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Message from the Co-Chairs: Tiina Raikko & Chris Mawn

The 2017 AMSRS conference is going to be YUGE! Tremendous! You will love it bigly!… but seriously, we actually think you might. As you’ve probably heard already, our theme this year is Dangerous.  Why ‘Dangerous’? Because in a post-truth world we need to ask what is the future of the research industry if facts don’t matter and people have stopped trusting? Ok, so we are obviously trying to be a bit provocative here but you’ve got to admit they are at the very least very interesting times if not literally Dangerous right? Brexit, Trump, the re-emergence of our very own Pauline Hanson, our major papers predicting the demise of retail with Amazon on our doorsteps, AI and bots and now, a little closer to home the kerfuffle that was the AMSRS/AMSRO merger that didn’t quite happen!

So we reckon the time has never been more right to flip old ideas on their head, take some educated risks, challenge the way we do things and try something new. Dangerous 2017 is going to be about just that. Reflections from terrific keynotes from all corners of the globe and local stories about how we aren’t just sitting back waiting for things to happen but leading the charge. Sometimes that charge is a game of inches, sometimes it’s big leaps forward but we are an industry that has always taken on change and adapted. We might moan a bit now and then but we do get on with it and there are plenty of exciting ideas, stories and case studies to be shared at this year’s conference. Dangerous 2017 is about recognising the challenges and saying ‘bring it on!’

Year on year the post-conference survey results are great but in the spirit of the theme we’re trying a couple of new things too. Easy not to when you’re tracking well right! Safe schmafe, we said. Where we have parallel local speakers’ sessions we are introducing a stream of discussion sessions where you’ll get to hear from a number of speakers and be part of a more interactive discussion about those topics and papers.

We’re also going to run Shark Tank! Stay tuned for more information on how you can be part of that.

The AMSRS National Conference has proven year after year that it’s the not to be missed event for the Australian market & social research profession.  Come and join us, bring your friends!