Day 1
Wed Mar 11
08:00 – 08:50
50 min
REGISTRATION AND WELCOME COFFEE
Wed Mar 11
08:50 – 09:00
10 min
OPENING REMARKS BY MERLIEN INSTITUTE AND CONFERENCE CHAIR
Niels Schillewaert
Head of Research and Methodologies
Conveo
Speaker
Wed Mar 11
09:00 – 09:15
15 min
OPENING REMARKS BY Jon Clifton
Jon Clifton
CEO
Gallup
Speaker
Opening Keynote
Wed Mar 11
09:15 – 09:45
30 min
BEYOND THE NUMBERS: GIVING DATA A HUMAN FACE THROUGH QUALITATIVE INSIGHT
- Connecting data to meaning by using qualitative insight as the brain and face of your segmentation work
- Uncovering hyper-local nuance by bringing qualitative depth to regional, DMA, and city-level data
- Clarifying cohort differences by layering human stories onto complex data stacks
- Translating local insight into action by shaping authentic, place-driven brand strategies
Presentation
Wed Mar 11
09:45 – 10:15
30 min
SESSION RESERVED FOR CONVEO
Wed Mar 11
10:15 – 10:45
30 min
REIMAGING QUAL: WHERE HUMAN STORIES MEET BOLD BUSINESS DECISIONS
In a world driven by data, how do we keep empathy alive? This session explores bold, human-centred approaches that push qualitative research beyond its traditional boundaries. We’ll dive into:
- Direct, unmoderated conversations between marketers and consumers to foster authentic empathy and multicultural understanding.
- Meta facilitation and AI-powered storytelling, capturing image and audio narratives at scale to build a living library of real consumer voices.
- In-the-moment qual at the shelf, uncovering the tension between intention and behaviour where decisions truly happen.
- Elevating qual´s role in shaping business decisions that resonate with real people
Sai Pisipati
Insights & Analytics Lead - North America
Reckitt
Speaker
Networking
Wed Mar 11
10:45 – 11:15
30 min
NETWORKING BREAK
Presentation
Wed Mar 11
11:15 – 11:45
30 min
SESSION RESERVED FOR SAGO
Presentation
Wed Mar 11
11:45 – 12:15
30 min
BRANDS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: HARNESSING BRAND AUDITS FOR GROWTH
- Decoding Brand DNA: Uncovering core values, differentiators, and competitive strengths.
- Mapping Shopper Realities: Analyzing purchase behaviors, key occasions, and decision drivers.
- Identifying Growth Levers: Spotlighting opportunities, barriers, and brand assets for acceleration.
- Activating with Clarity: Delivering actionable guidelines for optimized offers and impactful communication.
Amy Baer
Head of Strategic Insights North America
Groupe Bel
Speaker
Presentation
Wed Mar 11
12:15 – 12:45
30 min
SESSION RESERVED FOR FINCH
Wed Mar 11
12:45 – 12:50
5 min
RECAP & REFLECT
Networking
Wed Mar 11
12:50 – 13:50
60 min
Networking Lunch
Workshop
Wed Mar 11
13:50 – 14:50
60 min
PUSH-PULL FUTURING WITH QUALITATIVE INSIGHTS
In this hands-on workshop, resident futurist Anthony D. Paul, of Amtrak's applied innovation and technologies practice, will expand upon last year's Qual360 presentation and teach you how to combine futuring tools with your learned insights to drive organizational change. This session will bridge your existing operating environment research (inertia pushes) and strategic decision-making (intentional pulls) to invest in desirable futures.
