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The theme of the conference was strongly represented in keynote speeches and doctoral presentations throughout the two days. The distinguished keynote speakers emphasised the role of research in informing and influencing the private sector, non-public organisations and policy makers. Professor Raymond Fisk of Texas State University spoke about how the service economy can improve the relationships among social, economic, and environmental systems. Professor Agnes Nairn of EM-Lyon Business School emphasised the importance of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and through multiple examples showed how doctoral students can build impact into their research agendas. Professor Michael Haenlein of ESCP Paris Business School demonstrated the importance of building research paths with direct managerial implications.

The conference also included two keynote speeches delivered by industry practitioners. Ms Yara Paoli and Mr Jesus Vesga of Skyscanner presented the many ways that research is used in practice. The application of research methods in the running of social media activities and the practical research gaps and needs in industry were evident from the presentation. The last keynote speech was delivered by Dr Andrew McLaughlin of Royal Bank Scotland who spoke about the importance of trust and reputation. Dr McLaughlin showed how strategic thinking in marketing is influenced by research, thus highlighting the very practical ways of applying research in practice.

Conference attendees included PhD students, academic researchers and marketing practitioners from the UK and Europe. Doctoral presentations and a poster session were followed by lively discussion and feedback from the audience. Additionally, two interactive workshops, which were run in parallel, took place on the second day of the conference. The “Publishing: Meet the editors” workshop was delivered by Dr Tina Harrison and Dr Paul Hewer who discussed practicalities of submitting work to academic journals and provided useful advice on crafting outstanding academic papers. The second workshop titled “Viva” was delivered by Professor Stephanie O’Donohoe who talked about the process of defending a PhD thesis, the procedures involved on the day of the viva and the practical ways of preparing for this final step of the PhD degree. We would like to thank the workshop organisers for their excellent and helpful sessions! A friendly and supportive atmosphere was present throughout the conference and there were many opportunities for networking, including a wine reception at the end of the first day which was open to all staff and PhD students of our School.

The conference organisers, Mrs Maria Rejowicz-Quaid and Mr Amin Nazifi, would like to thank their supervisors, Professor Stephanie O’Donohoe, Dr Dahlia El-Manstrly and Dr Mary Ho, for their support and encouragement throughout the process of planning and organising of the conference. The conference could not have happened without Mrs Susan Keatinge who provided invaluable advice and practical information in the months and weeks before the conference. Thank you!

In summary, the conference provided an open platform for the attendees to think about the practical ways in which marketing and consumer research can make a contribution to marketing practice. The conference was funded through the World Class Workshop initiative and proved to be an invaluable experience to us. As we reflect on the process of organising the conference we consider it to be an invaluable experience which enabled us to learn many new things. We are grateful for the support which we have received in organising this event and we would encourage other students to engage in similar activities which can add tremendously to the PhD experience.