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How-Do is pleased to announce the launch of the North West Public Services Communications Awards 2009. An outstanding panel of communications folk has agreed to judge the process. The awards dinner itself will be held on 12 November at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton. The dinner's keynote speaker will be Patrick Butler - editor of SocietyGuardian - arguably the UK's most influential public sector journalist.
The event will also showcase the best work delivered by the public services sectors' private sector partners.
Why launch these Awards?
How-Do researched the market carefully before deciding to launch this new initiative.
There are already a plethora of award initiatives and awards fatigue can too easily creep in unless there is genuine appetite for something which is perceived as sufficiently different and worthwhile.
In common with our other ground-breaking award initiatives - including the How-Do Awards and the North West Football Awards – we wanted to be as sure as possible that there was indeed a niche and demand for a North West initiative of this type.
Essentially the feedback we received suggested the awards could work extremely well if we kept to a few strict guidelines...which were...ensure we have a first-class judging panel which projects maximum credibility, have less rather than more award categories, don't charge for entries, secure a speaker whose credentials in the sector are impeccable and wholly relevant and stage the awards dinner in a venue easily accessible to all parts of the North West.
Our response
We believe we have responded appropriately to this feedback.
Our judging panel of eight is comprised of Edward Brady/Shell, Sean Marley/Lime Pictures, Mark Critchley/SSL International, Catherine Gort/Bauer Radio, David Boardman/Shop Direct, Dave Lucas/MediaVest, Shaun Robinson/United Utilities and Nick Turner/CN Newspapers. The judges all expressed enthusiasm to be involved, sharing with How-Do a recognition of the increasing importance that communications plays in the activities of public services organisations – and subsequently the broader communities they wish to engage with.
There are 15 award categories – details follow shortly – and there is no charge for submitting entries for which a call for submission will be issued in mid June.
Our keynote speaker, Patrick Butler, is editor of SocietyGuardian. He oversees what is one of the largest editorial teams in the UK devoted to public affairs and it is hard to argue with the Guardian’s position as market leader among the national newspapers in terms of its coverage of public sector activities. Patrick is also a judge of his own paper’s broader – and national - Public Services Awards.
And finally, the venue we have chosen to stage the awards dinner, the De Vere hotel at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton, was complemented by those we canvassed views from as they felt it would offer an easier to access and arguably more ‘neutral’ location than perhaps Manchester or Liverpool may have done…
Two commercial partners have already signed up to support the awards as category sponsors: How-Do is in discussions with several other companies and organisations. If you would like to explore a commercial partnership alongside these awards, please contact Ben Waterhouse at ben@how-do.co.uk or 07950 700740.
Background to the Awards
The range and diversity of public sector operations in the North West is extensive. From organisations such as Alder Hey and Christies to bodies such as the HSE, the NHS and Keep Britain Tidy, across to not-for-profit bodies such as the Mersey Basin campaign and the Mines Advisory Group as well as the wealth of expertise prevalent in local and regional government and the front-line emergency services, the region is blessed with an abundance of quality communications initiatives emanating each year from these and many other public services bodies.
In addition, the sector is ably assisted by a wealth of communications professionals - across all disciplines - with tangible and beneficial experience of the needs and requirements of the sector. The How-Do Public Services Communications Awards will celebrate excellence, create real benchmarks for the future and most importantly, bring together top people from across the region to network, develop and enhance relationships and celebrate current and future success.
Timetable
The awards dinner will be held on Thursday 12 November at the De Vere hotel at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton. Entry submissions will be called for week commencing 22 June and the closing date for submission will be Friday 17 July. The short-list of entries will be published week commencing Monday 7 September following the judging session on 3 September
Awards categories
Most Innovative use of new media
Best internal communications campaign
Best- in-house communications team
Best community relations campaign
Best large PR agency in the sector
Best small PR agency in the sector
Best one-off agency campaign
Best public services communications campaign
Best low budget campaign
Most effective use of social marketing
Best partnership engagement initiative
Best publication
Best use of Video
Best local community initiative
Most successful utilisation of crisis communications
Patrick Butler is editor of SocietyGuardian. He was previously editor of SocietyGuardian.co.uk. Prior to joining the Guardian in 2000, he reported on social affairs for a range of national newspapers and professional magazines.
