SAMRA elects 2011/12 council

The new council is as follows:

Thirion-Venter reviewed the past year and, with SAMRA facing a number of industry-related as well as legislative challenges, Schreuder spoke about the way forward in terms of the association's focus areas and activities in the coming year:

• to ensure a well-regulated research industry through maintaining enhanced professional standards, creating increased awareness and providing quality information;
  

  Jan Wegelin, Elsa Thirion Venter and Prof. Adré Schreuder

• to enhance the credibility and reputation of all SAMRA members (re-establish the relevance and credibility of professional marketing research) among existing and new research users;
  
• to position SAMRA as a credible authority and industry body representing members in regulatory challenges and relevance of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) and the anticipated Protection of Private
  Information Act;
  
• to increase participation and alignment with relevant industry organisations such as DMASA, ASA and other marketing related bodies;
  
• to diversify the membership base of SAMRA through a review of member categories and aggressive marketing efforts among researchers, users, academics and students;
  
• to finalise and obtain member buy-in of the SAMRA 2011 strategic plan;
  
• to implement and continuously measure progress of the 2011 strategic plan;
  
• to investigate the introduction of a fulltime secretariat (appointment of CEO) in SAMRA;
  
• to evaluate all functional portfolios in SAMRA and updating the SAMRA structure;
  
• to develop policy and operational guidelines for each portfolio;
  
• to offer a new updated conference format;
  
• to active canvas more research users and promote client attendance at annual conference;
  
• to enhance the quality of conference papers as a means to draw a wider and more diverse audience of delegates; and
  
• to investigate the further enhancement of the SAMRA researcher accreditation programme

The AGM was hosted by TNS Surveys in Randburg, Johannesburg.

For more:

• Bizcommunity Search: SAMRA
  
• Bizcommunity Press Office: SAMRA

• Official site: www.samra.co.za