2016 AMSRS NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Message from the Co-Chairs: Vicki Arbes & Liz Duniec

A lot of hard work has been going on behind the scenes over the past seven months as the Committee (Teri Nolan, Stephen Paton, Donna Van Bueren, Chris Mawn, Tiina Raikko and Kirstin Couper), and especially Leslea Clements and her team, have trawled the world to find you the best of the best. No expense has been spared, and believe us, there is certainly something exciting, different and inspiring for each and every one of you in this year’s line-up.

Our theme in 2016 is Fusion, and this has inspired a wide range of papers that show the way our industry is adapting and making the most of new thinking, new theories and new sources of data. We have papers describing the clever ways in which researchers are applying the power of insight to an increasingly wide range of data sources ; papers focused on the way researchers are collaborating with other experts and consultants to expand our influence and a particular focus on behavioural economics, including a practical hands on workshop to help you find better ways to apply this thinking to your own work.

But fusion is not just about what we do with data, or how we pick up ideas and collaborations with other disciplines. Fusion is also about our place in the world, and in 2016 we are celebrating Australia’s increasingly outward focus, and the signing of new trade agreements with India, Japan and Korea, with guest speakers invited from Iraq, Japan, India, the US and the UK. We have the head of the celebrated Frameworks Institute in Washington Nat Kendall-Taylor, and Shobha Prasad winner of multiple best speaker awards at Esomar Qualitative conferences around the world. We have a panel of journalists discussing the influence of research on the media and a new format to give you even more choice, more opportunity to meet the speakers, more hands on workshops and more ways to get to know new people in your industry.

The conference is such an important event in our industry’s calendar: the opportunity to pause and look out on the wider industry, to meet up with friends and make new ones, and to take on board new ways of thinking with renewed vigour. Bring your colleagues, your staff and your clients. We can’t wait to see you there.