The MRS programme committee sure knows what it does. Only a fool could have missed that the two highlights of the second MRS conference day 2009 was at the start and the end of the day. Consequently, those who were there, were there early and left late, probably very content after a thrilling X factor finale. But the gigantic Riverbank Plaza felt deserted and stale this day. I counted to a little less than 200 persons in the big ballroom with over 400 chairs.
Proud sponsor of SMRN:s MRS congress and London coverage:
The Swedish Market Research Day
Quiz: is this Marc Brenner during the first or the second day?
It was of course the day of hangover for many of the delegates (not including yours truly, of course, I was up at 7.30 publishing articles I had written the evening before). Research magazine editor Marc Brenner made a very strong case of not feeling very well during his chairing of the "Ideas rush" session, which was completely superfluous. I am pretty sure Marc wasn't feeling any worse than any one else who had enjoyed the Iluminas party at Skylon the night before.
Good ol' Charlie - straight from the favelas of Sao Paolo!
One who had real reason to feel a little indisposed, was the keynote speaker Charles Leadbeater, who had eaten some bad tuna immediately before flying from Brazil for the conference. This didn't show either during his philosophical speach about co-creation and creativity, which opened the day. Session and programme chair Nick Coates introduced him by saying that the committee had really wanted a session on creativity and that it was absolutely imperative to have Charles in such a session. I completely agree - very few persons can like Charles Leadbeater put everyday phenomena into an overarching perspective and do it in an engaging way. My only issue is why Charles and a man in the audience had to pull the subsequent speaker Sheila Keegan to pieces just because they didn't completely agree with her point of departure. Sheila put forth a strong case for something she believes in and if you don't buy what she says, it is more polite to say "I don't agree", than to say "you are dead wrong".
So true - so true! The meaning of data is what counts - and what tends to be forgotten too often.
The programme committee had burned most of their fireworks during the first day, which of course contributed to the feeling that the best part of the conference was over. This didn't stop Andrew Davidson and Graham Saxton from OTX Europe to perform an excellent proposal of why and how quantitative findings could be presented in a more attractive, but not less accurate way. I am afraid this presentation didn't receive the attention it deseves, neither from the awards committee, nor from most of the audience. Maybe you need to have worked both qualitatively and quantitatively and in a company where the format of presenting is not once and for all fixed, to be able to understand the beauty of Andrews and Grahams suggestions.
Any one who can put up a strong case FOR professional respondents is a professional speaker. Let's keep both!
This has just like every other conference been an event where poor and excellent presentations have intermingled. The interesting part is that it was completely unpredictable where the superior presentations would emerge. The well-known names surely delivered according to expectation: David Smith, Fiona Blades, Ray Poynter, Andy Dexter, Andrew Needham etc. The problem was just that many of them only spoke for five minutes during the ideas rush. Instead many young and inexperienced researchers stepped forward and delivered the speach of their life (so far). Many of them where also rewarded with nominations for the MRS Awards which will be presented in December.
Dan Foreman gets his verdict from the X factor judges.
The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the X factor competition terminating the conference. No surprise - this must have been by far the most well-prepared session, both from the part of organisers and the competiting speakers. Tough auditions had sifted out three participants, competing for merely honour. But the beauty with this contest was that it was much more than a well-designed and well-rehearsed show. The serious market research core was evident and shone through in the audiences selection of the winner.
Erminia Blackden has a good hand with animals. And with the audience. And with market research!
The contestants had received a very strange and complicated set of both qualitative and quantitative data and should turn this into advice about starting and naming a new bank. Absolutely brilliant! This is precisely what we market researchers should master - at least if we mean anything at all with the mantra "getting into the board room". No doubt all the three finalists mastered the task, but it was nevertheless very difficult not to vote for Erminia Blackden from MESH planning and her very clear and innovative presentation, including two toy animals to illustrate the main options for the bank: a hare and a tortoise. What finally brought me over to her side (sorry Dan) was that she in the end delivered what was asked for: one name for the new bank and one name only.
Another clear victory for MESH Planning!
Just like the first day, there were administrative issues to complain about: same boring cookies for every coffee break (they were delicious the first two times), tasteless fruit, exactly the same food for lunch as yesterday (even tasted like leftovers), continuous invitations to fill out the same poor evaluation. On top of this, a stubborn determination to use the voting devices for everything, including microphone for questions, although the poor sound quality made it almost impossible to hear what people said. Technology can be fun, but it must serve a purpose if it is to be used.
All these organisational issues are soo unnecessary at an otherwise excellent conference. Getting good speakers, who speak about interesting subjects in interesting and engaging formats, is an enormous challenge, compared to finding a suitable venue who can handle basic needs of delegates. Even if there are spots on the sun, the programme committee generally succeeded in their challenging mission. I hope next time the other organisers will too!
Becki Southern from gold sponsor Research Now prepares one of the highlights of the conference: winetasting from all the countries where the company is represented. Is this the reason why they have never opened an office in Scandinavia?
Someone said this conference is mainly about networking for people, primarily from London, who already know each other. This is a shame too as the program and the ambitions for the conference deserves much more than that. It shouldn't be impossible for MRS to make this a truly international event in terms of delegates and exhibitors (but keep the English speakers - they are the ones making it good). Or are they afraid they would be seen as a competitor by ESOMAR?
Henrik Hall
SMRN