President’s Report – July 2024

Elections

Timeline:
· Creation of the Elections committee, 4 October
· Publication of the detailed timetable for the elections, 18 October
· Close of candidate nominations, 12 January
· Election Committee announces list of approved candidates, 18 January
· Canvassing begins, 18 January
· Start of voting, 3 February
· Close of voting, 16 February
· Results announced, 26 February
· Transition Council Meeting 24 & 25 March, in Amsterdam
· New Council and President take office, 1 April

Details:
Under the new rules that will be voted on at Congress the details about who can stand for election will be as follows.

· You will need to be a member of ESOMAR, any class of membership.
· You will need to have accumulated five years of membership.
· You must not already have served three terms on Council.
· You will be required to sign the Council induction document in order to be on the Council (for example, promising to follow ESOMAR’s rules, to avoid conflicts of interest, and to advocate for ESOMAR’s codes and guidelines).

In order to stand for President, you must have served at least one term on Council, and you must not have already served two terms as President.

The other big change in the Statutes is that Council Members, and the President will be elected for three years, as opposed to the current two years. This change has been debated widely and is seen as necessary to increase continuity and to improve oversight. Professional advice about the good running of ESOMAR and guidance from the stakeholders who interact with ESOMAR have been unanimous in saying they the current two-year terms of office reduce the effectiveness of the ESOMAR Council to properly supervise the organization and the two-year term makes ESOMAR prone to change direction too frequently.

The last time ESOMAR discussed changing the term of office from two-years to three years, I was one of those arguing against it. However, the events over the last few years, the expert advice we have commissioned, and conversations with stakeholders have convinced me that I was wrong last time, and three years is better than two years in terms of what is best for ESOMAR and its members.

 Africa

On of the new initiatives that ESOMAR is pursuing relates to working with others to help boost the opportunities for insights and research in Africa. As well as working with others, we are looking to create virtual events, trying to create the budget for an ESOMAR Ambassador to help develop insights and ESOMAR in the region, with a view to having a face-to-face event in Africa in 2025.

 Tiered Pricing

For the last few years ESOMAR has offered a dynamic pricing option, a system for making ESOMAR more affordable for people based in economies with the greatest economic challenges. The categories and rates will be updated this year at Congress, along with the fees in general, and the Membership and Communications team will be launching a publicity and marketing campaign to ensure that everyone is aware of the Tiered Pricing scheme for individual members.

 Congress

The latest update for Congress, Athens, 8-11 September, was given to the Council. The news was very encouraging with registrations and bookings for the exhibition well ahead of target. The Council members will be playing a very active role at Congress, including meeting the Reps and the National Associations on the Sunday, and being involved in a variety of activities during the Congress itself.

 If you are going to be at Congress, I hope you will take the chance to chat with me and/or other members of Council. If you are a member, please try to attend the General Meeting, where we can share lots of information with you and seek your support for the changes we are making.

 The next Council meeting, Congress

Because August is a big holiday month in the Northern Hemisphere, especially in the West, the next Council meeting will be held on the Saturday before Congress in Athens.