Officers:

Rolf Verlinden - President
Guy Morre – Vice-President
Jacqueline Mailliard – Secretary Treasurer
Roland de Turck – Communications & Events
Dominique van Craeynest – Legal Issues

History, Aims & Objectives

The main objectives of Febelmar are as follows:

We aim to meet these objectives whilst respecting the individual identity and the commercial interests of our members.

Our members are continually investing in new methods and techniques in the field of collecting, processing and analysing data. Thus we constantly strive to develop our competence in and knowledge of market research and marketing information.

The management team of five active members carries out the day-to-day operations of Febelmar. This team has a secretariat for administrative support. The detailed and preparatory work is done by autonomous working groups, who operate in line with concrete objectives. The working groups report to the management team and the general council, who take the necessary decisions. Set out below is an overview of the current working groups within Febelmar.

The world outside Febelmar is equally important, for we can only achieve our objectives by actively exchanging information and communicating with other interest groups and sectors. This exchange is also a key aspect of both the way we operate and our philosophy.

Membership

Febelmar currently groups together 23 market research companies. As such the professional association of Belgian market research companies accounts for about 90 % of total expenditure on market research. The joint turnover of the Febelmar members in 2002 was € 125 million.

To be admitted as a member, a market research institute must fulfil the following conditions:

Codes & Standards

i) ICC/ESOMAR International Code of Marketing and Social Research Practice. Adherence to this code is mandatory

ii) The EMRQS Quality Standard for Market Research

Conferences, Courses & Activities

•  Happening 2003 on Tuesday 21st October for market research institutes and advertisers.

•  'Interviewers' working group : This group develops the legal contractual status, adapting it to the specific needs of the profession, whilst following the framework of the law. With the brochure "Thank you for your time" the working group aims at increasing response rates in opinion surveys. The group takes measures to train interviewers and publishes the "Interviewer's Manual".

•  'Qualitative Surveys' working group : Qualitative research professionals work closely with their subcontractors in order to maximise the quality of their service.

•  'Privacy' working group : This group looks after the implementation of the European directives for our sector in Belgium in consultation with the Belgian authorities.

•  'Quality' working group : Collaborating with EFAMRO, the European professional association of market research companies, this group develops a 'quality standard'. Now that this standard exists, the group's main task is to develop a system for certifying the research companies.

•  'Commissioners' working group : A separate group has been set up for contacts with those organisations commissioning research. It listens to and communicates with commissioners about their wishes and expectations, as well as our own. As far as it is possible for a professional association we try to satisfy these wishes and expectations. One example is the contractual directive for the delivery and payment conditions for our services.

•  'Communications and Events' working group: This group looks after the external communications of the professional association and organises an event each year - a day for all those who work with or in the sector to get together.

Members List