This community is held together by PAMRO, the Pan African Media Research Organisation, a forum where industry organisations, media research providers, media owners, marketers and advertising agencies from across the continent can exchange knowledge and learn from one another’s successes and failures.

One of PAMRO’s key vehicles for bringing people together from around the continent is its annual conference, the PAMRO All Africa Media Research Conference. “The PAMRO conference has grown into a remarkable networking and learning opportunity, and provides a valuable forum for intra-country communication and the exchange of ideas,” says PAMRO president and MD of Telmar Media Systems, Jennifer Daniel.

From the measurement and status of radio, print, TV, internet and outdoor across Africa, to future trends and challenges in the media audience field, the programme for the 14^th PAMRO Conference covers a wide range of media research topics, based around the theme ‘From Local to Global: Media Research in a Developing World’.
Speakers are coming from across Africa – Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa to date – and will be joined by experts from the UK, Hong Kong and Switzerland.

Romi Hofer of GfK Switzerland will look at approaches to facing the challenges of media research. Keld Nielsen, global business development director of TNS Media Research, UK, and Laurence Chausson, marketing director of Kantar Media, UK, will give their perspectives on new media measurement.

Looking specifically at television measurement, Craig Johnson and Candice Ulrich from Nielsen SA will explore the route to installing peoplemeter panels in Africa to measure television viewing. Into the realm of outdoor media, Mike Broom, CEO of Panel Services Africa, and Graham Tomes of Eagle Outdoor, will present ‘African Solutions to African Problems: Sun, Illumination, Jobs and Media Measurement’. Meanwhile, James Fergusson, manager of TNS, Singapore, and Karin du Chenne, MD of TNS Johannesburg, will demonstrate the crucial role which mobile will play in how Africans access products and services, and will highlight the critical factors behind successfully utilising mobile as a marketing and communications channel.

Other confirmed speakers include Andrzej Suski of Millward Brown Africa and Middle East, who asks whether multi-channel campaigns in Africa can maximise return on investment.

A number of other speakers will also be presenting at this year’s conference, including Steve Garton, MD of Media for Greater China and global head of Media at Synovate, Hong Kong, Joe Otin of Ipsos Sub-Saharan Africa, and Adelaide McKelvey of Continental Outdoor Media, to name a few.

“The 14^th PAMRO conference promises to be an event not to be missed,” says Daniel. “The conference has grown enormously since it was first held in Johannesburg in 1999, and is truly the key networking opportunity for media researchers and clients on the African continent. I look forward to seeing you all in Uganda.”

The 14^th PAMRO All Africa Media Research Conference runs from Sunday, 26 August to Wednesday, 29 August at the Speke Resort and Conference Centre in Munyonyo, Lake Victoria, Uganda. Conference costs and registration forms can be found on the PAMRO website at www.pamro.org.