2024 QRCA Annual Conference
Denver, Colorado
January 22–25
The qualitative research community is a broad and diverse network of skilled researchers who encompass a wide range of skill sets and experiences. The QRCA Annual Conference is recognized as “the best opportunity for qualitative learning and networking” out of all industry events and is beneficial for consultants, agencies, in-house researchers, and suppliers. Whether you are a moderator, analyst, strategist, design researcher, recruiter, facility manager, platform provider, or in any other qualitative role, there is no doubt that you will experience an exceptional few days of sharing skills and techniques, learning new tools, and making lifelong connections with like-minded people.
Our culture of sharing ideas and resources and learning in a fun environment is enjoyed by everyone in the research industry. Our objective is to grow the audience while maintaining the same community feel and opportunity for growth. Suppliers, recruiters, platform providers, focus group facilities, and the other myriad services that provide the tools and support we need to be successful will also find value and content at the 2024 QRCA Annual Conference.
It’s all happening in January 2024 in Denver, Colorado. We expect the 2024 conference, like 2023, to be SOLD OUT, and we’re making provisions for this. This year’s QRCA Annual Conference might be our coldest, but it will also be our best and brightest.
Join us for four days of networking and learning, January 22–25, 2024!
The Hilton Denver City Center is our headquarters hotel for the 2024 annual conference
Conference Format
Our event planning committee is constantly evolving the conference experience to keep up with industry trends and desired learning environments. This year, the committee has created a conference agenda to amplify our networking time together and balance our need for content curation to stay current in our qualitative research practices.
Agenda Highlights
- MONDAY will be a full networking day. We have our off-site Cultural Experience on Monday afternoon with a group trip to Red Rocks Amphitheatre, followed by an exclusive meet-and-greet session for First-Timers on Monday evening. We also have a welcome networking dinner with tickets for purchase during your event registration. If you are at the First-Timers meet-and-greet, roll right into dinner with your new friends at the welcome dinner.
- TUESDAY’s content is organized as all general sessions. We’re bringing all attendees (usually about 300-plus) into the main ballroom for six must-see qualitative thought leader presentations. We’ll wrap up the day with a Winter Social in the Marketplace with our sponsors and exhibitors before heading off to our legendary Dine Arounds program.
- WEDNESDAY will have a mix of breakout sessions presented as double features, workshops, and small-group discussions followed by our highly anticipated evening event, this year at Whiskey Row (Dierks Bentley’s downtown bar!) featuring the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts professors jamming the night away!
- THURSDAY will be a half day with more sessions and a late lunch, followed by a field trip to Meow Wolf (details below). Tickets are available for purchase during your registration.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver, Colorado
Additional Conference Details
Following the successful implementation of a few new components from last year’s event in Charlotte, we’re keeping the following aspects for this year’s experience:
- Zen Den: A small, quiet room experience for when you need a mental break from the day.
- First-Timer Qual Crews: First-timers are paired in small groups with a QRCA ambassador to amplify the networking opportunities for new attendees and to learn more about QRCA.
The full conference agenda and speaker lineup are available at qrca.org.
Meet the 2024 Conference Committee Leadership!
QRCA is a membership-based association with volunteer opportunities available in multiple capacities. The Annual Conference is typically composed of 20–30 volunteers who support the main branches and work together to plan the event all year. Please help us thank the following committee leaders for their work on the 2024 Denver event!
Kayte Hamilton + Chris Hauck: Conference Co-Chairs and Experience Team Leaders
Kristin Ameruoso + Doug Keith: Speaker Co-Chairs
Cat Maxwell-Smith + Michelle Lemire: Marketing Co-Chairs
Conference Registration
Conference registration rates include: Three days of workshops, breakfast, lunch, and break refreshments each afternoon, a Tuesday Welcome Reception, Wednesday Night Event, and access to the Marketplace.
Rates (Earlybird deadline: December 11)
- Individual Member: $1,145 (earlybird); $1,295 (regular)
- NewQ Member: $800 (earlybird); $800(regular)
- Emeritus Member: $800 (earlybird); $800 (regular)
- Student Memeber: $800 (earlybird); $800 (regular)
- Non-QRCA Member: $1,595 (earlybird); $1,745 (regular)
Cancellation Policy: To receive a 100 percent refund, less a $25 processing fee, all cancellations must be received via www.qrca.org/page/cancellation policy by December 10, 2023. Cancellations between December 11, 2023, and January 2, 2024, will receive a 50 percent refund. After January 2, 2024, no refund is offered. QRCA reserves the right to alter or cancel any of the arrangements relating directly or indirectly to the conference without prior notice. QRCA will not accept liability for any losses and/or damage attendees may suffer on account of alteration or cancellation. For COVID-related exceptions, please contact info@qrca.org to discuss your individual needs.
Optional Guest Tickets and Add-Ons
- Cultural Experience Event: $50/ticket Join us on Monday, January 22, for a unique networking and cultural experience designed to immerse ourselves in our host city. In the Denver area, that experience is Red Rocks Amphitheater. “I’ve seen many amazing shows at Red Rocks, including a fantastic show with one of my favorite performers, Big Head Todd and the Monsters playing Bittersweet in 2013, that I’ll never forget. Spooky, as a lightning storm raged and Todd talked about his father, who had just passed away. Amazing!” Red Rocks and the museum are experiences that can’t be missed. Please Note: This event is NOT included in your Conference registration rate.
