Shoppers to Gather on West Coast

Mystery shopping providers from the US and around the world will gather in Long Beach, California, from September 21st to 24th for the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) North America annual conference.

MSPA President Jeff Hall says this year's conference will offer mystery shopping executives the opportunity to network, share best practices and discover new ways to enhance their business. Delegates include owners, management and staff from companies that hire and train mystery shoppers, as well as those that implement mystery shopping programs.

The conference, at the Westin Long Beach Hotel, starts with a reception on Wednesday September 21st. Educational sessions will cover topics such as building client partnerships, recruiting high-quality mystery shoppers, adapting to market changes, and optimising growth strategies.

On Friday 23rd, a general session will highlight the seven most significant trends impacting mystery shopping. Presentations will look at how mystery shopping is being used and by whom, and which emerging techniques are proving successful.

Two panel sessions will provide perspectives from experienced shoppers sharing their experiences and discussing what keeps them loyal to their employers (Friday), and end-user companies discussing the structure of their mystery shopping programs and their changing needs (Saturday). A workshop on the Saturday will offer specialist training to allow current silver-certified mystery shoppers to move up to gold certification.

The MSPA has more than 180 member companies worldwide, and aims to establish professional standards and ethics for the industry, educate those involved, and improve the image of the industry. The full conference program is at www.mysteryshop.org/events

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.