ESOMAR Launches New Conferences in 2003

ESOMAR has just announced its 2003 calendar. Covering a wide range of subjects, the calendar consolidates regular events and also launches a number of exciting new initiatives.

Key focus areas for 2003 are: accountability in research; deepening the connection with consumers; and sustainable developments in business and society. Other important issues are shifting horizons in research, ongoing technological developments impacting knowledge management, and, last but not least, decision making and intelligence.

The three new conferences for 2003 are: Technovate, Excellence in Consumer Insights and Green Marketing.

Dialogue regarding client/provider cooperation initiated in 2002 will be continued and interactive formats to ensure active content are being developed at the Managing Research for Profit Forum.

Mario van Hamersveld, ESOMAR Director explained: "The market research industry structure has been reshaped considerably by new entrants, take-overs and acquisitions. Increasingly wider application areas have been explored and new, powerful online-related data collection methods have taken off". The question is; 'What has really been achieved up-till-now? Are we moving towards a phase of consolidation or should we expect more change?'

'How will this be managed?' he continued. 'Our conferences allow members to exchange cross-cultural best practice and fresh thinking. They create an ideal forum for a global update. Participants benefit from leading-edge updates and interaction with research professionals from all over the world - the very essence of all ESOMAR activities.'

In more detail, Technovate, the first new conference of the year focuses on new business concepts and models affecting business and research. It will include leading-edge innovations in the Internet, CRM analytics, data mining and new media channels and follows on the successful Net Effects series.

A core preoccupation for all global researchers is how to understand the customer from a 'why' rather than a 'what' perspective. This is the focus of a second new conference on Excellence in Consumer Insights which will help marketers gain a deeper understanding of consumers and their motivations.

Green Marketing is the third new conference. The promotion of sustainable consumption is becoming increasingly important to society and consumers. How to carry out surveys on this complex issue and how decisions-makers can effectively use the results will be key discussion topics.

Fragrance Research and Retailing/Category Management reappear on ESOMAR's calendar. Globalisation, consolidation and changing consumer attitudes mean changing marketing and marketing strategies.

ESOMAR's third Global Healthcare Conference will be devoted to the challenging subject of 'Targeting to Win' re-affirming that differentiation and targeting is a must to successfully launch new drugs in the global marketplace.

The Qualitative Research event in November is now an annual feature of the ESOMAR calendar. Also for 2003 a new programme is planned with lots of interactivity and discussion sessions.

To follow up the success of the 2002 WAM - Worldwide Audience Measurement week, ESOMAR and ARF join forces again in 2003 to offer a full week of media updates and developments covering Radio, TV, Print, Online, Out-of-Home/Ambient and Media-Mix.

Managing Research for Profit Forum reappears after the successful first initiative in 2002. Dialogue will be continued on the fundamental issue of client-provider cooperation. To provide research clients and providers with an interactive platform to improve the contribution of MR to business, the 2003 Forum will again feature discussion topics, working group sessions and case histories.

The Latin American and Asia Pacific Conferences will continue to provide the opportunity to learn about new research and business initiatives, and to facilitate the exchange of knowledge in these important regions.

Finally, the Annual Congress - the major annual gathering of the market research profession - will be in Prague (Czech Republic) on 14-17 September, and will include key subjects and issues of relevance to all researchers worldwide.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.