- Thinking about futures in a practical/agile way
- Reducing ¨doomsday¨ noise in organizational change drivers
- Convert qualitative learnings into actionable decision-maker tools
- Gaining participation and buy-in in futuring
Anthony D. Paul
Director Strategic Foresight
Amtrak
Speaker
Presentation
Wed Mar 11
14:50 – 15:20
30 min
QUALITATIVE FUTURES: ENABLING CHANGE THROUGH HUMAN-CENTERED FORESIGHT AND FUTURE STORYTELLING
- Designing a multi-year foresight study based on the “Natural Foresight Framework”
- Using hands-on exercises to apply foresight tools to real institutional challenges, creating narratives of possible futures and testing provocative scenarios
- Navigating misinformation and enhancing information literacy while keeping human interaction at the center
- Building legitimacy and influence by engaging stakeholders directly, turning futures thinking into a shared practice rather than a top-down strategy
Dawn LaValle
Director - Division of Library Innovation
Connecticut State Library
Speaker
Nicole Baker Rosa
Head of Human Design and Development
TFSX
Speaker
Presentation
Wed Mar 11
15:20 – 15:40
20 min
SESSION RESERVED FOR ETHOS (OVATION MR)
Wed Mar 11
15:40 – 15:45
5 min
RECAP & REFLECT
Networking
Wed Mar 11
15:45 – 16:15
30 min
Networking Break
Presentation
Wed Mar 11
16:15 – 16:45
30 min
HOW RESEARCHERS STAY EFFECTIVE THROUGH ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
- Building systems not dependencies
- Decoupling enablement from structure
- Scaling trust and capabilities, not just tools
- Anchoring influence in engagement and leverage, not organizational design
- Reinforcing impact by translating human understanding into decision-ready narratives
Panel discussion
Wed Mar 11
16:45 – 17:15
30 min
DEMOCRATIZING RESEARCH WITHIN ORGANIZATIONS
- Navigating reorgs without losing strategic impact, maintaining continuity and keeping insight anchored to business priorities
- Doing more with less: building a high-leverage insight function
- Democratising insight safely and effectively across the organisation
- Partnering differently: enabling decision makers, not just delivering research
- Sustaining credibility and influence in uncertain times
Ilana Ron-Levey
Managing Director
Gallup
Moderator
Sofia Cristina Vazquez-Barrios
Director Consumer Insights North America
DSM-Firmenich
Panelist
Natasha Hritzuk
VP Corporate Research
Warner Bros. Discovery
Panelist
Wed Mar 11
17:15 – 17:30
15 min
CHAIR REMARKS + TRANSITION
Niels Schillewaert
Head of Research and Methodologies
Conveo
Speaker
Roundtable
Wed Mar 11
17:30 – 18:00
30 min
Topic 1: MAKING QUAL RESEARCH MORE IMPACTFUL IN BUSINESS CONTEXTS
Dr. Jide Osatuyi
Sr UX Researcher, AWS Analytics & Research
Amazon
Speaker
Roundtable
Wed Mar 11
17:30 – 18:00
30 min
Topic 2: THE UNEXPECTED INSIGHTS (AND ODDITIES) OF AI-MODERATED INTERVIEWS
Benjamin Lo
Co-Founder & CEO
Dialogue AI
Speaker
Justin Hoang
Co-Founder & CPO
Dialogue AI
Speaker
Roundtable
Wed Mar 11
17:30 – 18:00
30 min
Topic 3: THE ALPHA EFFECT: REACHING TOMORROWS CONSUMERS
Sofia Cristina Vazquez-Barrios
Director Consumer Insights North America
DSM-Firmenich
Speaker
Andrea Penagos
Senior Manager, Consumer Insights
DSM-Firmenich
Speaker
Roundtable
Wed Mar 11
17:30 – 18:00
30 min
Topic 4: BEYOND THE POWERPOINT: STORYTELLING AND PRESENTING INSIGHTS EFFECTIVELY
Networking
Wed Mar 11
18:00 – 19:00
60 min
NETWORKING RECEPTION BY MERLIEN INSTITUTE
Day 2
Thu Mar 12
08:30 – 09:00
30 min
WELCOME COFFEE
Thu Mar 12
09:00 – 09:15
15 min
OPENING REMARKS BY MERLIEN INSTITUTE & CONFERENCE CHAIR
Lauren Collier
Chief Experience Officer
Finch Brands
Speaker
Opening Keynote
Thu Mar 12
09:15 – 09:45
30 min
AI AND QUAL: NAVIGATING RISKS AND UNLOCKING OPPORTUNITIES
- Evaluating the credibility of AI-driven inputs, from synthetic respondents to AI-generated consumer content
- Assessing the impact of ChatGPT in qualitative open-ends, balancing clarity versus authenticity
- Testing AI-assisted techniques such as automated probing and theme detection to see where they enhance—or miss—human nuance
- Reframing the qualitative researcher’s role in an AI-enabled landscape by pairing technological capability with critical judgment
