AI can generate insights in seconds. Behavioral data tracks every move. GEOINT maps every market. So why does research still struggle to lead the decisions that matter?
That question sits at the heart of MRMW APAC 2026, taking place April 14–15 in Singapore. But what makes this edition different isn’t the question; it’s how it gets answered.
Built for Action, Not Attendance
What’s new in 2026 isn’t just the speaker list. For the first time, MRMW APAC introduces four interactive formats that shift the dynamic from presentation to participation — reflecting a broader recognition that the insights profession learns best by doing.
Four New Formats. One Purpose.
Hands-On AI Workshop: Led by Sebastien Boisseau, Regional Head of Digital Customer Engagement at Menarini Asia Pacific, this session puts AI directly in participants’ hands. Attendees craft prompts tailored for market research, evaluate and select the right tools for specific research scenarios, and work through governance frameworks that address real implementation challenges. Not a demonstration. A working session.
Country Interactive Roundtables: Convened by the Marketing Research Societies of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia, these intimate sessions tackle the challenges that only make sense in specific markets. Why do Tier 1 strategies fail in lower-tier Malaysian markets? When does Singapore’s role as Asia’s perfect test market become a liability? Why does Indonesia’s regional diversity demand fundamentally different research approaches? As Thailand’s economy and consumer behavior rapidly evolve, is regional research keeping pace? No generic advice. Just real talk with people who understand your reality.
Peer-Learning Sessions: Practitioners from HP, Bank Simpanan Nasional, DeLonghi Group, and PT Dua Kelinci exchange hard-earned approaches on the issues that define modern insights work: running agile research without compromising methodological rigor, predicting customer behavior before it escalates, building intelligence systems that balance global scale with local impact, and shifting from reactive reporting to forward-looking behavioral intelligence.
Live Problem-Solving Challenge: Ponte Group brings an actual business challenge into the room. Attendees collaborate in real time to develop research strategies that could genuinely be implemented. No theoretical frameworks. No “we’ll get back to you.” Just collective intelligence applied to real-world problems, with solutions that may actually see the light of day.
The Practitioner Standard
Anchoring these formats is a single-stream agenda featuring senior insights leaders from Shell, OCBC, PepsiCo, Diageo, IBM, Ferrero, JP Morgan Chase & Co, A.P. Moller – Maersk, Haleon, Mondelez, Standard Chartered Bank, IHH Healthcare, GoTo Group, and more. Every session is reviewed by an independent advisory board. Every speaker is a practitioner.
The closing panel asks the question most conferences avoid: what must research teams kill, build, and bet on to remain relevant in the next three years?
MRMW APAC 2026. April 14–15. Singapore. Where the region’s most consequential conversations about the future of insights take place, and where the work begins.
Registration is open at apac.mrmw.net. Get 15% off using the promo code: ARM15
Article + Images: By Merlien Institute
