Networking with and learning from people around the world 

I started at Quirk’s exactly three weeks before the first day of the Quirk’s Chicago event. Not to mention I had never been to a professional conference. I did know a little, however, about what to expect for those few days. I was told about all the networking, sessions and various events after the conference. 

One thing I did not expect was how much fun it was going to be. I had a blast! I met some awesome people from all over the world. I learned about market research, which I needed to do as I am new to it. I also had a unique opportunity to bond with my co-workers. 

The networking opportunities and the sessions offered were the best parts of this event in my opinion. 

Networking at Quirk’s Chicago 

Prior to leaving Minneapolis for Chicago, I told myself I would go to as many networking events and talk to as many people as possible. I am not an outgoing person when it comes to large groups, but I wanted to meet as many people as possible to learn from them. 

Luckily, I started off strong in my goal. I attended the Women in Research (WIRe) event the evening before the first day. 

The WIRe event was fun! The venue was beautiful. It was held at IO Godfrey Rooftop Lounge, which had an amazing rooftop view. There was also tasty food and drinks. I met quite a few lovely women while there. It was great to then see them in the expo hall and continue our conversations. 

The next day, I was able to meet a few people while working at the Quirk’s Award booth. It was fun to chat about the awards, meet some previous judges and hear from people excited to enter. 

The MR Jam Session after the first day of the conference was a blast! There was great food, drinks and music. There are so many talented people in market research. I had fun bonding with my own co-workers as well as meeting some other attendees. 

Finally, on the last day of the conference, I walked around the expo hall and meet a few more people. It was fun talking to the exhibitors about what they do and how the event was shaping up for them. 

Sessions: Learning from the marketing research and insights industry 

I also promised myself I would go to many sessions and learn as much as I could about marketing research and insights. I am new to this industry, and I figured this would be a great way to quickly learn. 

The first day I attended a session for each time slot. After a while it did become a lot, and I learned it’s helpful to take a few breaks. It was a lot of information to take in that quickly, so I only went to a few sessions on day two. 

Pepper Miller’s session, “Let me explain Black again: Uncovering biases and blind spots to win the loyalty of Black America,” was probably my favorite of the entire event. Not only did I learn about things to incorporate into my everyday life but also ideas to incorporate into marketing. Miller is an amazing speaker. Her energy and passion shine through seamlessly. 

One thing from Miller’s session that stuck with me was a quote; Black people are “different but not deficient.” Later in her presentation Miller continued with that quote saying our differences present an opportunity. I have always agreed with her that differences present opportunities but the part about not being deficient I had never thought of. In addition to my role at Quirk’s, I coach soccer. One child I coached earlier this year is an amputee. One week we were working on goal keeping and I was not sure how to run the required drills because they would be harder for him with only one hand. But he jumped right in and found a way to do the drills that worked for him. He just needed to learn how to tend goal differently, but it did not make him deficient. 

My favorite session from day two of the event was “Discovering the Hispanic persona through qualitative insights – What $2 trillion and multicultural research have in common,” by Hola Insights. Natalia Infante Caylor played Spanish music while everyone was coming in, which I thought was a nice touch. 

I never realized how large the Hispanic community is. Caylor said that 19% of Americans are Hispanic – about 62 million people. She also said Spanish is the fourth most spoken language in the world. That fact made me want to start learning Spanish again. 

Looking ahead

If you are looking at coming to attend a research industry event this year, Quirk’s will be in London, May 4-5, and New York City, July 20-21. You can also visit https://www.quirks.com/events to view a calendar of industry events (both virtual and in person). 

Yes, I have a slight bias as I do work for Quirk’s. However, I believe the Quirks’ Event is a great place to grow your network and gain the skills in which to grow it, learn how to better yourself professionally and have fun with people who have similar interests. 

I would say my first Quirk’s Event was a success. I can’t wait to attend more of them in the future!