Each year the BHBIA presents two awards to recognise excellence at the Annual Conference. These are awarded to the facilitators/presenters achieving the highest scores, as voted on by the delegates attending the event.

The Keith Munro Award for Best Presentation (2025)

Winner: Leave people alone – Leveraging data available to optimise the respondent experience
Presented by: Max Taylor-McEwan, Research Director and Jemma Reast, Research Director – Madano

As questions continue to grow around how to make market research more sustainable and respectful of respondents’ time and wellbeing, Max Taylor-McEwan and Jemma Reast delivered a compelling case for doing more with less.

Their session challenged the industry to reconsider the assumption that more research always means better insights. Focusing on patient research, particularly in rare diseases and contexts involving end-of-life care or severely compromised quality of life, they advocated for greater ethical awareness and efficiency. By better leveraging existing data and analytical tools, researchers can reduce respondent burden, avoid duplication and still deliver high-impact insights. Their message underscored the importance of intelligent design, sustainability, and empathy in research that truly serves patients.

The John Wheeler Award for Best Workshop (2025)

Winner: The Power of Play to Unlock Insights
Led by: Gregg Quy, Head of International Business Unit and Niall Baker, Director, Business Development & Qualitative Research – Elma Research

This was a session that embraced creativity and collaboration. Gregg Quy and Niall Baker led delegates through a dynamic and hands-on workshop using the LEGO Serious Play methodology to spark fresh thinking.

Participants were invited to literally build their vision for how BHBIA conferences could evolve to better meet the needs of agencies and pharmaceutical companies. But the subject matter wasn't the focus, this was about getting to know an innovative approach that can help unlock ideas that might not surface through conventional methods. The workshop demonstrated the power of play in generating ideas and insights and supporting inclusive discussions.