Features Editor, Peter Iantorno

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Name: Peter Iantorno
Age: 24
From: Sheffield, UK
Current Job: Features Editor, EDGAR

When did you first arrive in the UAE?
I first moved over to the region in July 2012, and before that I was based in Manchester in the UK.

Where did you work prior?
I was with a motorcycle magazine called Motorcycle Racer in Manchester. I would do pretty much everything for them, including writing and editing articles, social media and even laying out pages! I then moved over to the UAE to work for Gulf News Magazines as a Sub-Editor, before coming to work for EDGAR.

What were your first impressions of the media industry in the Middle East?
The Middle East seemed an exciting place to be, with lots of opportunities for growth both in personal terms and for companies; now it’s more exciting than ever! 

Tell us about your role at EDGAR…
Along with the Online Editor and Editor-in-Chief, I’m responsible for planning and creating interesting and engaging content for EDGARdaily.com. 

What challenges do you face?
With such an ambitious project, it was always going to be a challenge to keep pace in terms of content creation, but I feel that the website is looking great and provides a brilliant range of stories that we update every day without fail. 

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
Seeing one of my stories getting a lot of shares or comments. It shows that people are engaging with me, whether they agree or disagree with what I’m saying!

What do you think of the quality of media publications in the region?
There are some excellent publications around at the moment – obviously EDGAR is my favourite! There are always improvements that could be made to any publication, but I think that taking into account the time constraints that journalists here face, most people are doing a pretty good job.

How do you find PRs in the region?
I normally find them very friendly and usually pretty efficient.

What’s your pet PR peeve?
Honestly, I’ve not got one.

What advice can you offer PRs seeking coverage in your magazine?
Have a look at Edgardaily.com and see if any of your clients would fit in to the site. We’re interested in a whole range of subjects, but the common themes are quality and luxury. If you have the right story for us, we’d be delighted to feature it.

Work calls via landline, mobile or both?
I really don’t mind either way. 

Describe yourself in five words…
Friendly, driven, fun, a realist and sport-mad.

What’s your most overused saying?
“No worries.”

Five things you can’t live without?
My wife, football (a close second), indie music, Italian food and sunshine. 

If you weren’t a journalist, what would you be?
A football manager.

 

 

 

ShortList welcomes Editor-in-Chief

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Arab Publishing Partners (APP) has appointed Eddie Taylor as Editor-in-Chief of soon-to-be-launched ShortList Dubai and ShortList Abu Dhabi.

Eddie Taylor is an editor, journalist and content specialist with close to two decades of experience in developing, launching and editing consumer titles. Having enjoyed senior publishing roles in London, New York, Amman and Dubai, Eddie was most recently Editor-in-Chief of Esquire Weekend.

“With its fast pace, unique tone and innovative features, ShortList is a magazine I have long admired so it is incredibly exciting to be handed the responsibility of launching the title in the UAE,” says Eddie. “The market is, I believe, ready for a mass circulation weekly and accompanying website that combines the best of what the country has to offer in terms of dining, entertainment and events, as well as the latest fashions, looks and accessories available in the nation’s stores. We are confident that our blend of information, insight and entertainment will make ShortList an essential read for every resident and tourist.”

Going online in March this year, ShortListDubai.com and ShortListAbuDhabi.com will be the first products in the ShortList brand portfolio to launch. With sharp reviews, snappy previews, entertaining features and intelligent insights on the myriad of attractions in the UAE, all underpinned by comprehensive listings, a calendar of events and select booking facilities, the ShortList sites are set to become essential destinations for both residents and visitors. With an accompanying newsletter and social media channels, ShortListDubai.com and ShortListAbuDhabi.com will help a broad audience determine what to do today, tomorrow and over the weekend ahead.

Time Out Dubai announces awards dates

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Time Out Dubai has announced the dates for its 2015 Restaurant Awards and Music & Nightlife Awards. Both events will take place in March at the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai, with the Restaurant Awards scheduled for March 18 and the Music & Nightlife Awards scheduled for March 24.

Celebrating the past 12 months of hard work across Dubai’s restaurant and nightlife industries, the 2015 edition of the Restaurant Awards will see the event celebrate its tenth anniversary; to mark the occasion, Time Out Dubai has added a Restaurant of the Decade category to celebrate the longevity and influence of the show.

The venue for the Music & Lifestyle Awards After-Party will be revealed following the announcement of the shortlist, with the shortlists for both awards revealed in the next two weeks. The Time Out Dubai Restaurant Awards shortlist will be announced on February 15 and the Time Out Dubai Music & NightLife Awards shortlist revealed on February 22. The shortlist announcement will be made via www.timeoutdubai.com.

Lamiaa Elkholy joins Emaar

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Lamiaa Elkholy has been appointed as Senior Content Executive – Digital Marketing at Emaar. As a bilingual editor, copywriter and photo editor, Lamiaa previously held the position of English Editor at du for four years, before moving on to her most recent position as Photo Editor/Content Editor Bing Apps Arabia at Microsoft. Both roles entailed launching projects – anayou.com for du and msn Arabia for Microsoft – where Lamiaa’s Arabic and English editorials defined the tone and content selection for online publishing and were key to the success of the startups. In her new position at Emaar, Lamiaa will be creating the bilingual content for Emaar Dubai’s newly launched social media communications platforms.

“I’m incredibly excited about my new position as Senior Content Executive with Emaar,” says Lamiaa. “It is a great responsibility to be the voice of a corporation as huge and as reputed; the variety of Emaar’s assets in Dubai and worldwide make incredibly rich and sought after material for social media – people have been waiting for this wide channel of communication and it is simply the perfect timing for me to recharge and kick it off as part of a leading digital marketing team in Dubai.”

