Hello So Cal Members,

Due to unforeseen circumstances and to accommodate the schedule of the majority of our prospective attendees, we have decided to postpone our Education Day to a future date that is yet to be determined. We will be working to reschedule our Education Day and will send details as soon as possible.

For those who have signed up for this event, please contact Shelia Thompson at sthompson@magid.com for your reimbursement.

We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience and look forward to seeing everyone in the near future. Please continue to visit our website for the latest updates and Calendar of Events.

We’d also like to take this opportunity to gather comments from you for the types of information you would like to see at upcoming SoCal MRA Events. Please feel free to leave information in the comments section.

Sincerely,

Rudy Yu
President
Southern California Marketing Research Association

Our final event of the year was the Annual Holiday Party held in December at the Sofitel Hotel in West Hollywood.  It was a wonderful evening filled with good conversation, great food and dancing.  A special thank you goes out to the Board Committee that dedicated a lot of time to put together a wonderful event…including the massive leather-boxed tequila centerpieces that were given away throughout the evening.  Congratulations to Ed Sugar who received the 2008 “Research Pillar” award for his outstanding dedication to the field of market research both as a businessman and MRA volunteer. 

Tobin Bailey, Irene Gustaitis, Lee Nizani & Jerome Bettis

SoCal MRA had its Fall Social Mixer at the Edison in Downtown LA.  This exceptional space was once the city’s first private power plant and has since been renovated into as a world class bar while retaining many of its architectural and mechanical artifacts.  In November, SoCal MRA colleagues networked with one another within the walls of this swanky lounge that is reminiscent of a long lost era of Hollywood glamour and intrigue.   While the burlesque dancers performed in the main room, specialty cocktails and appetizers were served in our private room, which was the perfect setting for catching up with old friends and making new acquaintances.  

James Bettis 

Emily DellaMaggiora and Tobin Bailey

In October, our first Hispanic Research Event was held at Café Sevilla in the beautiful coastal city of San Diego – tapas, flamenco and knowledge – all in one evening!  The event received rave reviews, so much so that we may be similar event in the Los Angeles area this year.  According to the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies, Hispanic purchasing power is expected to hit $992 billion by 2009.  Event attendees heard from Hispanic market research specialists and gained valuable insight on the future trends for this important segment of the population.   We would like to give a special thank you to Dr. Mary Beth McCabe, President of Sun Marketing, who was our keynote speaker and presented her insights into the “US Hispanic Market – Past, Present, and Future.”

In July, our Annual Education Day event was hosted by the prestigious School of Business Management at Loyola Marymount University.  The roster of speakers was impressive and included market research professionals Anthony Patino (LMU), Suzanne Martin (Just Kid Inc.), Christie Kawada (Nielsen Entertainment), Tom Neverill (Storybrand Consulting) and Cynthia Cohen (Verdict Success).SoCal MRA also awarded an “Excellence in Academic Market Research” scholarship to business school student, Lurton A. Gifford.  Congratulations once again Lurton!

The Education Research Luncheon was held in March at The Magic Castle in Hollywood.  We owe our speakers, Karen Manne (Disney/ABC Domestic Television) and James Bettis (Fox Broadcasting), a special thank you for giving engaging and insightful presentations.  We would also like to thank our special guest and Magic Castle performer, Mr. Joe Fox, for getting the crowd into the spirit of the location with his “magical” performance.  The event was both informational and entertaining and we hope to have this event “reappear” in 2009.