As Published in Connections, May 2005
Manuela Fletcher
manuela@fletcher.co.nz
Susan Thornhill
susan@thornhill-associates.com
Those who were fortunate enough to be able to attend the
QRCA/AQR Worldwide Biennial Conference on Qualitative Research in Dublin
enjoyed a feast of educational and sensory delights.
The calibre of speakers and breadth and range of the case studies
portrayed during the conference was truly inspiring. All credit, and a big
“Thank You” goes to Peter Lovett and Kendall Gay, and their team of
helpers, for putting together such a memorable experience.
But it wasn’t just a case of exercising those little grey cells. There
were many very enjoyable social activities to partake. "Wellington meets
Munich meets Bombay meets Los Angeles!" (Andrew Fletcher, Ilka Kuhagen,
Piyul Mukherjee, Manuela Fletcher, Susan Thornhill) during the tour of the
Guinness Storehouse and party at the Gravity Bar that were kindly
sponsored by Guinness Ireland.The Literary Pub Crawl, held on Tuesday
evening, was also a winner for those who attended.
And speaking of winners, QRCA’s very own Piyul Mukherjee captivated her
audience during the conference with her award-winning presentation “No
Goodbyes for Tata,” which focused on the Tata Group, India’s second
largest conglomerate, and the struggles it had overcome to overcome a
declining brand perception. Piyul’s paper illustrated how qualitative
research also played a role in taking the TAS brand from its ranking as
31st among recruiters at Asia’s top business schools, to 6th position, in
only two years.
Of course it was a challenge for participants to pick a winner on the day,
with such high calibre and stimulating presentations from all the QRCA
members who presented!
On the social side, the visit to the Gravity Bar at the Guinness
Storehouse provided a wonderful bird’s eye view over Dublin. With an
almost 360-degree view, two things became evident: firstly, the number of
cranes in evidence, giving testament to the ongoing building and
development within Dublin, and secondly, the absence of tall buildings.
The Gravity Bar (on the 7th floor) seemed to tower over most other
buildings on the skyline. Here, Piyul opts for "Baby Guinness."
And who can forget the prize-winning input from QRCA members on the
Literary Pub Crawl? Proving he could handle the trickiest situations, Joel
Reish again proved his erudition by answering some very tricky quiz
questions to take the winning prize of a wonderful commemorative tee
shirt. We understand that the last word on Joel’s tee shirt may have gone
to the Irish though, as after its first laundry it has shrunk a little
more than might have been expected. Perhaps it’s a case of the “little
people” having the last laugh? Manuela Fletcher also scored one of the
runner-up prizes in the quiz, described as a “body rub” by our literary
hosts. It was in fact a small bottle of Jameson’s Irish whiskey.
And speaking of Jameson’s, congratulations to Susan Thornhill and Andrew
Fletcher, who are now both certified whiskey tasters, after a memorable
visit to the Old Jameson Distillery. They volunteered (or were they
press-ganged?) to participate in a comparative whiskey tasting, and as
true qualitative researchers, they both proved up to the challenge!
So what will people take away from the conference in Dublin? The memories
of the educational and networking opportunities, some great new ideas to
put into practice at home, meeting up with old friends and making new
ones, enjoying the traditional Irish music to be found in Tempe Bar at
places such as The Oliver St John Gogarty bar and restaurant, and
traditional food such as Irish stew and Boxty pancakes (traditional potato
pancakes made with a range of fillings), at The Boxty House at Temple Bar,
and the warm and welcoming nature of all the Irish people we met. The
Irish cab drivers, in particular, proved to be real characters, one and
all, with more than a touch of the blarney. The weather in Dublin,
although cool and definitely “soft” (the Irish terminology for rain),
proved no dampener to the proceedings, and a good time was had by all.
And as Hy Mariampolski, Julia Gartside-Spink, and Manuela Fletcher share a
story, we leave you with the words of the Irish Blessing:
May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back. May
the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
We are all now eagerly looking forward to the 2005 QRCA Annual Conference,
to be held on 19 to 22 October 2005 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los
Angeles, California. See you in LA!