The Research Club snaps back to the City of Angels this fall for the third visit this year to one of the most the vibrant  locations in our program. We’re excited!

They’re expecting their biggest turnout this time round, so be quick to register early as we are limited on numbers!

When? Tuesday 15th November 2011 6pm till late

Where? Candela Taco Bar & Lounge
831 South La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles CA 90036

Supported by LA WIRE (Women in Research Event)

Register Here

Greetings Members, 

Save the date for our upcoming Board Installation and mixer at Henry’s Hat in North Hollywood this Wednesday June 15th at 7pm.

 

 

Board Installation & Mixer

• Wednesday June 15th
• 7pm

 

 

Henry’s Hat

 

3413 Cahuenga Blvd. West
(between Barham and Lankershim)
Los Angeles, CA 90068

 

 

323-512-2500

 

 

 

 

Looking forward to seeing you all there !

SAVE THE DATE

SoCal MRA Education Event

Thursday, May 12th

10am to 4pm

Disney’s Grand Californian

1600 South Disneyland Drive
Anaheim, CA 92803
(714) 635-230

Happy Hour will follow at Downtown Disney

We’re proud to announce the we’re co-hosting along with the Southwest and Northwest chapters our 25th Annual Las Vegas Conference this March.

March 2 – 4th
Paris Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, NV

Speakers include:

• Jane Buckingham, Trendera Inc.
• R. Scott Evans Ph.D., Social Media Thought Leader, Microsoft
• Brian Cooper, VP Technology, TNS
• Jim McAlexander, Professor, Oregon State University
• Larry Noble, Manager, Consumer Insights New Product Development, Wendy’s International

Be sure to register early and  reserve your room at a special $99/night price.

Register for the conference at SWMRA.org.

Download the flyer here.

Special thanks to all our SoCal MRA sponsors of the conference:

Act One Research

Apperson Digital Technology Services

Atkins Research Group

Directions In Research

ISA

Marketing Systems Group

Survey Sampling International

Taylor Research Inc.

LA Research

Looking forward to seeing you all there.

Linda Giniewicz
Vice President
Qualitative Insights/Field by design

The SoCal MRA recently sat down with Linda Giniewicz, a market research professional and long time MRA member, to get to know her on a personal level and to recognize her valued support.

How long have you been in the Market Research field?

I started my career in research in 1995 with a company by the name ofField Management Associates. I had just relocated to San Francisco, CA from NY and responded to an advertisement in the newspaper. The ad was for Research Manager, for which I was totally unqualified. The owner, Hal Berke, took a chance on me based on my prior management experience. I landed the job and a lifelong friend.

What do you enjoy most about your current role?

I love the diversity of my current role. I generate business and execute strategic initiatives, but I still get the opportunity to be involved in the data collection process. The team at QI is unique and versatile. Most of our core staff has grown and changed roles within the company. Watching the development of our team has been a great experience for me.

What advice do you have for anyone wishing to enter the MR field?

Market Research is a great industry with ample opportunity. It’s a creative environment that requires a solid problem solving skill set. It is an exciting time in MR as we are implementing advancements in technology to enhance data collection.

How has the SoCal MRA enhanced your professional experience?

SoCal MRA was my first exposure to the marketing research industry as a whole. My first speaking engagement in our industry was for the SoCal MRA in 1996. I continue to depend on the SoCal MRA for networking, education, and resources.

Glastonbury, CT, January 14, 2011 – The Research Industry Index (RII) – the Marketing Research Association’s survey-driven composite index of business activity in the U.S. marketing research industry – continues to build on the improvement seen in the first half of 2010, with a third quarter score of 101.

This is the first time the index has passed 100 since the baseline survey was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2007. This also is the highest the index has scored since the start of the recession, indicating that the U.S. marketing research industry is moving into recovery. In contrast, the index hit an all time low of 84 during the first quarter of 2009.

“This good news is fueled by the performance of medium to large size firms. Many small firms are still experiencing decreased or flat business, reduced staffing and suppressed margins,” according to Ken Roberts, president elect of MRA and co-author of the RII report.

