Comments on: Attention Research Community: Would You Go Or Send Someone To This Conference?

By: Merrill Dubrow

Merrill Dubrow — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:04:50 +0000

Totally agree it would be on business strategies and NOT research methodology. I think that is where the most value would be.

Merrill

By: Merrill Dubrow

Merrill Dubrow — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:02:43 +0000

Aaron,

Appreciate your thoughts. The MRA CEO Summit is basically the same idea with a different crowd. In fact the conference in February will have the highest attendance in the three years of the conference. I believe people want smaller niche conferences with better presentations.

Thanks.

Merrill

By: Eric Bell

Eric Bell — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:37:32 +0000

Hey Merrill,

Great Idea, I have been to similar conferences for new business start-ups etc. great idea.

I would attend.

Eric

By: Lance Hoffman

Lance Hoffman — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:46:37 +0000

I think it’s a great idea, Merrill, but I question if enough appropriate attendees would ever register to help justify the costs. Additionally, if you take the research factor out of the equation, there are a ton of other conferences and boot camps where you can get a lot of that same tutelage.

Personally, if you’re speaking, I’m THERE! And if I’m speaking, well, then I guess I’ll be by myself

By: Jeff Tanner

Jeff Tanner — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:53:27 +0000

We do something like that in marketing academia. Schools have to nominate the attendee and are limited to sending only one person per year. This keeps the conference small, increasing value. Attending is seen as an award and put on the resume. Presenters also have to apply and usually (though not always) are the best in the field.

Your idea has a lot of merit, and I wonder if UGa’s Masters in Marketing Research program would be an appropriate host.

By: Dan Womack

Dan Womack — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:16:32 +0000

Just checked back in to see where this topic has gone and I definitely agree with Andrea re: not focusing on methodologies. There are many opportunities for researchers to grow or brush up technical skills, but leadership and broader business knowledge—especially in the context of MR–is harder to find.

By: Andrea Schrager

Andrea Schrager — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:42:00 +0000

Merrill,
I think this is an intriguing idea. The small number of participants would allow for sharing of ideas, methods and insights beyond traditional marketing research methodologies. There are many conferences now that concentrate on methodologies. I would submit that as these would be upwardly mobile individuals in our industry, perhaps the orientation should go beyond marketing research methodologies and cover current business issues that affect our companies and industry — issues that are both internal and external. Perhaps this could be a sub-track at a conference as they would most likely be attending anyway. I certainly would consider sending my more mid-senior level people to a business-based event.

By: Paul Kirch

Paul Kirch — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:20:23 +0000

I love the idea, though I can’t imagine too many companies sending people who weren’t in senior management or executive roles. The other group that would probably show is business development or sales people. Now, tie in advanced research workshops where you teach people advanced methods or have senior project management work shops where they can learn to be stronger, then you have something. In fact, if you create 3 tracks where there’s advanced training, it could be an easy sell to companies. The 3 tracks I’d suggest are sales, analytics (Research) and project management. Add that to the other items and you’ve got a game changer of event, especially if you can tie in some certification for participation that the company could promote.

By: Dan Womack

Dan Womack — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:55:17 +0000

Merrill,

I love this concept. I think one of the issues with talent in our profession is the lack of clear career paths (especially on the end-user side). I have seen too many high-potential researchers jump to other areas (product management, general marketing, quality, IT, etc.). These alternatives are often perceived as sexier, with more potential and clearer growth opportunities. I think a conference/training series like you describe could help address this issue by heightening needed skills and elevating the profession in the eyes of younger, talented researchers.

Do I think the industry could support a conference like this? I would certainly lobby to have my team attend such an event, but this could be a challenge for some end-users as companies may perceive this type of training as the internal training department’s domain. I would imagine this would be less a problem from the provider-side. I’m curious to hear what others think about that question.

By: Aaron Walton

Aaron Walton — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:26:22 +0000

This idea really has some legs Merrill ~ With so many associations and conferences competing for our marketing/educational dollars it seems that the more specialized something is the more successful it will be. In the same way the CEO conference caters to the experienced superstars, a rising superstar (or even newcomer in MR for 2-5 years) focused event would help develop more critical skills. If I could get something out of 80% of the presentations as opposed to 50% it would be well worth the investment. I see no issues with the timing but am sure with the right planning the industry could support something like this … hopefully others agree!