Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
This talk takes you deep inside the participant’s mind to uncover the psychological and emotional forces that turn ordinary moments into extraordinary, life-changing experiences. Drawing on cutting-edge insights from psychology and my own research on transformative experiences, it explores how awe, meaning, connection, and personal growth influence how people engage with events, destinations, and the world around them. Transformative experiences are emerging as the new frontier of tourism and events. In a world defined by uncertainty, digital acceleration, and societal change, people no longer seek only entertainment or escape. They seek depth, purpose, and transformation.
Understanding this shift is key for event professionals, destination managers, and experience designers who want to go beyond satisfaction and loyalty, and instead create profound individual and collective impact. Through powerful real-world examples and forward-looking trends, this talk reveals how events can be intentionally designed to spark transformation — not only for participants, but also for communities, organizations, and even Planet Earth.
From experience design and meaningful touchpoints to post-event integration and systemic impact, attendees will gain fresh strategies to design gatherings that foster human flourishing and position their organisations at the forefront of the transformation economy.
Events, Tourism and Hospitality Management an ‘open’ research seminar series each year covering recent advances within the field. We have attracted speakers from universities across the globe to debate issues which affect the events, tourism and hospitality sector.
Previous talks can be accessed here: https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/research/events-tourism-and-hospitality-management-research/
Dr Barbara Neuhofer is a globally recognised thought leader in Experience Design, Professor at the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, Austria, and visiting professor at several European universities. Her award-winning research explores the transformative power of experiences across tourism, design, technology, and positive psychology. With over 70 publications and recognition among the world’s top 2% of scientists, Barbara’s work is future-oriented, bridging academia and practice to explore what’s next.
As a keynote and TEDx speaker, consultant, and transformative coach, Barbara has coached individuals and advised national and international organisations, including the European Commission, on human and digital transformation. She serves on the executive committee of the Experience Research Society, is a founding member of the World Experience Organisation, sits on multiple journal editorial boards, and formerly held a board position at the International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism.
A creative mind with a visionary spirit, Barbara brings a holistic perspective, a deep love of learning, and a spark of curiosity to everything she does. Guided by her motto “sparking transformation”, she has received over 20 international awards for her pioneering work, cementing her role as a driving force in shaping the future of transformative tourism.
