President’s Letter December 2024
President’s Letter: Celebrate With Us!
Celebration is in the Market Research Council’s DNA. We celebrate our innovators and authors (sign up now for our Meet the Author event with Cliff Young in discussion with Walker Smith on December 13) and we celebrate our industry (learn more about our Festivus-themed happy hour in NYC on January 9). But our signature celebration is our Hall of Fame!
For nearly 50 years, we have inducted exceptional industry leaders into our Hall of Fame. From pioneers like George Gallup, Archibald Crossley, and A.C. Nielsen to living legends like J.R. Harris, Leslie Wood, Bill Harvey, and Diane Hessan, the Hall of Fame recognizes and celebrates excellence in our industry.
The Hall of Fame ceremony has roared back after the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023 and 2024 we celebrated together at Kantar’s beautiful World Trade Center conference center. The most recent event sold out, prompting us to find a venue that will allow us to continue to grow this signature event.
The 2025 Hall of Fame will be held on Friday, July 25, at a Midtown fine-dining restaurant. We will induct an Active Practitioner and a Lifetime Achievement honoree into our Hall of Fame and bestow other awards from our Executive Committee, including a Research Innovator Award. Nominations for these awards are open until December 13. Please consider nominating the exceptional researchers in your network.
Additionally, we invite you to join the celebration and position your brand as an industry leader by sponsoring the Hall of Fame. Opportunities range from purchasing a private table to sponsoring our bar or dessert, to our Diamond, Gold, and Sterling sponsorships. Ask Rosemarie Sharpe or Susan Hogan to learn about available sponsorship opportunities.
We wish you a successful 2025 and look forward to raising a glass together at our January NYC Festivus happy hour and July Hall of Fame!
Happy holidays!
DECEMBER VIRTUAL EVENT
Meet the Author: Cliff Young
Our Meet the Author series, led by MRC member and Hall of Famer Walker Smith returns next Friday, December 13, at 12:30 PM ET (17:30 UK). Walker will be joined in this virtual-only event by MRC member and renowned polling expert Cliff Young, President of Ipsos Polling. The conversation will focus on Cliff’s new co-authored book, Polls, Pollsters, and Public Opinion.
This closed-door conversation is only available to MRC members and your invited guests. Learn more at https://mrcouncil.org/event/meet-the-author-cliff-young/ or RSVP to info@mrcouncil.org.
JANUARY EVENT IN NYC
Join our Happy Hour Gathering in NYC
We are pleased to gather again in NYC for a Festivus-themed celebration on January 9, 2025, at 5:00 PM at Sago NYC (711 3rd Ave 9th floor, New York, NY 10017). Join us for drinks and hors d’oeuvres at Sago’s beautiful Midtown space. Our Festivus will include an “airing of grievances,” where you can share your thoughts about opportunities for innovation in our industry. We will also welcome Brett Townsend and Tim Hoskins, authors of Insights on the Brink, to share key points from their new book, which is making waves for its provocative recommendations to revitalize the market research and analytics industry.
Space is limited, so RSVP today. Members and non-members can learn more and purchase tickets at https://mrcouncil.org/event/mrc-festivus-and-airing-of-grievances/.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Experts See Division, Not a Mandate
Our October event was a wonderful panel discussion focused on the 2024 presidential election. We are very grateful to panelists Maeve Ward (Grow Progress), David Kanesvsky (3D Strategic Research), and Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux (AP) and to Cliff Young (Ipsos) for moderating and hosting. We had a fantastic turnout online and in person in Washington DC. We also express thanks to our generous host, the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Catch a partial replay in our LinkedIn Members Forum.
