Associations play an important role, MMR LIVE founder says

When Patricia Houston wanted to meet marketing research professionals after grad school, her first stop was an industry association.

Houston, chief operating officer & founder of MMR LIVE, recognized associations represent an excellent opportunity to meet people within the industry.

“It’s not always the junior market researchers or customer experience practitioners that will benefit,” she said. “More often than not, it’s the mid-level or senior folks that need a boost.”

She is an active participant in several associations, including the Southeast Chapter of the Insights Association, the Atlanta chapter of Women in Research (WIRe) and the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA), and she recently joined the Atlanta chapter of Ladies that UX.

Houston shared her perspective during a Twitter chat (#MRXChat) hosted by Jake Pryszlak, founder of ResearchGeek, and Jamin Brazil, host of the Happy Market Research podcast. The discussion centered on associations, their benefit and how they might change in the future.

“There are two main reasons,” Houston said about joining an association. “The first is making new connections and uncovering opportunities that allow me to add value back into my existing network. The second is making a contribution to ensure our industry stays relevant.

“When I joined the board of the Southeast Chapter of the Insights Association, I was looking to reconnect with market research professionals,” Houston added. “After a career switch out of marketing, grad school, marriage and two kids, I knew I wanted to dive back in, and it was a great place to start!”

Click here to read more of Houston’s views on associations.