Guest article by Dominik Mahr and Kars Mennens.

Looking back at the Let’s Talk About Service (LTAS) 2024 conference in Maastricht fills the organizing committee—Dominik Mahr, Kars Mennens, Tijana Lovrinovic, Mirella Kleijnen, and Gaby Odekerken-Schröder—with gratitude and warmth as we reflect on how wonderfully the community came together in our city.

A community of passionate early-career researchers and experienced researchers joined us to explore the theme “Finding the Sweet Spot of Your Research Impact,” with the aim of discovering how to create meaningful research impact while maintaining theoretical rigor.

Pre-Conference Workshops: Exploring Emerging Technologies

The conference started with dynamic pre-conference workshops hosted by the Maastricht Center for Robots (MCR) and the Digital Experience Lab (DEXLab). Participants immersed themselves in hands-on research with digital technologies, guided by Marc Becker, Mark Steins, Tim Hilken, and Jonas Heller.

Attendees explored the role of service robots in real-world scenarios—even getting the chance to program and test their own AI-powered robots! The DEXLab session delved into augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), offering insights into publishing tech-driven research in service journals. Roberta Di Palma, Stefan Bos, and Alexander Kies showcased innovative methods using VR and Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technologies.

Conference Kick-off: Getting to Know Each Other in Escape Rooms and through Collaborative Cooking

The first evening of the conference was filled with engaging team-building activities, including an escape challenge at Prison Island—during which participants had to solve various mysterious puzzles in small teams—and a collaborative cooking session. These formats fostered immediate connections among the conference participants. Afterwards, a scenic walk-through Maastricht’s charming Christmas streets set a warm and welcoming tone for the conference.

Day I: Inspiring Keynotes and Workshop on Exploring what Research Impact is

Day I began with a warm welcome and impactful keynote speeches:
Koen Pauwels (Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Research in Marketing) shared his rich experience on crafting impactful research. 
Martin Wetzels (Co-Editor, Journal of Service Research) reflected on his academic journey in the service community with a quest for impact.
Peeter Verlegh (Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Interactive Marketing) vividly encouraged and shared examples of creative research with impact.

Many thanks to SERVSIG for sponsoring our lunch! The lunch was digested during a lively panel discussion on editorial insights, and afterwards participants engaged in breakout sessions exploring their research impact goals. Guided by our wonderful coaches—Sertan Kabadayi, Annouk Lievens, Cristina Mele, Christina Kühnl, Katrien Verleye, Arne De Keyser, Mark Pluymaekers, Gaby Odekerken-Schröder, and Lisa Brüggen—participants collaborated on developing impactful research ideas.
Linda Alkire (Editorial Director, Journal of Service Management) closed the day with an inspiring keynote on transformative service research for societal change.

The evening’s social activities included a pizza-making workshop, traditional Sinterklaas celebrations with music, and a lively pub quiz—fostering fun and networking among participants. Sinterklaas and his helper Piet even came by in person!

Day II: Inspiring Keynotes and Workshop on Creating a Research Idea with Societal and Managerial Impact

Day II began with each team defining their vision for impactful research, followed by some more thought-provoking keynotes:
Dipayan Biswas (Co-Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Business Research) offered rich examples of how behavioral insights can drive real-world impact.
Jelena Spanjol (Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Product Innovation Management) highlighted the innovative power of collectives and interdisciplinary research.
Stephanie Noble (Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science) shared personalised experiences and strategies to make research relevant to industry.

An exciting “pressure cooker” session challenged participants to develop innovative research project ideas. Starting with real-world problems, teams designed and presented their projects, followed by Q&A sessions with experienced researchers.

The conference was wrapped up with a celebratory reception, allowing everyone to travel back home energized and inspired.

In Summary: A Celebration of Community and Collaboration

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Wafa Hammedi, Annouk Lievens, Bart Larivière, and Sertan Kabadayi for establishing the strong LTAS heritage we continue to build on. LTAS 2024 fostered an environment of inclusivity, innovation, and collaboration. From interactive workshops to cultural experiences, the social program demonstrated Maastricht University’s commitment to co-creation.

The organizing committee—Mirella Kleijnen, Gaby Odekerken-Schröder, Kars Mennens, Tijana Lovrinovic and Dominik Mahr—is deeply grateful to all keynote speakers, coaches, participants, and the sponsors who co-created this exceptional event. 

We can’t wait to continue this journey toward impactful service research at LTAS 2025 in Ghent. See you there!

you find more photos here.

Comments

comments