Research 96 puts sector in spotlight
Research 96, which opens next week, is the first UK exhibition to provide a major showcase for the market research industry.
The exhibition, backed by Marketing Week, has been organised by Market Research Exhibitions, a joint venture between Centaur Exhibitions and Resources Exhibitions, and will run from October 16 to 18 at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London.
Research 96 will enable new and existing purchasers of research across all sectors to get information from more than 70 organisations and research specialists. There will also be a wide-ranging programme of seminars on a number of subjects including: researching product development; effective pre-testing; understanding public attitudes; commissioning research; and untangling the Web.
Director general of the Market Research Society Michael Warren says: “The lecture programme is a wonderful combination of background and exploratory information about the industry. It reflects the industry’s broad range of activities across many sectors, ranging from supermarket shelves to opinion polls.
“I recommend it as a splendid introduction for newcomers to research in industry and commerce.”
Leading exhibitors include: Taylor Nelson AGB; BMRB International; Harris International Marketing; Industrial Research Bureau; NOP; BP Research International, BSI Test Research;
AC Nielsen; Public Attitude Surveys; Research International; and The Added Value Company.
“Traditionally, market research has been squeezed into the sidelines at other marketing exhibitions,” says Research 96 director Joy Bussell. “We are delighted there is real support from the industry for this exhibition, which puts the profession at centre stage.”
Expenditure on market research in the past financial year exceeded 522m, excluding in-house projects. Despite the recession, the industry has seen an average annual growth of ten per cent over the past five years, with an increase of 15 per cent during the past year.
The food and alcoholic drinks sector uses market research the most, but there is increasing use in areas such as employee and customer satisfaction.