Brian Laverty
Director Corporate Research
Warner Bros. Discovery
Speaker
Presentation
Thu Mar 12
09:45 – 10:15
30 min
SESSION RESERVED FOR HUMAN 8
Presentation
Thu Mar 12
10:15 – 10:45
30 min
LEVERAGING QUAL TO REPURPOSE EXISTING PRODUCTS AND MEET EVOLVING USER NEEDS
- Reframing traditional product development and research approaches to prioritize adaptability over linearity
- Applying qualitative insights to reshape product relevance, connecting existing products with evolving user needs
- Evaluating the benefits and limitations of retrofitting research to current tech capabilities
- Leveraging tips and lessons from Adobe’s case study to enhance your own strategy
Victoria Hollis
PhD, Sr. Staff UX Researcher
Adobe
Speaker
Rob Adams
Principal UX Researcher
Adobe
Speaker
Networking
Thu Mar 12
10:45 – 11:15
30 min
Networking Break
Presentation
Thu Mar 12
11:15 – 11:45
30 min
HUMAN, MEET AI: CAPABILITIES THAT DRIVE MODERN RESEARCH
- Meet the R+D Accelerator, a large company's answer to start-up success
- Understand capabilities that make a difference
- Develop internal partnerships that bring the consumer to life while delivering speed
- Leverage these partnerships to influence business decisions
Lydia Lawless
Innovation & Strategy Sr Manager, R&D North America
Nestle
Speaker
Andrea Camaliche
Creative Lead Senior Specialist, Innovation & Strategy
Nestle
Speaker
Melody Hong
Growth Marketer, Innovation & Strategy
Nestle
Speaker
Panel discussion
Thu Mar 12
11:45 – 12:15
30 min
HUMAN-IN-THE-LOOP: PRESERVING THE SOUL OF QUAL IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD
- Debating what should (and shouldn’t) be automated – which aspects of qualitative research benefit from AI augmentation and where is human touch irreplaceable?
- Defending depth in a world obsessed with speed without getting left behind
- Shifting the value of research from investigation to interpretation, with AI handling data collection and surface analysis
- Moving from resistance to leadership and taking a proactive role in guiding responsible AI use
Sai Pisipati
Insights & Analytics Lead - North America
Reckitt
Panelist
Dr. Kiran Bhatia
Inclusive AI Research Lead, Inclusive AI Lab
Utrecht University
Panelist
Brian Laverty
Director Corporate Research
Warner Bros. Discovery
Panelist
Presentation
Thu Mar 12
12:15 – 12:35
20 min
SESSION RESERVED FOR BOLT
Thu Mar 12
12:35 – 12:40
5 min
RECAP & REFLECT
Networking
Thu Mar 12
12:40 – 13:40
60 min
Networking Lunch
Presentation
Thu Mar 12
13:40 – 14:10
30 min
PRIVACY-FIRST RESEARCH: INSIGHTS FROM THE ADULT ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
- Recruiting creatively to access hard-to-reach and anonymous participants when traditional pipelines fall short
- Building trust in stigmatized and privacy-sensitive communities
- Fostering safety through open, non-judgmental research environments
- Translating sensitively to turn delicate findings into bold product decisions – all while respecting privacy
Leelan Farhan
Lead UX Researcher
Aylo
Speaker
Presentation
Thu Mar 12
14:10 – 14:30
20 min
FROM CLIPS TO CLARITY: HOW VIDEO-FIRST INSIGHT IS RESHAPING CONCEPTS, CLAIMS, AND INNOVATION
- Beyond Words: How Video Intelligence Is Expanding the Qualitative Lens
- Decoding Real Consumer Behavior: What Social Video Reveals That Surveys Can’t
- From Microtrends to Meaning: Using Video Intelligence to Spot What’s Next
- Why They Believe: Using Video Intelligence to Craft Stronger Claims & Concepts
Tamanna Dhamija
CEO & Co-Founder
Convosight
Speaker
Workshop
Thu Mar 12
14:30 – 15:30
60 min
QUAL RESEARCH FOR INCLUSIVE AI: FROM INSIGHT TO GUARDRAILS
Qual is the engine of inclusive AI—turning lived experience into actionable criteria for inclusivity, ethics, and authenticity. In this hands-on session, you’ll practice translating qualitative insights into guardrails like revocable consent, redress flows, bias checks, and restoration metrics. You’ll leave with an applied playbook and an upskilling plan to embed inclusive, authenticity-driven practices across any team that builds, uses or ships AI.
