The WAPOR 72nd annual conference featured an Innovation room -fully booked during the three-day conference- with seven round tables that allowed for more participation and peer to peer exchange on a range of important topics from Democracy 3.0, to regaining trust in polling and how in our profession we can better work together.

DAY ONE: Sunday, May 19, 2019

Round Table I
11:05am – 12:35pm WINDSOR ROOM
Democracy and Democratic Values: Dynamics, Measurement, Forecast 
Convenor: Christian Haerpfer

Goal: This roundtable unites leading scholars in the field of values research to examine the implication of social value change for the quality and consolidation of democracies worldwide. Participants will address such issues as the ongoing debate on democracy decline and the rise of populism, elite-mass linkages, public opinion and political participation, causal relationship between value change and democratic consolidation and threat to democratic rule, relationship between change in social values and future of regional and global integration, etc. 

Invited Contributors/Discussants: Ronald Inglehart, Pippa Norris, Leonardo Morlino, Robert Worcester, Christian Welzel, Alejandro Moreno, Christian Haerpfer, Marita Carballo, Juan Diez-Nicolas, Hennie Kotze, Henrique de Castro, Marta Lagos, Ian McAllister and others.

Round Table II
3:45 – 5:00pm WINDSOR ROOM
Democracy 3.0: Polling Innovations for Public Policy 
Convenor: Doug Miller

Goal: To explore social science innovations that are promising in terms of renewing and improving civic engagement and democracy.

Confirmed Contributors/Discussants:
Steven Kull, University of Maryland: citizen cabinets
Peter MacLeod, CEO MASS LBP, Toronto: reference panels
Antonio Mugica, CEO Smartmatic, UK: the eVote platform

DAY TWO: Monday, May 20, 2019

Round Table III
9:00am – 10:15am WINDSOR ROOM
Media Polls: Pollsters and Their Media Clients Discuss Challenges and Successes 
Convenor: Doug Miller

Goal: In important ways, on-going media polls on topical issues pose a unique challenge for both media organizations and their commercial polling partners. This session will candidly explore both the challenges and the successes of this particular genre, in order to help other media polls be developed and sustained. Two specific media polls will be explored: the BBC World Service Poll (2005-2017) and the ABC News Poll (on-going).

Invited Contributors/Discussants:
Steven Kull, University of Maryland, co-lead, BBC World Service Poll (with GlobeScan)
Steven Titherington, BBC World Service (via VideoConf) (not confirmed)
Gary Langer, Langer Research Associates, USA

Round Table IV
2:00pm – 3:15pm WINDSOR ROOM
Peer-to-Peer Advice on Fundraising/Business Models for Longitudinal Studies 
Convenor: Doug Miller as organizer/Chris Coulter as facilitator

Goal: To provide a forum for discussing the “business” side of sustaining international longitudinal survey research studies, whether by fundraising or by creating a business model capable of funding these studies. Speakers will identify key challenges, potential funding sources and secrets of success. Both academic and commercial studies will be explored, including the regional Barometer studies, NORC’s international studies, GlobeScan’s RADAR survey, Glocalities’ annual values survey.

Confirmed Contributors/Discussants:
Marta Lagos, Latinobarometro, Chile
Tom Smith, NORC at the University of Chicago, USA
Christian Haerpfer, President, World Values Survey Association
Chris Coulter, CEO GlobeScan, Canada
Martijn Lampert, CEO Glocalities, Netherlands

DAY THREE: Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Round Table V
10:30am – 11:30am WINDSOR ROOM
Winning Back Public Trust in Polling: Can Becoming a More Purposeful Profession Help? 
Convenor: Chris Coulter and Mehmet Aktulga

Goal: To frankly discuss the public trust deficit of the polling profession and how we as a profession might take a more purposeful approach in the world. Might a good offence like this be the best defense of polling and re-builder of trust?

Confirmed Contributors/Discussants:
Daniel Franklin, Executive and Diplomatic Editor, The Economist, London (via VideoConf)
– A media perspective on the trust challenge facing the polling profession
Mehmet Aktulga, Managing Director, Yontem Research Consultancy, Turkey
– “Good” Polling: An ethical basis for rebuilding trust in our profession
Chris Coulter, CEO GlobeScan Incorporated, Toronto
– A “purpose” consultant’s view of how the polling profession might regain trust by becoming more purposeful
Dr. Samir Abu Rumman, Gulf Opinions, Kuwait (via VideoConf)
– Is a Political Freedom Index a “big idea” for a more purposeful WAPOR to lead on?

Round Table VI
11:45am – 1:00pm WINDSOR ROOM
WAPOR Chapters: Reports from the Regions
Convenor: Doug Miller, WAPOR Liaison Chair

Goal: To provide an opportunity for updates and peer-to-peer learning between colleagues involved in advancing geographic WAPOR Chapter Organizations around the world in order to provide closer support to WAPOR members there. Reports from the 8th annual WAPOR Latin America conference and the 2nd annual WAPOR Asia conference, as well as updates from WAPOR WANA and WAPOR SSA (Sub-Saharan Africa).

Confirmed Contributors/Discussants:
Dr. Mariano Torcal Loriente, President, WAPOR Latin America (via VideoConf)
Dr. Robert Chung, President, WAPOR Asia
Dr. Samir Abu Rumman, Gulf Opinions and WAPOR WANA
Angela Ambitho, InfoTrack Research, Kenya

Round Table VII
2:00pm – 3:15pm WINDSOR ROOM
How Academic and Private Pollsters Can Cooperate Better to Advance Our Profession
Convenors: Claire Durand and Doug Miller

Goal: Solidarity and better working relations across all segments of the survey research profession is vital in these times when polling’s legitimacy is being so openly and widely questioned. This round-table session will explore perspectives, case studies and ideas of how academics and private pollsters especially can cooperate better together.

Confirmed Contributors/Discussants:
Claire Durand, WAPOR Past-President
Doug Miller, Founder, GlobeScan Incorporated
Dr. Robert Chung, Hong Kong University
Frits Spangenberg, Founder, Motivaction, Netherlands
Steven Kull, University of Maryland, USA
Mark Gill, King’s College, UK (not confirmed)
Mari Harris, Markinor, South Africa (not confirmed)
Marita Carballo, WAPOR President, Argentina