Creating Your Best Experience at The Market Research Event

1. Creating Your Best Experience at TheMarket Research Event October 18-21, 2009 Red Rock Hotel Las Vegas, Nevada

2. Welcome to The Market Research Event • This compilation of tips has been collected to help you create your best possible experience at The Market Research Event • These tips are organized around the following areas: • Getting in the Best Event Mindset • Preparing for the Event • Navigating the Agenda • Planning Your Time • Building Relationships • Working the Exhibit Hall • Other Tips • Know Your Rights!

3. Getting in the Best Event Mindset It is important to spend some time thinking about the event BEFORE you arrive • Think about what you would like to learn and prioritize your needs – this will help focus your learning and enable you to make more purposeful decisions at the event • Create a list of people that you would like to meet at the event. Strategizing an action plan before hand will help to ensure you connect with the right people • Read publications and industry news and develop a list of issues or questions you want to discuss at the event

4. Preparing for the Event Spend some time with the agenda on the event website • Visit the website at www.themarketresearchevent.com for the most up to date agenda • Review the agenda before attending to get a sense of which sessions are most appropriate for you • Share the agenda with your team before you leave to find out what they’d like you to bring back • Join The Market Research Event LinkedIn Group to begin connecting with other attendees before the event • Jot down our Twitter Hashtag - #TMRE so you can follow what people are saying about the event while you are there

5. Navigating the Agenda With more than 100 sessions to choose from, be assured that you will have plenty of choices • Think beyond your industry - great value can come from learning how people tackle similar challenges in other industries • Think of what is relevant to current projects AND future projects and select sessions accordingly • Think about where you’d like to be in your career five years down the road – what sessions can help you get there?

6. Getting the Most From Each Session Ensure you are getting maximum value from every session • Keep a list of action points that you can refer to back at work • The official TMRE Executive Summary and Key Takeaways will be sent to you via email after the event – this will help you disseminate the information to your team • Disconnect during sessions - use the networking breaks to chat and check-in with work • Some speakers are not permitted to share a copy of their presentation publicly due to corporate confidentiality policies; if there is a presentation you want, ask the speaker to send you a copy directly

7. Planning Your Time Plan out your days in advance • Select sessions to attend in the morning so you don’t have to make rushed decisions between sessions • Remember to use the Return on Attendance Tool that you will receive in your registration packet to help ensure you are meeting all of your event goals • If you come with a team, split up to diversify your learning • Sign up at the registration desk for dinner dine-arounds and evening networking

8. Building Relationships Perhaps the most important part of an event is the people you will meet • Don’t be shy – always introduce yourself to the person sitting next to you - it’s a great way to expand your network • Sign up for one on one meetings with speakers through our inaugural Speaker One on One program • Manage Expectations – it’s not just the quantity but the quality of people you meet. Make this a priority. Visit the attendee board in the exhibit hall early on and identify the top 5 people who you would most benefit from meeting. Make it a point to meet those 5 people throughout the duration of the event. If you need help locating someone, ask an IIR representative for assistance

9. Working the Exhibit Hall Sometimes exhibit halls can be daunting, but with a bit of pre-planning, they can be a breeze • Visit the sponsor and exhibitor section of the website for a list of participating vendors • Create a short list of vendors you’d like to find out more about • Designate one networking break to walk through the entire hall keeping notes as you come across a vendor you are interested in meeting with further • Try to set up an appointments with representatives from companies you are interested in so you can have their full attention

10. Other Tips Ensuring you are comfortable and focused throughout your experience • The conference rooms may be cool, so bring a light sweater or jacket • Bring plenty of business cards • Keep an open mind and remember that a conference is the sum of all its parts – the keynotes, the breakout sessions, the networking breaks – so see it through to the end • Think of this as an opportunity to connect both personally and professionally • Be open - participate in the planned networking activities designed to help facilitate connections through conversation

11. Knowing Your Rights Take an active role on ensuring you get what you need from TMRE • If you are ever in a session that is not meeting your expectations, you are free to leave that session and select another session to attend • You do not have to follow one track for the duration of the event - you can attend any session in any track at any time • Receive updated information about the agenda and future events by opting in to IIR at www.iirusa.com

12. TMRE Alumnus? Become a Mentor! In an effort to help those attendees joining us for the first time make the most of their conference experience, we have initiated The Market Research Event Mentor Program • Give back to the industry by sharing your conference expertise with a fellow attendee who is new to the event. Mentors will be connected with a TMRE first timer before the event and can share pointers for having a great event experience • For more information on becoming a TMRE mentor, contact Anastasia Ioannou at aioannou@iirusa.com

13. TMRE First Timer? Participate in the TMRE Mentor Program • If this will be your first time attending, you qualify to participate in this complimentary program • You will be paired with your own personal event mentor -  a TMRE veteran that will show you the ropes and help you make the most of your conference experience • For more info on this program, please email Anastasia Ioannou at aioannou@iirusa.com

14. We’ll see you there. If you have any questions about the event before you arrive, please feel free to contact Conference Director, Krista Vazquez at kvazquez@iirusa.com Thank you!