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BMRA Conference Looks to Future
The annual conference of the BMRA (British Market Research Association), taking place this November in Brighton, will assess what the future holds for the UK industry, what part technology will play, and the opportunities and challenges presented by the evolving roles of media and advertising.
The conference, entitled Research Directions, will include an Industry Leaders' Summit, where the following contributors - from both within and outside the industry - will present their view of market research.- Tony Cowling, Chairman of TNS
- Tim Bowles, CEO Western Europe, Synovate
- Cris Tarrant , Chairman of BDRC
- Andrew Gower, Editor of the Financial Times
Peter Kellner, Chairman of YouGov- Penny Hughes, President of the Advertising Association.
New to the conference this year is an interactive 'technology workshop', which comprises presentations and debates around the role of technology in MR. Topics include '21st century technology: delivering results on time to make a difference' (Mark Bagnall, TKD Research) and 'Using technology to improve project management' (Petra van der Heijden, Network Research).
The final day of the conference, entitled 'A Fork in the Road?', plans to ask researchers and clients where the industry should be heading. Issues to be discussed include outsourcing and partnerships on large research projects; clients expecting more analysis on increasingly tighter budgets; and the question of whether or not Britain will maintain its strong position in the international MR industry.
Client-side speakers include Jemma Harris from Microsoft, Alun Williams from the Islamic Bank of Britain and Shivaun McCullough from Young & Rubicam Brands. Representing the agency side will be Anjul Sharma from Synovate, Stephen Phillips from Spring Research and Louise Southcott from Link Consumer Strategies. Clive Boddy from Middlesex University Business School and Robin Croft from Glamorgan University Business School will present the academic view.
Ivor Stocker, BMRA Chairman, says the reach of the conference has broadened this year to encompass experts from advertising, journalism and academia, as well as from clients and agencies. He says this move 'typifies the shift that the industry is currently seeing - as we progress towards an exciting new era of closer client relationships and integrated campaigns'.
Research Directions 2005 is taking place from 13th to 15th November 2005 at the Thistle Hotel, Brighton. Details are online at www.bmra.org.uk
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