Meet the Team: Barry

Name: Barry Salmon 

Title: Head of Media

How long you have been at HumanX: It’s my 1 year anniversary on Nov 25!

What’s your background, and what brought you to HumanX?

I’ve spent over a decade in PR and media, first at a cybersecurity agency (yes, lots of acronyms), then a broader tech communication consultancy where I learned how to make complex stuff sound… well, human. About a year ago, I jumped in-house to HumanX, which felt like the perfect next move - where media, innovation, and storytelling all collide.

My job? To get the world’s top journalists genuinely excited about HumanX - not just to show up, but to really care about what’s happening here. That means everything including convincing them to attend and cover the event, moderate panels with industry heavyweights, and building relationships that last long after the lights go down at the Moscone.

It’s less “blast press release, cross fingers” and more “let’s actually build something cool together.” Which makes every day a lot more interesting and occasionally chaotic (in a good way).

If someone’s on the fence about attending, what would you tell them?

In the words of Dr Pepper: What's the worst that could happen?... But honestly, the FOMO is real. I've had so many people reach out after HumanX 2025 saying they wished they'd come. Don't be the person kicking themselves next year. Don't be the person sitting out while everyone else is building connections and having those conversations. Take the leap. Worst-case scenario? A few days with smart people talking about things that matter. Pretty solid worst case, if you ask me.

What’s been your favorite HumanX moment so far?

This is tough because I'm torn between two very different vibes. On one hand, watching Bloomberg Tech and Fox Business broadcasting live from our expo floor was genuinely surreal - like, "wait, is this really happening?" levels of cool. On the other hand: puppies. We had a puppy park. And whenever things got hectic, I could just... go sit with puppies for a few minutes.

So yeah, it's between "professional media person impressed by major networks" and "human who likes dogs." The duality of man, really.

What’s one thing people would be surprised to learn about your job?

That journalists aren't scary. I think there's this perception, especially in tech, that media are these intimidating gatekeepers waiting to trip you up or twist your words. But in reality? Most journalists are just trying to tell good stories and meet their deadlines. They want you to give them something interesting to work with.

Once you realize they're not the enemy, they're just people doing their job, same as you, the whole thing becomes way less stressful. Build actual relationships, be helpful when you can, don't bullshit them, and suddenly PR stops feeling like walking on eggshells. It's just conversations with people who happen to have audiences.

What’s one tool or habit that helps you stay on top of your game, either personally or professionally?

Professionally? I'm pretty old-school; give me a good to-do list and let me tick things off. There's something ridiculously satisfying about that little checkmark. Digital, paper, doesn't matter. The dopamine hit of crossing something out? Chef's kiss.

Personally, TimeTree has basically kept my marriage in check. It's a shared calendar app that keeps both my wife and me from double-booking or worse, forgetting important things entirely. "Wait, dinner with your parents is tonight?" is not a conversation you want to have. Trust me on this one.

What’s one thing that always makes your day better?

Easy. We've got a 6-month-old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever at home and it's impossible to have a bad day when there's a puppy around. Stressful meeting? Toller cuddles. Long day? Toller energy.

10/10 would recommend having a puppy on standby for life's chaos.

What’s one playlist or podcast that gets you through the day?

Right now I'm hooked on the European Technology Network streams from Ronan Chambers and Luke Knight. They're covering the latest European tech news, and despite only launching a few months ago, they're already punching above their weight - they've had HumanX speakers like Victor from Synthesia on the show.

There's this whole new wave of tech media happening with shows like etn. and TBPN which has been refreshing. Different voices, different perspectives - exactly what the space needs.