- Translating experience into action: turn lived insights into shippable standards for inclusivity, ethics, and authenticity so teams can act with confidence
- Building guardrails from stories: convert findings into operational safeguards—revocable consent, redress flows, bias checks, and restoration metrics
- Designing for global resilience: use a simple resilience canvas to adapt work and products to diverse languages, bandwidths, and norms without losing rigor or authenticity
- Applying and embedding: working through real-world cases to create a two-week upskilling plan that embeds inclusive, responsible, and authenticity-driven practices across AI teams
Dr. Kiran Bhatia
Inclusive AI Research Lead, Inclusive AI Lab
Utrecht University
Speaker
Networking
Thu Mar 12
15:30 – 16:00
30 min
Networking Break
Presentation
Thu Mar 12
16:00 – 16:20
20 min
FAST FOOD RESEARCH: THE ERA OF ULTRA-PROCESSED INSIGHTS
- Examine how AI disrupted and rebuilt the content industry — and uncover the parallels with the growing commoditization of research
- Understand where the research industry sits in this cycle of acceleration, quality decline, and renewal — and recognise what leading teams are doing differently
- Explore the biggest unresolved challenges in AI-enabled research, identify who’s currently setting the pace, and anticipate what’s likely to emerge in the next few years
Presentation
Thu Mar 12
16:20 – 16:50
30 min
LISTENING BETWEEN THE LINES: SOCIAL LISTENING AS CONTENT & CONTEXT IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
- Reframing social listening for qualitative depth
- Social listening as content: applying qual methods to social data to uncover unmet needs and values
- Social listening as context: recognizing that meaning is shaped by platform norms and digital cultures and leveraging digital ethnography to decode context-specific meaning
- Bridging content and context to move from noise to narrative
Panel discussion
Thu Mar 12
16:50 – 17:20
30 min
THE FUTURE OF QUAL: EVOLVING SKILLS IN A TECH-DRIVEN WORLD
- Blending Humanity and Technology: why tomorrow´s qual researcher must integrate deep human insights with fluency in digital tools and platforms
- Data Empathy: building the ability to interpret and connect diverse data formats (text, video, behavioural) while maintaining emotional intelligence and cultural sensitivity
- Human-Centered Storytelling in a Digital Age: transforming AI-driven outputs (dashboards, summaries, visualizations) into narratives that resonate
- Future-Proofing Through Lifelong Learning: embracing continuous growth in technology, ethics, and collaboration to stay ahead in an evolving insights ecosystem
Natasha Hritzuk
VP Corporate Research
Warner Bros. Discovery
Panelist
Ilana Ron-Levey
Managing Director
Gallup
Panelist
Thu Mar 12
17:20 – 17:30
10 min
Chair’s Closing Speech and End of Conference
Lauren Collier
Chief Experience Officer
Finch Brands
Speaker