Author: focusbari_user

Xenia Kourtoglou Presents the Anxieties of Technology and the Fears of AI — and How to Overcome Them
On February 7 and 8, 2026, the 49th Cosmoestetica Conference and Exhibition of Aesthetics and Cosmetology Businesses was organized at the Peristeri Exhibition Center by PSAMKA, attracting a large number of professionals from across Greece.  In the opening session of the conference, Xenia Kourtoglou of Focus Bari presented research findings capturing the relationship of the Greek public with technology and artificial intelligence tools. At the same time, as an expert in Mental Resilience, she analyzed the five anxieties of technology and the five fears surrounding artificial intelligence — which can represent both an opportunity and a threat.

Closing her speech, Xenia Kourtoglou shared practical ways in which the audience can overcome technology-related anxieties and transform fears about artificial intelligence into productive processes for expanding knowledge and skills for every interested professional.

Xenia Kourtoglou of Focus Bari Keynote Speaker at the Athens Chamber of Tradesmen Event on Women’s Entrepreneurship

With the participation of institutional representatives and prominent figures from the women’s business community, the special event of the Athens Chamber of Tradesmen on women’s entrepreneurship was held with tremendous success and impressive attendance.  The event focused on the evolution of women in the business arena, despite the difficulties and social pressures they face. Xenia Kourtoglou opened her presentation with a historical overview of the journey of women in recent years, highlighting progress in education and access to technology. She also analyzed, from a biological perspective, male and female skill sets, as well as the leadership profile of each gender.

In her speech, Xenia Kourtoglou shared important examples from her own experience, along with the “meta-knowledge” gained from her 35-year study of Greek society. She concluded her presentation with useful and valuable success tips for all women who dare to pursue their entrepreneurial dream.

Xenia Kourtoglou as Keynote Speaker on e-Commerce

In the new era of commerce and marketing, everything converges toward a single destination: the Consumer. The journey is multidimensional and constantly evolving—beginning with physical stores and reaching its peak in the digital ecosystem that now defines trends, behaviours, and audience expectations.  This year’s e-commerce conference opened with a keynote by Xenia Kourtoglou, who presented the evolution of online shopping among Greek consumers from 2000 to today. She outlined their habits, preferences, and expectations within this increasingly complex market.  She concluded her presentation with authentic stories shared by Greek consumers about their experiences with online stores, drawn from the ongoing Focus Bari CX Stories research since 2017. She highlighted that positive experiences reward good business practices, while negative ones offer valuable insights for improvement.

See Xenia Kourtoglou’s full presentation here.

Focus Bari at the MINDS: SEDEA Market Research Forum 2025

On 27 November 2025, the first MINDS: SEDEA Market Research Forum took place at the historic Sarogleio Mansion, marking the launch of a new annual platform for dialogue on the future of Market Research in Greece. Focus Bari was represented by Valeria Tsamis, who delivered the conference’s opening keynote in her capacity as President of SEDEA, Katerina Moschandreou, as well as additional members of our team who attended the Forum.

Katerina presented, together with Mastercard, the joint case study “KYKLOI by Priceless: How a purposeful initiative came to life”, showcasing how a socially meaningful initiative can be designed and activated with real impact.

The Forum highlighted the vital role of research in today’s data-driven and AI-powered landscape, while exploring the opportunities and challenges emerging from technological advancement, evolving methodologies, and the growing importance of transparency and quality standards. Discussions also focused on the need for certified, accountable research practices that reinforce trust among citizens, clients and institutions.

MINDS 2025 set a strong foundation for a new institutional event—one that aims to bridge technology with human insight, and to reaffirm the role of Market Research as a driver of progress for businesses and society.

Xenia Kourtoglou Presented “30 Years of Internet in Greece”

With the heartfelt participation of leaders, executives, and companies across technology, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence, the 27th Infocom World Conference was held under the central theme “AI-Volution”—highlighting AI as both the natural next step in technological evolution and a force reshaping society and the business landscape.

The opening keynote was delivered by Xenia Kourtoglou, who presented “30 Years of Internet in Greece,” offering a historical overview of how Focus Bari began, as early as 1995, to independently measure Greeks’ relationship with technology. In her talk, she showcased the digital landscape of that era, the milestone events that fueled the expansion of internet use, and the journey leading to today, where Greeks have become fully-fledged “digital citizens.”   Xenia Kourtoglou concluded her keynote by presenting the Greek public’s current attitudes toward Artificial Intelligence—the fears, hesitations, and the audience typologies emerging even within business environments. She also offered guidance on how both technology-related anxieties and concerns around AI can be addressed and overcome.

See Xenia Kourtoglou’s full presentation here.