-driven growth, and customer-centric value creation. Heather shares her insights on multisided business models through The Revenue Room™.
About Revenue Room™ CXO
Revenue Room™ CXO is a private executive community for CEOs and revenue-critical C-Suite leaders navigating growth in the data and AI economy. Through curated peer discussions and strategy sprints, members tackle real-world challenges in revenue transformation, customer intelligence, and business model innovation.
Learn more or apply for membership at info.h2klabs.com/apply-cxo.
View all episodes
By Heather Holst-Knudsen, CEO, H2K LabsIn this episode, host Heather Holst-Knudsen is joined by industry titan Doug Emslie, Chairman, Cuil Bay Capital & Raccoon Media Group; former CEO, Tarsus Group With a career spanning "nearly a third of a century", from negotiating multi-million pound deals in his 20s to guiding Tarsus to a billion-dollar exit—Doug offers a masterclass on the tension between financial efficiency and creative soul.
Doug discusses the dangers of "optimizing serendipity out of existence," the rise of the Middle East as a global event hub, and why the trust component of face-to-face interaction will command a higher premium in an AI-saturated world.
Key Takeaways:
• The Geographic Market Shift: The global map is changing. Legacy markets like Germany are losing ground because they fail to deliver energy and fun. Meanwhile, the Middle East is capturing market share, with LEAP in Saudi Arabia dethroning CES as the largest technology show.
• The Trust Premium: As artificial intelligence floods digital channels with synthetic content, face-to-face interaction commands a premium. Live events are the only remaining environment where buyers and sellers can verify reality.
• Engineering Strategic "Inefficiency": Deep relationships require shared experiences. Jacobs Media structures 30-minute meetings with 25 minutes dedicated to an experience and only five minutes for business. At TrailCon, organizers replaced standard expo formats with a 100-meter sprint for elite ultra-runners, creating viral social media engagement.
• Time Creation: Technology must handle the mundane. Using AI for sales prospecting and list building should buy leaders 20 percent of their day back specifically to think and execute creative strategy.
About RevvedUP 2026
RevvedUP 2026 is where CEOs and revenue-critical C-Suite leaders reset their growth playbook for the AI-first economy. Taking place March 23–24, 2026 at The Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, FL, this two-day strategy lab helps leaders pressure-test how AI moves from cost center to growth driver and turn data and disruption into competitive advantage.
About Heather Holst-Knudsen
Heather Holst-Knudsen is the founder and CEO of H2K Labs and Revenue Room™ Connect. A seasoned executive and operator across media, marketplaces, events, and technology, she specializes in digital transformation, data-driven growth, and customer-centric value creation. Heather shares her insights on multisided business models through The Revenue Room™.
About Revenue Room™ CXO
Revenue Room™ CXO is a private executive community for CEOs and revenue-critical C-Suite leaders navigating growth in the data and AI economy. Through curated peer discussions and strategy sprints, members tackle real-world challenges in revenue transformation, customer intelligence, and business model innovation.
Learn more or apply for membership at info.h2klabs.com/apply-cxo.