- Monday Night Welcome Networking Dinner: $65/ticket Join us Monday, January 22, for a first-look meet-and-greet opportunity. The setting is fun and casual as we unwind from our travels and prepare for the days ahead. Our conference veterans recommend this event as a wonderful way to step into your QRCA conference experience. Please Note: This event is NOT included in your Conference registration rate.
- Thursday Field Trip: $65/ticket Commute via the Quantum Department of Transportation to the Convergence, a bustling city created by a rare cosmic event that joined four alien worlds. When you’re not trading memories as a currency, you and your fellow interdimensional travelers can venture out into four floors of surreality featuring Meow Wolf’s most epic art. If you’ve ever wanted to wax heroic at the crossroads of a real-life sci-fi neutopia, this is the space-time for you. We will spend a few hours having fun at the Convergence and then pop in for a beer or a glass of wine and some snacks at HELLOFOOD Cafe & Bar, the best snack at the Convergence. SPACE IS LIMITED! Please Note: This event is NOT included in your Conference registration rate.
Guest Tickets
Some networking events are included in the conference registration, and guest tickets are available for an additional fee. The bonus networking activities for the Red Rocks Amphitheatre Cultural Experience, Monday Welcome Networking Dinner, and Meow Wolf field trip are available for all to purchase at the same ticket prices.
- Tuesday Opening Reception Guest Ticket: $50/ticket
- Wednesday Night Event Guest Ticket: $100/ticket
Additional 2024 QRCA Annual Conference Registration Discounts
Contact assistantexdir@qrca.org to receive your discount promo code before registering.
TEAM DISCOUNT: Teams of three or more employees from the same company are eligible for a discount of 20 percent off each attendee’s registration fee; team members are not required to be QRCA members to qualify.
GDP DISCOUNT: Qualitative researchers in countries with a per capita GDP of less than $30,000 are eligible for a discounted rate.
FINANCIAL NEED: QRCA members who wish to attend the conference but do not have the financial resources available may be eligible for financial assistance.
Hotel Info:
Hilton Denver City Center
1701 California Street
Denver, Colorado 80202
Phone 303-297-1300
QRCA’s hotel room rate of $209/night is available for the nights of January 22 through January 25, 2024.
ROOM BLOCK DEADLINE: December 30, 2023, or until the room block is exhausted, whichever comes first.
BOOK YOUR ROOM HERE: https://book.passkey.com/ event/50505928/owner/3135/home
The hotel is approximately a 15-20 minute walk from Union Station, which is the end of the line from the airport on the commuter train. It is also just around the corner from Denver’s popular 16th Street walking mall for dining, shopping, and entertainment. You will also be within walking distance of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Larimer Square, and other activities.
Denver’s Union Station is only about a 15-20 minute walk from our conference hotel.
Local Impact
Since 2011, QRCA has honored our creative problem solvers with a unique industry award. The QRCA Award for Excellence in Qualitative Research—more affectionately known as the “Qually” Award—recognizes industry innovation and qualitative best practices.
Over the years, the Qually Award has evolved into a pro bono collaboration with a live client. Previous beneficiaries represented by our conference host cities include The Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation (Carlsbad, California) and the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte (Charlotte, North Carolina). Through these collaborations, the nonprofit teams gain valuable insight into their organizational challenges, and qualitative professionals acquire hands-on experience by developing a marketable case study.
We’re pleased to introduce the 2024 Qually Client! The Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts (CCJA) is a unique 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth to creatively express themselves through the language of jazz. CCJA gives musicians of all ages life-changing musical experiences through mentorship by the region’s most sought-after professional jazz musicians. Their students experience personal and artistic growth through participation in small groups, big bands, vocal ensembles, jazz instruction camps, jam sessions, clinics, community performances, and much more.
Bonus for QRCA attendees! CCJA will be our musical entertainment and perform for us at our Wednesday Night Event, when attendees dine and network at Whiskey Row. They will play a range of jazz so we can boogie the night away!
Local Experiences
The QRCA Annual Conference is in a new city each year, and we love weaving local favorites into the event experience. To make the most of your trip to Denver, check out these planned activities:
- Cultural Experience: Colorado is home to great music and art, as well as winter outdoors, and is very much rooted in the local culture. Coloradans have a strong sense of adventure and want to share it with visitors. This year’s excursion includes a trip to Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison. Red Rocks is the most famous American outdoor amphitheater, and the music museum under the Rocks is a stroll through rock history! Space is limited on the group bus. Sign up when you register for the conference. Tickets are $50.
- Coffee Chats: Each morning, you can enjoy coffee (or other brekkie beverage of choice) with some light networking. Our conference venue is smack dab in the heart of downtown Denver, so there will be plenty of walkable options for the group. A volunteer will coordinate the locations and times, which will also be communicated via the conference app.
- Dine Arounds: Go local with our friend, Chef Christine! One of the best-known Denver area chefs happens to be a friend of Co-Chair Chris Hauck and has helped our volunteers curate a set of restaurants with her strong recommendation for our Dine Arounds. You can choose your evening outing based on the company you want to keep or based on the food you want to enjoy—getting out in smaller groups and making new friends will create lasting memories. These are excellent opportunities to network and meet new “quallies” in a more intimate setting. Sign-ups are available online at qrca.org under the 2024 Conference Central webpage.
- Thursday Field Trip: Wrap up your 2024 Annual Conference experience with a group trip to Meow Wolf! This is an immersive art experience unlike any other and is an excellent way to ride your conference high one last time. Space is limited to join the group bus! Sign up when you register for the conference. Tickets are $65.
The photos below were taken at the 2023 Annual Conference and show the engagement, learning, and fun you’re sure to experience.