The judging panel
Catherine Gort
Catherine Gort is head of marketing and communications for Bauer Media's Big City Network.
Prior to joining Bauer, she was marketing director for Salton Europe, managing the marketing activities of brands including Russell Hobbs and George Foreman.
She began her career at Gossard and has also worked in senior marketing roles at Levi Strauss and Durex. At Durex her portfolio of products included condoms and vibrators and
latterly she also held international responsibilities for the Durex Play
brand.
David Boardman
David Boardman is communications director for Shop Direct Group, the UK's leading online and home shopping retailer, operating brands such as Littlewoods, Kays and Woolworths.
He was previously head of corporate communications for Co-operative Retail Services and is a twice winner of Corp Comms "Top 100 communicators" award.
He spent the first ten years of his career working within the public sector.
Dave Lucas
Dave Lucas is managing partner of MediaVest. Dave graduated from Lancaster University with a BA Hons in English: since then his language skills have deteriorated……but his media skills - he claims - have improved.
He joined LWT as a sales executive in 1988 before moving across to TMD Manchester where in 1992 he was promoted to the board. In 1994, he and Andy Jeal became the founding partners of MediaVest Manchester.
The MediaVest Manchester Group now includes divisions specialising in recruitment marketing, digital marketing, sports marketing and has further offices in Leeds and Edinburgh. Dave's day to day media client responsibilities include Gala Coral, Holland & Barratt, Magnet Kitchens and Barratt Homes.
Edward Brady
Edward Brady is regional external affairs manager Shell UK. He has been in the communications industry for over 30 years. For the past 10 years he has worked for Shell in his present role based in Cheshire and previously held senior communication positions at both British Steel and ICI.
He currently holds two external directorships: the Mersey Basin Business Foundation and Entep Properties.
He has also chaired the CBI's North West PR forum for the past 14 years.
Mark Critchley
Mark Critchley is UK marketing director, SSL International plc. Mark was appointed to the role of UK marketing director in September 2008. Prior to this appointment he was the global marketing head for Durex for six years with overall marketing responsibility for the development of the Durex brand, communication and new product development strategy.
In his current role Mark is tasked to move forward the well known brands of Durex and Scholl, both which are market leaders in their respective sexual well-being and footcare markets. Mark's early career in SSL included regional marketing responsibility in Central and Eastern Europe for three years.
Prior to SSL, Mark spent three years will Princes Foods in various marketing and planning roles. Mark has also been recently appointed chairman of the Marketing Society in the North.
Nick Turner
Nick Turner is head of digital content development at the Cumbria-based CN Group. He is also organiser of the Digital Editors' Network in conjunction with the University of Central Lancashire.
He is a board member of the Society of Editors and was a recent judge in the UK Press Awards.
Sean Marley
Sean Marley is managing director of Lime Pictures. Sean started his career in the world of radio, initially working in advertising sales. In 1993 he made a radical change by moving into radio programming and by 1996 he had been appointed programme director of Metro Radio, the youngest major market PD at the time in the UK.
In 1999 he re-joined Radio City as PD and was appointed managing director in 2000.
In 2003 he joined Mersey Television as commercial director. After All 3 Media’s purchase of the company in 2005 he was appointed MD. The subsequently re-named Lime Pictures today employs over 350 people at its Liverpool base and is best known for the long running drama’s Hollyoaks and Grange Hill.
Sean is a director of North West Vision & Media, a member of the JMU Screen School Advisory Board and sits on the Skillset North Industry Panel.
Shaun Robinson
Shaun Robinson is head of media relations at United Utilities plc. He was previously the director of communications for Thomas Cook Airlines based at Manchester Airport. He moved across into the world of utilities 18 months ago.
UU is the only FTSE-100 company based in the North West and has an annual turnover of over £2 billion employing 9000 people.
Shaun has a wealth of experience in PR ranging from happy holiday promotions to crisis management in the UK and abroad.
At United Utilities he heads the press and PR/public affairs dealing with national, regional daily and local newspapers, radio and television, promoting UU’s activities in water, electricity and gas across the North West, Cumbria, Yorkshire and the North East. Something to add? Then leave a comment below or email us now.
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