“Another contributing factor to the improvement is greater reliance by corporate researchers on their research suppliers,” Roberts said. “Almost one-half of corporate researchers are outsourcing more work to vendors, including tasks that typically have been considered internal responsibilities,” he added.

RII is a composite based on reported changes in key business metrics (RFPs, projects and staffing levels), as well as changes in business owners’ perceptions of the health of their business. The base period (Index = 100) is the fourth quarter of 2007. In the most recent wave of the survey, online interviews were conducted among 229 senior executives from both corporate researchers and marketing research firms via a survey hosted by Authentic Response. Reporting was completed by Cooper Roberts.

Hello SoCal MRA Members,

I’m very happy to announce some great events coming up this year that will have highly engaging content, and of course, be very entertaining as well. First up is the 25th Annual Las Vegas Conference, that members of the SoCal, Southwest and Northwest chapters have been working very hard on to put together a top-notch event. The speaker line-up for the conference is most impressive, and promises to be enriching and educational. Join us in Vegas on March 2-4, 2011 at the Paris Hotel.

I’m also really excited for our upcoming SoCal MRA education day that we are holding for the first time ever on Catalina Island. A central destination for Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego, Catalina offers a beautiful, unique setting that will make a prime line-up of speakers and social hour even better. The event is scheduled for Friday, April 1, 2011, so those who wish to stay the night can enjoy the many offerings Catalina has on Saturday as well.

As is tradition, there will also be a sprinkling of mixers throughout the year. First up is a gathering on February 2nd from 6-9P at Magnolia Hollywood, sponsored by Research Now and the SoCal MRA.

I’ve had a great time meeting many new people this past year, and want to thank all of those who helped put together our first three events this season: TV Goes Social panel, the San Diego mixer, and our fabulous holiday party, where we also gave back by collecting toys for The Children’s Hospital.

I hope everyone has a healthy and happy 2011, and I look forward to seeing even more of our membership getting involved in our upcoming events.

With Warm Regards,

Karen Manne

2010-2011 SoCal MRA Chapter President

To read the rest of the Newsletter, download it here.

Join us for our first chapter event of 2011

SoCal MRA February Mixer

Sponsored by: Research Now

Magnolia Hollywood

February 2, 2011

6pm til 9pm

6266 1/2 Sunset Blvd

Hollywood, CA 90028

(323) 467.0660

Back patio

This event is free and as always, non-members are welcome. Appetizers will be provided.

Looking forward to seeing you all there !

Don’t forget about our upcoming Joint Chapter Conference, Las Vegas –March 2-4, 2011.

Greetings Members,

Just a reminder to buy your tickets for this year’s annual holiday party.

Southern California MRA 2010 Holiday Party

Friday, December 3^rd, 2010

7P-11P

THE REDBURY @ HOLLYWOOD AND VINE

1717 Vine Street

Los Angeles, California, 90028

Come join us at the newest boutique hotel hotspot to celebrate the holiday season.  Redbury, designed by Matthew Rolston, renowned visual auteur, brings Old-Hollywood glamour and rock and roll Bohemian chic together to create a bold, high-style environment.   The party will feature delectable small plates and signature drinks, as well as other bar selections, and all other trappings for a fantastic night.

Tickets are $75.

Hotel rooms are also available at a discounted rate of $249/nt based on availability. Call 323-963-5513 to book.

The Raffle is sure to be fun and rewarding! Plan to buy raffle tickets at check-in – a chance to win some amazing stuff!
If you/your company is interested in including an item for the Raffle – please let us know ASAP.

Holiday Toy Drive – During our Holiday Party and through mid-December the Southern California Chapter of MRA is thrilled to announce that we will be collecting TOYS to be donated to children spending the Holidays at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. It’s a small way of giving back to one of the many organizations in need this Season.

Please bring one or more items to the party or make arrangements to get your donations to Scott Baker & Myla Merriss (c/o Adept Consumer Testing) to deliver our collection on December 17th to the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. All donations must be unwrapped and new. We will be posting a “wish list” on the website too – so be sure to check there if you need some ideas. The Hospital has said that they cannot accept any stuffed toys so please no stuffed animals or toys.

We thank you for your support in making this toy drive a success!

Download our holiday party flyer here.

Purchase tickets online.

