In order to be selected, each student had to go through a review process. Kristy Cunningham and Nompumelelo Kubheka had the opportunity to attend the three-day ESOMAR & SAMRA’s (South African Marketing Research Association) youth initiative annual conference from 16 to 18 May 2013, where they attended presentations by top researchers presenting their latest thinking and findings about research and its applications.

For the students, the highlights of the conference were presentations by the internationally known Tom de Ruyck, Head of Research Communities at InSites Consulting, who spoke about structural collaboration between the business and the consumer, as well as Butch Rice from Pondering Panda research company, with an interesting paper on “The times they are a’ changing”.

ESOMAR’s initiative to get young talent involved in industry is a brilliant way to expose students to industry outside of the stereotypical learning environment and to encourage them to connect with industry.

 
Students from the University of Johannesburg, the University of Cape Town, the University of Pretoria and the North-West University at the ESOMAR & SAMRA’s youth initiative annual conference venue.