New Orleans, LA – The ominous macroeconomic climate did not discourage more than 150 senior executives from traveling here to view presentations of new research and discuss crucial panel management issues at CASRO's Panel Conference, held on February 2 and 3 at the Intercontinental New Orleans.

A dozen presentations featured all-new data covering such issues as maximizing response rates, correcting bias, panelist conditioning, and social network and mobile device applications. Also prompting numerous questions and lively discussion were two moderated panels on digital fingerprinting and the future of the online sample industry.

The papers presented were those rated highest by a selection committee comprised of industry experts. Topics were established by the CASRO Panel Integrity Task Force, which formed in February 2008 and has since worked on numerous fronts to further collaboration with other industry groups and to spread awareness and information across the industry.

“Over the course of several meetings the CASRO Panel Integrity Task Force identified a wish list of needed research to help us improve online research quality,” noted Frank Kelly, Managing Director, TNS 6th Dimension and Conference Co-Chair. “The call for papers was specific to this list, which resulted in a relevant, highly focused and collaborative conference.”

“Considering such dire predictions for the world economy, we are most pleased with the exceptional attendance from both US and global research businesses,” commented Diane K. Bowers, CASRO President. “The findings announced here and the subsequent discussion will add significantly to the knowledge base supporting CASRO's Task Force and our work with the Association Collaborative Effort (ACE) on online panel research.”

Attendees praised the scope and pertinence of the research, the engaging discourse, and the caliber of senior level executives of speakers and participants. Exhibitors noted the unique opportunity to visit with decision makers who are specifically interested in online sample and its myriad issues.

Attendees were all ears to LinkedIn's Director of Business Services Dan Shapero and Dyna Boen, Vice President, Sample Operations at MarketTools, Inc.		Bill Blyth, Director of Research at TNS Europe, reviewed critical online research quality factors across Europe.
Jennifer Drolet, VP at iModerate Research Technologies (right) and Alice Butler, VP, Research Services, M/A/R/C Research, discussed respondent's perception of survey length.		Olivier de Gaudemar, SVP, OTX Research and Leigh-Brindeland Moore, VP, MyPoints.com, Inc. connect during one of several networking opportunities.

Special thanks to Premier Sponsor Western Wats/Opinion Outpost and all of our exhibitors and sponsors.