WAPOR 71st Annual Conference
27-30 June 2018 ● Marrakesh, Morocco
Public Opinion Research in a Changing World Preliminary Program
The political and technological environment in which public opinion research operates has experienced dramatic changes in the past few years. Politically, we have witnessed unrest and wars in many parts of the world, a rise of populism and anti-immigration sentiments in large parts of the Western World, and the threat of escalation in the Korean Peninsula. In situations where public opinion is evenly divided, it has been very difficult for pollsters to accurately predict the final results, like in the UK election of 2015 and the Brexit referendum of 2016, the US 2016 presidential elections and the Israeli 2015 elections. Recent technological developments in the modes of communication – spread of cellular phones and of the internet for example – present new challenges – and offer new possibilities – to survey research. Alternate indicators to polling appear, including indicators from citizens’ activities in online social networks and indicators of their online information seeking. In light of these technological and political changes, traditional public opinion research faces many opportunities and challenges.
The 71st WAPOR Annual Conference program will highlight these issues, namely questions relating to how public opinion operates – and can be measured – in these changing environments and how it should operate in order to better serve society. Paper topics will focus on all aspects of public opinion. These topics include, but are not restricted to:
• Methodological challenges and improvements, including in the areas of sampling, measurement, survey design and survey response or non-response
• Challenges of comparative research and International Survey Projects, cross-cultural concerns in data collection and measurement issues
• New sources of information on public opinion and the use of social media to voice public opinion
• News, media, journalism and public opinion
• Political behavior, participation and culture
• Electoral polls in emerging/incomplete democracies
• Social media, big data, sentiment analysis, and emerging technologies
Registration Pricing
Workshops (optional) – June 27, 2018 (Click for more information!)
Annual Conference – June 28-30, 2018 (welcome reception on 27th)
Annual conference registration includes all materials for the conference, the welcome reception on the 27th, lunches on all three days, coffee breaks between sessions, and the award dinner on the 29th. Non-member registrations include a 2018 WAPOR membership.
| Registration Type | By June 1 | After June 1 |
|---|---|---|
| WAPOR Member | $290 | $340 |
| Non-Member (Tier A)* | $415 | $465 |
| Non-Member (Tier B)* | $385 | $435 |
| Non-Member (Tier C)* | $355 | $405 |
| WAPOR Student Member | $190 | $240 |
| Non-Member Student** | $240 | $290 |
Other optional items to add to your registration will be:
• Workshop registration (June 27th) – $60 (students $30)
• Chapter membership – see registration form for pricing***
• Extra award banquet ticket (for your guest) – $60
*All non-member registrations include a 2018 WAPOR membership. Memberships are based on WAPOR’s tier system which allows us to discount memberships for countries identified as developing nations. Membership will begin upon registration.
**Students attending for the first time will receive their 2018 membership at no charge.
***If you are a current WAPOR member or a workshop only participant, and would like to add a chapter membership, you can do so by logging back into the system and going to the ‘Add/Renew/Update Membership’ button.
Travel Information
You may find the following document helpful for planning for your trip to Marrakesh: Travel Tips
Questions about the conference should be directed to WAPOR Executive Coordinator Renae Reis (renae@wapor.org).
About the Conference Site
The Grand Mogador Menara in Marrakesh is located in the Hivernage district near the Palais des Congres. The district is a tranquil stretch of local cuisine, luxury hotels, and spacious tree-lined avenues, where quiet days give way to a vibrant nightlife scene for Morocco’s after-hours crowds. The neighborhood is only a short walk away from the Medina’s historic district, where visitors can maneuver winding bazaar-lined streets to reach the food stalls and street performers of the city’s central square—the Djemma El Fna. The hotel is easily reached from the Marrakech airport (RAK-Menara, a 9-min drive).
Room rates at the Mogador include breakfast, and are MAD 900-1200* (plus tax) for people attending the conference. Rooms are available on a first come, first served basis. Reservations must be made by filling out the hotel’s required form.
If rooms are no longer available, please try one of the following hotels nearby: Atlas Medina and Spa Hotel or the Atlas Asni Hotel.