There are still a few sponsor spots available. If interested contact Shelia Thompson at 818-263-3310.

Purchase tickets here:

Number Of Tickets

1 Ticket $75.00 2 Tickets $150.00 3 Tickets $225.00 4 Tickets $300.00 5 Tickets $375.00 6 Tickets $450.00 7 Tickets $525.00 8 Tickets $600.00 9 Tickets $675.00 10 Tickets $750.00

There are still a few sponsor spots available. If interested contact Shelia Thompson at 818-263-3310.

Join us for our next chapter event of 2010:

SoCal MRA October Mixer

at one of the hottest spots in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter

Sponsored by:

IVY WINEBAR – at the Andaz Hotel

Thursday, October 21
start 6:00 PM

This event is free and as always, non-members are welcome

See attached flyer for details and upcoming events, including:
·       MRA First Outlook Conference, Orlando–November 2-4
·       Annual Holiday Party –Friday, December 3
·       Joint Chapter Conference, Las Vegas –March 2-4, 2011

Download the flyer here.

Thanks to everyone who came out for our education event last week. We had an amazing turnout and learned some really great stuff.

Greetings members,

Our sister chapter in the great Northwest is hosting  a riveting education day up in Napa Valley.  Information below, or check out the details on their website.

Silverado Resort, Napa Valley
April 29th-30th, 2010

Pairing the Perfect Vintage:
Cultivating Partnerships in Market Research

In this discussion we will talk about how to be seen as a resource in a competitive business environment. How to provide value through smarter engagement practices, by learning the steps to get prospects and clients to return your calls and respond to other communication efforts. We’ll explore how operations staff and sales staff, alike, can benefit from creating more engaging communication. Guests will be participating in an exercise that will help unfold their company’s core strengths and weaknesses in order to make them stand out from the crowd.

Presenter: Paul Kirch, ActusMR

Paul Kirch has a passion for entrepreneurship, sales and sales coaching. He is President & CEO of his own sales management consulting firm, ActusMR, Inc., specializing in the marketing research industry. Actus is a Latin word meaning “perfection, determination and compliment.” These words define his company’s overall philosophy. In addition to his role within ActusMR, he is an active volunteer within many industry organizations, including the Marketing Research Association (MRA), as a former President of the NorthWest MRA chapter.

Wine Reception Sponsor:		Event Sponsors:

We just wanted to let everyone know that the membership challenge has been updated. The winning Chapters will receive awards which can be raffled off at a future event to raise money for the Chapter, presented to a member or local company for outstanding service, etc.

The awards are as follows:

• Winning Chapter with 10 or more new members will receive a full conference registration to the 2010 Annual Conference in Boston.  This is a $900 value.
• The 2^nd Place Chapter with at least 5 new members will receive a National MRA eNews banner ad for one month (2 issues).  This is a value of $175.
• The 3^rd Place Chapter with at least 5 new members will receive one MRA archived or live webinar.  This is a $65 value.

So please reach out to your colleagues and urge them to join today. SoCal membership form available here.

Read more from

the National MRA site.

Just wanted to inform you that the signup forms are available for the upcoming annual SoCal MRA Holiday Party. We’ve picked up and moved from the Sofitel a few blocks down the street to the SLS Hotel, as recently seen in Entourage.  We’re having a cocktail hour and a tapas style dinner.

You asked for it and we deliver: The Raffle is back, in a bold new way!

Date Friday 12/4/09
Time: 6pm

SLS Hotel
465 S. La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles,California 90048

Early Bird:
Register by November 13^th for $75/ticket
Special rate for party of 10 – $700

Regular admission $85/ticket after November 13^th
Special rate for party of 10 – $800

Special thanks to our sponsors for making this event possible:

• Research Now
• Greenfield Online
• e-Rewards
• Adept Consumer Testing
• Schlesinger Associates
• LA Research
• PeekABoo Research
• Taylor Research
• Frank Magid Associates
• Focus and Testing
• I/H/R Research
• United Sample
• Universal Studios Hollywood
• Directions in Research
• Peanut Labs

Click here to download the registration form: SoCal MRA Holiday Party Registration 2009 Form

If you’re interested in sponsoring please contact Shelia Thompson.

We look forward to seeing you there.