Learn how to make friends and influence people at ESOMAR Congress in this new session led by Ray Poynter and Friends.

Attending Congress can be a fantastic experience, a chance to make new contacts, to learn more about research, to immerse yourself in the world of insights and market research, and to enjoy the experience of being in an historic city like Edinburgh. However, to get the most from Congress it helps to accelerate your start, to learn the ropes, understand the process, and to make some early acquaintances.

Join this accelerator session and you will:

• Have fun (promise)
• Meet people who will make Congress worthwhile and fun
• Work out how to attend the sessions most likely to benefit you
• Understand how the networking, exhibition, and sessions work
• Get tips for enjoying Edinburgh (and beyond).

About Ray Poynter:

Ray is a member of ESOMAR Council and has been making a nuisance of himself at ESOMAR events since the last millennium (and perhaps before). Ray is widely connected, and he and his team of usual suspects will be able to show you how the professional conference goer maximizes the fun, the commercial, and personal benefit of attending Congress.

 Location: Menteith Suite, Level -1, EICC - Edinburgh International Conference Centre

This complimentary session is available on a first come first served basis due to limited space. If you would like to attend, please register here.

A meet-up for research buyers (only) to network and share best practice in an informal private setting.

11 young researchers take centre stage at the Congress to WOW us with their big ideas! Each has only 60 seconds to pitch their idea. Attendee voting (via the ESOMAR app) determines the top three, who will then be invited back on stage Tuesday to share their thinking in a longer presentation.

How To Catch Liars Before They Lie
Kristen Ball, KANTAR, USA

Hunting for Cultural Insight to Unlock Deep Consumer Understanding
David Deeley, Bord Bia - Irish Food Board, Ireland

Kroutítko
Jana Proboštová, STEM/MARK, Inc., Czech Republic

Getting the Feels
Debby Ling, SKIM, Singapore

NeuroChat for Marketing Research
Alesya Chichinkina, NeuroTrend, Russian Federation

Live Lens: Getting Closer to Consumers
Ellie Inman, Sky Broadcasting Group, United Kingdom
Emma Bennett, Sky Broadcasting Group, United Kingdom

Oh No! Not You Again
Devraj Bharati, ITC Limited - FOODs Division, India

Send Me a Voice Note!
Marguerite Steyn, KANTAR, South Africa

Defining the True Value of Social Media Customer Feedback
Marin Mrša, Peekator, Croatia

Fluent Device: a Powerful Asset to Increase Your Advertising Effectiveness
Alice Arnould, System1 Research, Singapore

Summarising his recently launched book: "MARKETING is FINANCE is BUSINESS" in 4 key stages, you will discover the rocket science behind the creation of meaningful marketing miracle$ in the galactic age upon us. Chris will show why marketing based on fundamentals (like insights) is so much more than pretty pictures and Silicon snake oil. He will inspire us 1) to (literally) look up to the sky and challenge our current mindsets, 2) to look back on the last 50 years of marketing and finance, 3) to build on it looking forward to the next 50 years, and 4) to eventually translate marketing in the language your board and investors can and want to understand. This last part will go deeper on his trademarked prototype for Alpha M, the world's first ever marketing rating model. Alpha M is designed to help marketers "speak better Wall Street", and to help the finance world make smarter investment decisions.

Having a good idea is one thing, but what comes next? Selina Pietsch - winner of the ESOMAR YES Award 2018 - transformed her idea pitched on the YES stage into value for her company. In her talk she shares hands-on advice on how to turn your ideas into success stories.

The global 'waste management' industry is complex and opaque and most material is still dumped or burned.  If we are to unlock more value from this material - we need more and better waste data. Mike Groves will describe how Topolytics is using mapping and analytics to unlock this value - in the process making a 'smart grid for waste'.

“Whether you believe you can or whether you believe you can’t – you are right.”

Claire Lomas was working as a Chiropractor and had reached the highest level in the sport of eventing when a freak riding accident left her paralysed from the chest down.

In 2012 Claire became headline news worldwide. She walked the 32nd Virgin London Marathon in a pioneering robotic suit. It took a gruelling 17 days and raised £210k for Spinal Research. She became the first owner of a robotic suit and used it when she had the honour of lighting the Paralympic cauldron in Trafalgar Square. Claire says “Whether you believe you can or whether you believe you can’t – you are right”.

