Last week we were fortunate enough to spend some time exhibiting at the QUIRK’S conference held for the first time in London!

For those who may not be aware, QUIRK’S is one of the largest media providers in the market research industry, and has been holding events in American cities for the past few years.

We had a great time at QUIRK’S London, networking and seeing what our peers have been working on recently. If you did not have the opportunity to attend, fear not: we will be covering our experience from the event – and maybe we will see you at one of the next QUIRK’S events in Brooklyn and Chicago!  

Below, you will find a Q&A done with VP of Marketing & Client Services, Dominique Balas, and head of the UK Sales Team, John Rousay, who were both in attendance at the event as exhibitors.

How did you find London as a setting for the QUIRK’S conference?

It was the first time QUIRK’S held an event in Europe! Despite moving logistics to a new continent, the organisation of the event was not hindered by its newness.

Like all Quirks events, the organisation was seamless and the QUIRK’S staff took great care of all exhibitors and attendees. Of course, being a new event in London, it attracted a new gathering of research and insights professionals. We met with and were exposed to a lot of different companies and organisations we do not often have the chance to see at the American edition of QUIRK’S events.

What prevalent industry trends did you see at the speaker sessions?

The rise of artificial intelligence, voice search, insight automation and video marketing have been pretty common threads in the conversation about modern digital marketing this past year. The market research industry is not immune to these trends and it was very interesting to hear how these are being applied in the market research and insights industries.

With over 50 sessions, there was something for everyone. Speakers ranged from industry giants including Unilever, Harrods, and Virgin Group.

We also had the pleasure of seeing our client, Jim Whalen of Research America, speak about a use case in which they helped a US-based ice cream company rebrand through panels and testing, all over the course of a 3-month period.

What did non-attendees miss out on?

Anyone working in the market research industry knows that we are an industry undergoing tremendous change and facing challenges.  As much as we can read articles and blog post about these challenges, there is value in hearing the speakers present and talking with peers about how they address these challenges. 

It’s also a great forum to hear about new products and services being offered in our industry. Some very interesting technology applications.

Technology is changing at an exponential pace, so it is crucial that we stay abreast of changes and industry trends.

A fun note on advancing technology in the event space: QUIRK’S organisers implemented smart badges (by KliK), which allowed attendees to instantly transfer digital business cards to each other, great for networking and staying in touch!

Where can we find Voxco next?

We will be at a host of events throughout the year, as we prioritise keeping our ear to the ground and staying updated on the latest technology. Of course, we will be at QUIRK’S Brooklyn and Chicago later this year. You can also catch us at MRS in early March, Printemps des etudes in April, and AAPOR in May!

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Let us know if you will be at any of these events, we would love the opportunity to meet with you.

If attending events is not on your list of priorities this year, feel free to reach out to us so we can connect and show you what Voxco Survey Software has been up to.