Tbreak Awards 2014 winners announced

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The winners of the third annual Tbreak Awards were announced last night at a ceremony held at The H Hotel, Dubai, highlighting the best in the Middle East’s technology and gaming industry. Hosted by Tbreak Media – which publishes Tbreak Tech, IGN Middle East and AskMen Middle East – nominations for the awards were based on products reviewed by the team at Tbreak.com, with winners being selected by a public online voting system as well as a panel of expert judges.

“It’s always a pleasure to recognise and award the best from the industry,” says Abbas Jaffar Ali, Director, Tbreak Media. “The Tbreak Awards are our way of honouring the outstanding products, services and companies from the Middle East each year.”

With a number of subcategories in each section, the Tbreak Awards were divided into the Technology Awards, with the Sony Xperia Z3 Dual winning Best Phone and GITEX Technology Week picking up Best Industry Event; the Technology Awards as judged by the public, with Souq.com being awarded as Best Online Retail and dubizzle taking home the Best Regional App, the Video Games Awards, which saw Forza Horizon 2 (Microsoft) winning the Best Press Launch and the Best Gaming Event going to GAMES14; and finally the Video Games Awards Judged by Public Vote, with Geekay Games securing the Best Gaming Social Media and Sony Playstation Middle East awarded Best Gaming Brands.

The full lineup of winners can be found on www.tbreak.com.

Patronage confirmed for Arab Woman Awards KSA

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Her Royal Highness Princess Reema Bandar Al Saud, CEO of Alfa International and Al Hama LLC, has reconfirmed her patronage and position as Chair of the Judges Board for the Arab Woman Awards KSA for the second consecutive year. The Awards aim to raise public awareness on the significant achievements by Arab women in the region and to provide young women with inspirational role models.

Established in 2009 by ITP Group, the Arab Woman Awards has to-date recognised over 230 women from the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia across a diversity of fields that include business, energy, entrepreneurship, charity, media, government and literature.

“Year after year the Arab Woman Awards has provided a platform where similar minded women can come together and thrive in their accomplishments,” says HRH Princess Reema Bandar Al Saud. “It is a great privilege to be part of such a noble award ceremony that not only highlights the important contributions of women in the region but also imparts inspiration for the next generation of young Saudi women.”

Other Judges Board members for this year’s awards include Lina Al Maena, Founder of Jeddah United Sports Company; Amina Al Jasim, prominent Saudi fashion designer and Founder of Dar Bresam Fashion; Lateefa Alwaalan, Founder and General Manager of Yatooq and Basma Felimban, internationally recognised Saudi artist.

Sue Holt, Executive Director, ITP Consumer and Founder of the Arab Woman Awards adds, “We are proud to be able to provide a platform for such talented individuals and a means of celebrating their success. The standard of nominees is high in KSA as the women are highly educated and very determined individuals.”

With nominations flooding in for exceptional women from across the Kingdom, the 2015 Arab Woman Awards KSA is expected to present the richest field yet of inspiring women. There will be twenty awards provided as there has been an addition of four new award categories this year – New Media, Finance, Energy and Legal. The winners will be presented at a female-only gala dinner held at the Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh at the end of March, hosted by celebrity presenter Diala Makki.

WorldWise PR alliance welcomes Pascale Venot

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Dubai-based Shamal Marketing Communications, co-founder of WorldWise PR Alliance has welcomed Pascale Venot to its strategic network of top independent PR agencies. With the global alliance of public relations firms taking shape, Paris-based Pascale Venot is the 13th member to be welcomed to the network since being launched five months ago.

The WorldWise network cultivates and serves a variety of industries, including luxury hospitality, real estate, retail, design, fashion, art and professional services. The original co-founders, Shamal Marketing Communications, New York agency HWPR, Kreps DeMaria PR & Marketing from Miami and London’s JV Public Relations, recognised Pascale Venot as an ideal fit for the alliance and Paris as a perfect location to extend its reach to Europe.

“Today, clients want their message to reach every corner of the globe,” says Steven Jones, Managing Director, Shamal. “Pascale Venot is a valuable addition to the network. Although competition is ultra-fierce in the French capital, it is a location that many luxury brands would like to establish themselves. On the flip side, Pascale’s clients will automatically gain access to some of the biggest and most diverse markets around the world – it’s a win-win situation which epitomises the collective strength of the alliance.”

Pascale Venot, Principal of Pascale Venot concludes, “Joining a global network will provide our business with a tremendous boost to our clients’ media exposure and global reach. In order to remain competitive in the public relations field today, firms need to be able to offer global exposure. WorldWise PR Affiliates is a remarkable organisation and we are delighted to have been invited to join the alliance.”

Ellie Keene joins Pragma

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Ellie Keene has joined the Pragma team as PR & Communications Manager. With over three and a half years in PR, Ellie has worked across a number of high profile campaigns in London and Dubai, including the Victoria’s Secret campaign with Adriana Lima, the launch of Café Belge at The Ritz Carlton, as well as Jergens and Anantara Hotels whilst in the position of Account Executive at DABO & CO. Most recently, she held the role of Senior Account Manager for solar lights specialists Solarway, building brand awareness throughout the region. In her new position, Ellie will oversee the public relations for Cavalli Club, Cavalli Caffé , Cirque Le Soir and The Health Factory.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be part of the Pragma team and work on exciting brands such as Cavalli and Cirque Le Soir,” says Ellie. “It’s a really exciting time for the brands so I’ve joined at a great time! I can’t wait to get stuck in and create some great PR!”