This is her story.

I'd no experience in running an organisation. No-one had told me what one couldn't do in business, so I went ahead and did it. I began a tiny, dining-table-sized company that eventually employed 8,500 staff. It was an early software company that - after 45 years ‒ was valued at nearly $3bn when it became part of a French Group.

In 1962 no-one expected much from women in work because all expectations were then about home and family responsibilities. I couldn't accept that and so challenged the conventions of the time, to the extent of changing my name from Stephanie to Steve. When I signed a business letter with that double feminine "Stephanie Shirley", it went unanswered. The same letter from "Steve Shirley" got a response, and I was through the door before anyone realised that "he" was a "she".

Researchers today are under more pressure than ever to deliver fast, agile insights in a world where consumer opinions are increasingly more difficult to capture. For several years, we’ve seen new technologies emerge in the space, offering deeper feedback and increased efficiencies. Many of these new technologies can work together seamlessly, creating an MR Tech Stack that every researcher needs in order to adapt to the changes in consumer behavior and the need for marketing and brand agility. In this presentation, we’ll explore the new MR tech stack, the importance of adopting these new methodologies and tech, and best practices to consider when making the transition from a traditional research program to the new research ecosystem.

We’ll highlight:

• Key technology trends driving changes for all parts of the enterprise
• Shifts in recruitment and engagement methods
• New technologies for capturing agile feedback
• Consolidating data sources for more insight and increased efficiencies

We all know that we should have inclusive customer service, where everyone gets the best levels of experience regardless of who we are.As the conversation about diversity and inclusivity expands and evolves, we're seeing that the experience disabled customers get relies on the level of skills and awareness of the first staff member they come in contact with. Poor experiences create high levels of anxiety for these customers, greatly reducing the likelihood of them returning. In the presentation, we'll be looking at the key issues and how through technology we can remove this anxiety and help increase the delivery of inclusive customer service with the Welcome App.

Gavin Neate, Neatbox, UK

As data increasingly drives the way we live, what we consume and have access to, join us for a session looking at the more personal and societal impacts. We’re looking forward to an engaging discussion about the privacy revolution, but not from a privacy law perspective… we’ll be talking about the potentials of profiting from our own personal data, our role in the data economy aside from mere data-producing machines (see: The Matrix), and my proposal for a fairer, more coordinated approach: The World Data Organisation.

SAP, the German software unicorn, stunned the market research and financial markets in 2018 by acquiring Qualtrics for $8 billion in cash. No earnouts, no deferred compensation, no stock. Cash. Tableau was recently acquired by Salesforce for nearly $17B and Bain Capital has entered into an agreement to buy 60% of Kantar from WPP. 

Without a doubt, the competitive environment of the market research industry is changing rapidly and broadening from an old paradigm of traditional research to a new one that converges with both business intelligence and data analytics providers.

With advertising spend continuing to increase (projected to reach $280B by 2021 in the US alone), data driven insights across multiple paradigms (customer, business and third party data) is of increasing importance….and of increasing interest to investors.

This panel discussion of leaders actively driving M&A activity in the marketing insights and technology vertical will discuss the key industry trends that are driving investments and acquisitions, illuminate the key differentiators driving high valuations, as well as the impact acquisitions ultimately have on research buyers.

ESOMAR is excited to host THE annual party of the year at the incredibly beautiful National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh - inviting you to an unforgettable night, starting with some pre-drinks offered by Dynata, a food tour around the world, music, dance and…. a lot of surprises!
And also, Kantar offers party goers the chance to get a guided tour through the museum! Places are limited, so learn more at their stand!

Please wear your badge – this will give you entrance to the party!

Transport:
Buses to the venue will be arranged leaving the EICC, starting 19:30. Please follow the ESOMAR team for direction or questions.

Dress code:
As you wish, but a Scottish or pop-art twist is more than welcome.

Address:
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

Museum tour: A History of Scotland in 5 Objects (30mins)
From the world-famous to the curious, explore the objects that helped shaped Scotland - and the world. This is the perfect introduction to our country's past.
The tours will take guests across 5 levels of the Museum of Scotland, so whilst seeing the 5 key objects which have shaped Scotland's history you will also have a chance to see other objects/display as well.