Every Market Research conference I attended, I photographed everyone I met. If you're familiar with my photography, you know I love to tell a story with my pictures – so they show me at the start of my journey through my arrival back home from the conference. I've found what people most enjoy are the pictures of the attendees and exhibitors – the folks like you and me who make up the backbone of our industry….. and of course…..the Parties…..er, I mean the professional networking events……….My pictures can be found on Facebook and links are distributed via LinkedIn, Twitter and my blogs. If you've not seen my work, drop me an email (nelsonsdavis@gmail.com) and I'll send you links to the last couple of conferences I shot. Rates are very competitive - I'm happy to work within your budget.

The sole purpose of this group is to focus on "Market Research Conferences" and your experiences attending them (pro and con) as well as a place to post links to photographs you (and I) have taken at the shows! This is a place where members can discuss the Market Research Conferences they attend, and why they attend them. Topics can be anything from how good specific conferences are for networking and learning, or how bad they are for same. Was the food good? We're the speakers good? Did conference staff treat you well, bad? Were the Hotels nice? Where the locations good? Were there networking events/parties to attend, what were they like? Did you take pictures/have pictures from any events you attended? (Fell free to post the links in the group - I have thousands). Which conferences had clear itineraries, which ones were confusing?In short, this is a discussion group which discusses ANYTHING related to Market Research Conferences!

A place where anyone involved in the management of data collection, on-line or off-line, can come to hang out, bitch and moan, tell war stories, brag about successes and just take shelter from the storm....

A place to collect anything funny related to Market Research. I've been walking around for years at various market research conferences asking "anyone know any MR jokes?", and I always get a blank look. Well, here's our chance to show the world we have funny stories and jokes to tell about our industry!

I know maybe 5 people who started off in life knowing they wanted to be in Market Research (one of those five is my wife). So, come one, come all - here is your chance to set the record straight, to share with the market research community how you became a Market Researcher!

End-to-end consumer insight platform, empowering successful brands to make smarter decisions based on real-time data. We connect you directly to your consumers when they are most willing to share their opinions: while scrolling through their social media feeds - and we do all that without an online panel in sight! Visit us at www.boltinsight.com - like what you see and want to learn more? Contact me to set up some time to chat - nelson.davis@boltinsight.com.Want to know more about Bolt Insight? Check out our latest “FAQ document”. It's always a work in progress, but will answer any questions you may have about Bolt, what we do and how we do it. You can read or download it from this link - https://hubs.ly/Q017-6bZ0. And after you done viewing our FAQ doc, check out the latest Bolt Insight video - https://youtu.be/RIoYTLX5pdQ

Bolt Insight, based in London, has developed a proprietary, unique DIY approach to testing Concepts, ideas and innovation in just 3 hours. Some highlights – BOLT is FAST : We can test your concepts in just a few hours. We offer fully automated - yet customizable services. We skip the unnecessary steps of traditional research. You upload your ideas on our user friendly platform and we instantly reach out to consumers on their mobile. In just a few hours you can already see the quantitative performance of all your ideas on our live dashboard.BOLT is REAL : We want genuine and truthful consumer feedback - not post rationalized thoughts. We connect with ‘real’ people - no panelists, we show ‘real’ stimulus – no overloaded concept boards, and we ask ‘real’ questions, including system 1 measurements. BOLT is EASY : Our platform has been designed to be very easy and intuitive to use from the study set-up to landing the results in your business teams. We want to help you save time and resource not only for your project but also for YOU! And of course, what would the world be without a short Demo? https://boltinsight.com/demo.mp4 .

The Title Pretty much says it all.P2Sample is a Global Online Sampling company. Position entailed finding clients to buy sample directly from P2Sample (as opposed to engaging P2 via sample exchanges). Reach out to potential clients, initiate contact, triaged them: “have a need now for your products/services”, “have a need for your product/services, but have a vendor they already work with”, “have no need” and develop the relationship accordingly (happy to provide detail how I did this). After 3-6 months, hand the account over to Sales/Account directors to own and follow up. Starting point was either a Market Research event/conference, or Social Media (mostly, but not limited to LinkedIn – each complemented the other from initial contact through followup and expansion of contacts within a targeted organization). Did extremely well filing the sales funnel (overflow might be more appropriate) and expanding their Salesforce book. (References upon request).

AIP is a Tokyo based online panel provider with proprietary panels covering twelve Asian countries - Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and The Philippines.I defined the role. I was responsible for finding clients with a need for our Online Panels, Services and Products and getting our company on their vendor list. My focus was on Full Service Market Research Companies and End Clients. Built a very strong presence on the web - created and maintained social media sites – AIP New York LinkedIn company page, AIP LinkedIn discussion group, AIP LinkedIn Showcase Page, AIP Facebook company page, AIP Google+ page, AIP Twitter account, AIP Slideshare page, AIP WordPress Blog – regularly provided content and updates for all.My professional goal was to create an association between Online Panels in Asia and AIP - whenever someone thought of Online Panels in Asia, they thought of AIP. The same principle as, when you think of making a copy, you think of making a “Xerox”.Over the course of 7 years, I took AIP from an unknown entity and made it into a household name within the Market Research Community. I did this by creating Brand Name recognition/association via Social Media, attending, networking and exhibiting at Market Research Events & Conferences where I met with clients, potential clients. Maintained regular contact with those I connected with in the industry (using Salesforce) to keep the AIP Brand front and center.Some other responsibilities included, but not limited to; suggesting, choosing conferences to attend, design suggestions/input for Marketing Materials and company website.

