A couple weeks ago, if you crossed the age-old Charles Bridge, worked your way past the Astronomical Clock, through the Old Town Square and into a few meeting rooms called Bohemia I, II and III, you would have found yourself among a group of unique individuals. These individuals represented some of the finest minds in two of the leading organizations in the world of Qualitative Market Research, and there could not have been a more appropriate theme than Inspiration in Action.
The 5th Annual AQR/QRCA joint conference took place May 19-21 in Prague, Czech Republic, and if everyone had a similar experience as to what I did, they are still trying to sift through their notes and learnings and find ways to implement thoughts and ideas from all of the brilliant presentations. In an industry where many of our practitioners are independent or part of small organizations, it is always a blessing to gather, share and collaborate with friends and colleagues. This conference was no exception, and many friendships and partnerships were re-kindled while many new ones were formed.
Starting with three hands-on workshops really set the tone and allowed us to indulge in collaborative thinking with our peers under the guidance of three leading minds, Wendy Gordon, Jay Zaltzman and Ava Lindberg. These workshops received rave reviews and allowed early arrivals to jump right into learning and thinking.
Day 2 started off with a bang, and set the stage for one of the main themes of online research and the future qualitative landscape. We heard from great research minds like Jeff Walkowski as well as from new voices on the client side, like Gigi Santiago’s inspiring (and award winning) presentation. This led up to the tremendously exciting and thought-provoking keynote by the well-known Mark Earls. Sitting in the audience, I could feel the energy rise and mental electricity begin to flow as the audience laughed, commentated and questioned. Following the keynote, we entered the world of Pecha Kucha and brave souls took the stage leading the audience through various journeys, 20 seconds at a time. This new format for AQR/QRCA brought forth a great new aspect of the conference and really added energy to the program.
Closing the first full day of the conference, we entered the minds of researchers and respondents via co-creation, ethnography and psychological approaches. This set the tone for another main theme of experience-based research and methods. After a full day of listening and learning, we were off to Kafka’s Ball and admired the fantastic sunset alongside the Charles Bridge, while enjoying traditional cuisine. If you ask me, the learning didn’t stop at the conclusion of the presentations, but continued on through various conversations and discussions throughout the evening over dinner and drinks. The true collaborative sprit of AQR and QRCA was present, and it was clear to see these two organizations are like very few you will find among professionals of any industry. The passion and commitment to further excellence took no shelter.
The second full day of presentations had a lot to live up to, and to be honest, my expectations were set quite high. I was not disappointed! Whether we were hearing about the economy through the eyes of Simon Patterson, listening to talks on social and online methods, or insights from key demographics, one thing stood very clear throughout Day 3 of the conference. The future of qualitative research is extremely bright and in good hands! Our minds were opened to the myriad of options and skills in our toolbox of qualitative techniques and methods, and we were presented with outstanding case studies, which let us see first-hand how we could apply various ’new’ concepts to our own research studies. The Pecha Kucha sessions dazzled the audience and Susan Thornhill captivated us with her talents and poetry.
Looking back at the entire conference as a whole, the thing that resonates the most for me, is the fact that our research environment is changing. This is not something new, as it has continued to evolve since its beginnings, and it will continue to evolve in the future. But, it’s changing in ways that offer an amazing landscape for the qualitative research professional. The need for analysis and expert insight has never been greater, and the shift in marketing and advertising clearly screams need for qualitative research. Our industry has greatly begun to embrace this change and evolution and it is quite an exciting time, as I truly believe qualitative research has a brilliant future.
So, I sit here back in the States continuing to learn from the things I experienced during my short stay in Prague, and still feel the inspiration and call to action that was planted during those 3 days. I look forward to seeing my fellow colleagues and new friends again soon and know that an army of leaders is helping to shape our industry for the future.
-Ben Smithee
Managing Partner
Spych Market Analytics
www.SpychResearch.com
www.BenSmithee.com
