#33 Authenticity, Character, and Professionalism in a Sector Built on Human Experience 👔 #33 真實、品格與專業：一個建立在人際互動經驗上的行業所不可或缺的核心價值

In the world of events management — especially within the technology and leadership space — authenticity and professionalism are not just nice-to-haves. They are the very foundation of trust, especially when the audience includes C-level decision makers.

在事件管理領域中，尤其是把技術與領導座位結合的現代推動程序裏，真實與專業不是可有可無。而是建立信任的核心基礎，特別是對訊的層級是 C 級行政的報名者。

Today, I had an unfortunate and telling experience at CIO Day Singapore 2025, organised by Panelist.

I had received a confirmed registration email on 25 March 2025, complete with a valid QR code (see screenshot). As a professional who values meaningful dialogue and forward-looking leadership, I made time to attend — only to be stopped at the door.

我日前收到一封启用QR碼的确认席位，於…25日三月發出的確認邀請信。我對於有具完善經驗和未來視重領導力的標準下，特地抽出時間前往了現場。

Why clean-shaven men keep or grow beards? Why bearded men shave? It’s to avoid being recognized. 為什麼原本刮鬍子的男人會留鬍子？為什麼留鬍子的男人又會刮掉鬍子？
這往往是為了**避免被認出來**。

Registration confirmation for the CIO Day 2025 event with QR code issued.

The one who denied my entry? None other than Josh Heid, the CEO and Head of Product at Panelist.

然而，抱歉的是，我卻被阻止於門外。那個作出決定者？就是那位標示為「首席執行官與產品策略」的 CEO ，Josh Heid 。

According to Josh, their system did not show my registration. I showed him the email confirmation and QR code. Still, I was told I needed to pay for access or leave.

I asked, “Why was I not informed earlier that the session was only for CIOs, or that my registration was declined?” Josh said he had sent me a cancellation note. I responded, “May I see it?” He didn’t answer. Instead, he ushered me out, avoiding the question entirely.

Out of basic courtesy, I asked again, “Are you sure?” To which Josh replied, “You need not threaten me.”

當我請他出示反點已經發出通知時，他避者不答。當我而請確認：「你確實是這樣嗎？」他卻回應：「你不需要來威脅我。」

That moment said everything.

A Question of Values

The real concern here is not just my personal experience. It’s what this incident reveals about how certain organisations treat registrants, customers, or potential stakeholders.

In an industry where customer experience is the product, can we trust an events company whose registration systems don’t tally, and whose leadership handles discrepancies with deflection rather than dignity?

Panelist claims to run professional platforms for CIOs, yet fails to demonstrate the very values CIOs care about: integrity, operational consistency, and respect.

Josh’s LinkedIn profile lists only one role: “CEO & Head of Product @ Panelist” No prior experiences, no education history, no supporting context. It’s almost as if a superhero descended straight into the event and infocomm industry without ever having to build a foundation.

在一個將客戶體驗當成「商品」的行業裏，我們能信任一家連基本註冊系統都無法統一的公司嗎？而當差異發生時，貿然選擇逾於尊重的回應？

Panelist自言是 CIO 級層級的專業辦社網管道，卻无法髯表出該級別應有的成熟與專業程度，常見的價值像是實在沒有經濟性能力給予支撐。

Josh的個人連網資料只有“CEO & Head of Product @ Panelist”，無任何前職經歷、無教育紀錄，似乎是直接從台上降臨的「超級英雄」而非根基細作。

A one-time wonder with only 1 experience. Can’t see any other qualifications too.

Maybe that’s what the industry needs — but not at the cost of professionalism or basic respect for your audience.

To All Event Organisers Out There:

If you send a confirmed registration, uphold it — or have the courtesy to inform and explain. Systems may fail, but people will remember how you treated them.

Let’s not forget: Character is not built in crisis. It is revealed.

Now, we wonder — who are the CIOs who share the same deflecting values as them? We’ll know soon enough when the event photos are published or maybe not. There aren’t any posts under Panelist’s LinkedIn page.

現在，我們得問一句：「誰是和他們同樣選擇躲開責任的 CIO？」我想很快就會知道答案了。因為照片給了我們答案。下方的照片显示这是一篇没有贴文或文章的五年高管媒体企业。

Panelist, a 5 years old company that targets C-suite executives without any posts on its LinkedIn page, yet hosts events at JW Marriot South Beach Hotel (Originally to be held at Ritz Carlton but changed subsequently without notifying me)

#Leadership #EventManagement #Professionalism #CustomerExperience #CIO #TechEvents #Panelist #SingaporeTech #Integrity #LinkedInArticle #真實 #信用 #數位安全

P.S: Thank you for making our filtering work easy by being authentic in your true behavior and character, so that we can uphold the professionalism and integrity of both the Digital Development and Information, as well as the Infocomm Media Development industries. It’s a lot of work with so many individuals and enterprises rushing into Singapore.

By the way, how did Panelist get my email address to send the unsolicited invitation to me? This certainly spurs ideas in our mind on data sources.

最後。有個問題我想提出來：Panelist 是怎麼獲得我的電子郵件來發送這份邀請信的？

Just for everyone’s information, Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) is for real in Singapore just like Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

📚 Further Reading: What Happened to Panelist? 延伸閱讀：Panelist 發生了什麼事？

For those who wish to investigate the background and implications of this case further, here are verified public sources and insights:

✅ Official Company Records （官方公司紀錄）

Australian Business Register – ABN Lookup (Panelist Pty Ltd) ABN: 18 647 590 467 – Registered since 2 February 2021, GST-active. Business name: Panelist Pty Ltd. Entity Type: Australian Private Company.
ASIC Insolvency Notices – Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation of Panelist Pty Ltd (28 April 2025) Search: “Panelist Pty Ltd” under Notices. Indicates appointment of liquidator Peter John Moore (Jirsch Sutherland), resolving to wind up under s.491(2)(b) of the Corporations Act.
☑️ Official Company Records – 官方公司紀錄
澳洲商業登記處（ABN 查詢）– Panelist Pty Ltd
澳洲證券與投資委員會（ASIC）清盤公告 – Panelist Pty Ltd（2025 年 4 月 28 日）

🧩 Founder & Company Links (創辦人與公司連結)

Josh Heid – LinkedIn Profile Founder & Head of Product at Panelist and Factor (formerly Sit-Down). Little prior experience listed publicly.
Panelist LinkedIn Page Claimed 11K followers, partnerships with brands like KPMG, Lenovo, and Okta. No mention of liquidation status at time of writing.
Factor (Sit-Down Pty Ltd) Affiliated executive network founded by Josh Heid. Closely integrated with the Panelist platform.

🛑 Financial & Legal Red Flags （財務與法律警訊）

Liquidation Suggests Possible Insolvency: The company passed a shareholders’ resolution for creditors’ voluntary liquidation, a common outcome when a company is unable to pay its debts. While no specific financials were disclosed, this strongly implies insolvency unless it was a strategic closure.
No Public Funding Announced: Unlike many tech startups, there’s no record of venture capital investment into Panelist. Its revenue model relied on B2B partnerships and executive networking communities — which may have become unsustainable.
Absence of Transparency: Limited public information about its leadership team, financials, and corporate history raises questions about governance and accountability, especially after its abrupt closure in 2025.