This month I returned to in-person conferences with a trip to The Market Research Event (TMRE) in Nashville. The conference was well executed and, while not at full capacity, it was easy to see how that isn’t too far off in the future.

As always, I appreciated hearing from others in the market research/insights community, keeping an open mind to nuances, changes, and perspectives that build on what I know. Here are three themes I walked away with, and I hope they spark thinking for you as well:

One of the most dreaded tasks for a market researcher is the prospect of having to break bad news to a client and their invested stakeholders. For a good researcher, this goes along with the territory.

What does the idea of ‘recoding culture’ mean for us as researchers and marketers? We should consider tweaking the way we think about a few different things.

A summary of key takeaways from the NY Quirk’s Event which includes thoughts on the adoption and use of machine learning, VR and big data in marketing research.

Toy Fair 2016 and the Digital Kids conference F are where toy makers reveal their latest innovations for kids (and adults) and do business with retailers, marketers, and media buyers. Here are a few high-level takeaways from the trade show floor and the c

The Marketing Research Event was buzzing with excitement and anticipation. What tales would we hear, what knowledge would we uncover, what trends would take center stage? And, in the end, on what new paths would we, as researchers, venture?

Insight development via storytelling and storytelling through data visualization were very much in the air. Many a session encouraged us, like Dorothy, to follow the yellow brick road toward our own Emerald City where insights break the confines of numbers and quotes and live within visually compelling stories.

TMRE is the place for all that is new in research. This year was no exception. Not only did we hear about big data -- the hottest of "hot" topics -- we also heard about mobile, eye tracking, neuroscience, visual storytelling, "infotainment," social media listening, online communities, Millennials, and much more. So what now? How do we process all of this information?

We're just returning from The Market Research Event in Boca Raton, FL, and in between the keynotes, breakouts, and cocktail hours, the buzz of activity centered around the Exhibition Hall. Our presentation, Falling Dow + Rising Tao: The New Quest for Balance and What It Means for Your Brand, touches on themes of juggling all aspects of the ecosystem of one's life, and TMRE is a microcosm of that juggling act.