Pat Sabena and Hy Mariampolski, past QRCA presidents and industry leaders, conducted the first of a series of World-Class Qualitative Research™ Workshops in Beijing on September 4-6 and Shanghai on September 11-13, 2002. Each three-day session was jointly organized and hosted by the China Market Research Association (CMRA) and the Beijing Pan-Asia Market Research Institute (PAMRI).

The sessions provided Chinese qualitative researchers with hands-on intensive training in the latest creativity tools and research approaches used in the US and Europe, including ideawriting, mindmapping, laddering, psychodrawing and collage; new probing and elicitation techniques; pre-tasking (homework); and ethnography and observational methods. Worldwide trends impacting China, tips on client management, report-writing and presentation skills, and case studies were also covered in depth.

Almost 75 attendees participated representing several full-service market research firms (ACNielsen, Gallup, Ipsos, Starcom), many China research firms, and clients from international companies (Bayer, Wrigley, Avon, International Flavors & Fragrances). Several attendees flew in from as far away as Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

Providing support for the workshops in China and thereby allowing the lowest possible cost to participants were several North American sponsors including QRCA, Superior Research, TAi Companies, FocusVision, The Focus Network and Schlesinger Associates. Pat and Hy are extremely grateful for their assistance.

The workshops were punctuated by banquet-style lunches and dinners, as well as facility inspections, excursions and sightseeing hosted by China's major market research firms including PAMRI, FAMS, Sinotrust, Shanghai Diagaid and East Market Research. Pat and Hy were delighted to be escorted by their sweet and attentive hosts to major historic sites such as the Great Wall and Summer Palace and throughout the cities of Beijing and Shanghai.