Full service Market Research supplier focused primarily on Mystery Shopping for the financial services sector. Supervised a Field department of six Field Directors while overseeing all mystery shop projects. Other responsibilities included costing and managing non-mystery shop projects utilizing Web, Focus Groups, Mall, IDI’s, CATI for both Qualitative and Quantitative studies, as well as maintaining and growing a proprietary panel of independent shoppers. Provided bid workups for the sales force.

Full Service Market Research Company with a focus on package goods, package design, new product development, Legal research, etc. Priced fieldwork, wrote instructions, hired, managed field services, managed budgets.

Provided Field and Tab services for Market Research companies. Negotiated cost, hired data collection agencies, tested questionnaires, managed data collection. Most projects utilized online panels, international and domestic, utilizing quantitative and qualitative methodologies for consumer goods, financial, healthcare, pharmaceutical clients. Managed multi-country projects.

Managed the Field and Production departments, oversaw the company’s computer infrastructure. During my tenure as Field Director, cumulatively came in under budget by approximately $750,000. Hired and trained three assistants. Managed data collection, domestic and international, quantitative and qualitative, utilizing numerous methodologies such as Web, mall, CATI, CAPI, IDI’s, etc., covering all types of research from consumer packaged goods to finance, business-to-business, health care, pharmaceutical, alcohol, tobacco, etc. Wrote instructions, created forms and report formats for each project. Hired data collection agencies and independent contractors, negotiated fees, processed and approved all field invoices. Maintained company server, ran backups and built, upgraded, all work stations. I was also the help desk for PC related issues.

Most projects were quantitative and involved packaged goods, concept tests, placement/home use tests and new product development for consumer, food and Tobacco products. Utilized all data collection methodologies available at that time - CATI, mall, IDI’s, mail. Trained and supervised two Assistant Field Directors.

Responsibilities included hiring field services and independent contractors for on and off site assignments working on various quantitative, qualitative, business-to-business, financial services, educational, public opinion, consumer and social research projects. 25% of educational and public opinion-social research projects were conducted outside the United States in Western Europe and Asia utilizing in-country independent contractors and local data collection agencies. Maintained the company’s computer network and work stations. Responsible for finding, hiring independent interviewers to conduct interviews with students on college campuses. Negotiated fees, processed and approved field invoices. Trained and supervised an Assistant Field Director.

Managed the Field Department of the National Retail Tracking Index (NRTI), which involved on site, in-store audits and tracking of client products. This was one of two major divisions which existed within the organization (the other being NABEX which focused on Alcoholic beverages). Influential in computerizing the field department and automating many functions resulting in a reduction of paid overtime by 75%. Supervised an Assistant Field Director, a full time assistant and two part time employees.

Responsibilities included costing projects, hiring field services, writing instructions, creating field materials, conducting on site briefings, validations, checking invoices, etc. Majority of projects were new product development, product concept and taste tests utilizing data collection methodologies such as mall, CATI and mail.

Reported to the Field Director. Lined up facilities, obtained costs, wrote instructions, and created field materials. Fielded and managed my assigned projects. Compiled reports for clients and checked-in/edited completed field work. Mostly consumer studies.

Worked in the field department of the Roper Public Opinion Poll unit. Hired independent interviewers and field companies, alerted field to upcoming studies, conducted briefings, and assembled materials for mailings. Managed projects, processed invoices, edited completed work & performed quality control checks. The methodology for conducting the opinion polls was door to door blind interviewing, utilizing very complex sampling frames. Assisted in the Starch Readership department.

Unemployed - hot summer day, took a walk through the frigid Galleria Mall. Was approached by an attractive female, asked to give my opinion for $2. I signed for the money & I recognized the manager - I shared a house with her & some other very crazed folks in the early 70s. She asked if I wanted a job as an interviewer.I said "what's that"? The rest is history.Intercepted, recruited & interviewed consumers on a wide range of projects. Trained & supervised other interviewers. Compiled reports for clients & edited completed work.After nearly 3 years, she told me it was time to leave & sent me to Starch INRA Hooper/Roper in Mamaroneck to chat with Ruth Roller, aka, the Rollinator (whom she worked with years earlier) & to meet Davie Smith, aka, the Orange Man.I remember the building - at the time, it had rats in the bathrooms & when it rained, the water gushed in from the ceilings. There were also two WW2 Italian machine guns outside.I still don't get that..