Sky News Arabia nominated for AIB Awards

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The London-based Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) has nominated two documentaries submitted by Sky News Arabia for it’s annual awards. The 11th edition of The AIB Awards will recognise content that reflects current social issues and are presented across television, radio and online platforms. The jury panel for the AIB Awards includes over 40 notable personalities from the media sector, including Producers, Editors, Journalists and Critics from around the world.

This is the first year that Sky News Arabia has competed in the awards, with it’s documentaries Death Boats: The Migration Dream and Smuggling Nightmare and Religious Diversity in Iraq: The Yazidis being nominated in the Domestic Current Affairs Documentary and International Investigative Documentary categories respectively.  Winners of the awards will be announced on November 4, 2015 as part of a special ceremony in London for an audience of Arab and international media representatives.

 

TPG acquires élan productions

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The TPG Group has acquired Dubai-based events company, élan productions, as part of its strategy to strengthen it’s corporate client offerings throughout the Gulf region. Combining the two businesses will provide clients with solutions for events such as award ceremonies, product launches or gala dinners. élan is an international events company with clients such as Emaar, Emirates, Coca-Cola and The Dubai Mall.

“We have enjoyed an excellent working relationship with élan over many years – in both the UK and Dubai,” says Eddie Rayner, Managing Director, TPG Group. “They are consummate professionals, possessing great vision and stunning attention to detail. The opportunity to bring élan into the TPG Group was too good to miss. I am delighted with this development.”

Dee Thomsen, Founder, élan, adds “There is an amazing synergy between our two companies, creating a dynamic to ensure we offer clients a unique and memorable event service in the region.”

Ananke and Elan to collaborate

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Online publications Ananke and Elan are to partner in order to coproduce content to provide more engaging and relevant features for their readerships. Ananke was established to celebrate visionary women and cover issues relating to female empowerment, women’s economic emancipation and gender mainsteaming, while Elan looks to highlight positive trends emerging across the Middle East and South Asian regions.

“We are absolutely thrilled to form this strategic alliance with Elan,” says Sabin Muzaffar, Executive Editor, Ananke. “Our collaboration is poised to go a long way. It also reinforces our resolve to create a dynamic platform for women seeking inspiration, education and empowerment through the dissemination of meaningful content.”

Hyacinth Macarenhas, Managing Editor, Elan, adds “We are pleased to collaborate with partners who share our goals to celebrate the best that the Middle East and South Asia have to offer and showcase the remarkable work and accomplishments of women in the region.”

Gulf Business gets a make over

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Regional business magazine Gulf Business has been given a new look and approach to content. Through a portfolio of interactive editorial tools, the title enables its readers to enhance their professional development and maximise profits for business. The changes made mean that the Gulf Business team will now be able to cherry pick content from across the region and beyond, with a focus on exclusive scoops and breaking news.

“This new model focuses on high-end in-house journalism and high-quality external commissioning, falling somewhere between The Huffington Post and Buzzfeed in terms of our innovative approach,” says Dean Carroll, Group Editor, Business Division, Motivate Publishing. “It means we are able to deliver expert content across a number of sectors and countries. Everything from banking, energy and property to transport, education, technology and much more.”

 

Effie MENA Awards announces 2015 jury panel

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The Effie MENA Awards 2015 is set to launch on November 18, 2015 at the Pavilion, Armani Hotel in Dubai. The seventh edition of the awards will be judged by a panel including a total of 13 international, as well as 90 regional judges, all at a senior corporate level from a variety of industry sectors such as publishing, luxury retail and banking. The panel will be judging entries to celebrate and reward creativity in marketing.

Members of the 2015 judging panel include Ian Armstrong, Advertising General Manager, Jaguar Land Rover – London;  Christopher Saldana, Director Marketing Services EEMEA, Mondelez Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa and Vikram Krishna, Head Group Marketing and Customer Experience, Emirates NBD. The final deadline for submission to this year’s awards is September 27, 2015 and previous winners in the scheme include Nissan Middle East, Henkel, PEPSICO and Red Bull.

“As organisers of the annual Effie MENA Awards, we are both honoured and delighted to have such distinguished figures participating as judges in this year’s programme,” says Alexandre Hawari, Co-CEO, Mediaquest Corp. “The quality of our panel means that the winners of this year’s Effie will have the kudos of knowing that their work has been deemed the best by prominent leaders in their respective fields.”

Nashwa Al Ruwaini named in Forbes Middle East

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Nashwa Al Ruwaini, CEO of Pyramedia Production Company, has been named on Forbes Middle East magazine’s list of Most Powerful Arab Women 2015. As 23rd on the list of 200, Nashwa is the first figure from the media industry to be included.The award was presented as part of a ceremony held at the Oberoi, Dubai, to recognise the achievements of women in business and government. Other women recognised include Mona Almoayyed, Managing Director of YK Almoayyed & Sons, Bahrain; Amna BinHendi, Deputy Chair, BinHendi Group UAE and Shaikha Al Maskari, Chair, Al Maskari Holdings, UAE.

“The magazine is pleased to announce its highly anticipated list of the Most Powerful Arab Woman for the third consecutive year,” says Khuloud Al Omian, Editor-In-Chief, Forbes Middle East. “This award stems from Forbes’s vision to recognise the success and achievements of Arab women across all sectors, particularly those ladies with unlimited capacities, innovation and creativity, who take appropriate decisions and contribute to support the Arab region’s economy.”

Nashwa adds “This recognition is of a special kind because it was issued by a renowned and leading specialised publication. It highlights the active and successful role of women in all sectors of business, recognising the most influential and accomplished female figures in several industry sectors that remained male-dominated for decades.”

4th GCC Government Social Media Summit held

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The fourth annual GCC Government Social Media Summit began today at the Sofitel Dubai Downtown. Held under the theme of “Leveraging social networks to drive government innovation and create smart cities”, the importance of social media among UAE leaders was highlighted, with the social media campaign launched by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid to determine the name for the Mars mission cited as an example of this.

The summit features six industry-specific workshops and hosts around 120 delegates, discussing innovations in social media techniques against the backdrop of its increasing importance in government relations. The event will also run tomorrow, Thursday, September 17, 2015.

“Social media is an effective means of communications,” says Dr. Aisha bin Bishr, Assistant Director General, The Executive Office UAE. “It allows us to target specific segments of the public, especially young audiences and share relevant news and information with them. There is a continuous increase in social media use amongst residents and visitors to the UAE and we are very proud of how the government department is taking advantage of this by utilising social media and its analytical tools to develop ways to communicate with the public.”

Time Out Dubai gets a makeover

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Weekly, Dubai-based print publication, Time Out Dubai has been redesigned. The updated version of the magazine, part of ITP Publishing Group, will be available from September 16, 2015 from newsstands across the city. Launched in 2001 and headed up by Editor Mark Dinning, Time Out Dubai is a listings magazine that covers cultural and consumer life, with 43,000 copies distributed locally.

The magazine was redesigned in response to research into Time Out Dubai readers and will now include a minimum of 112 pages every week, with more features, reviews and photography, as well as additional insight into things to see and do in Dubai. The magazine will also now be distributed via Emirates departure gates for all Dubai-bound flights from London’s Heathrow airport. Time Out Dubai’s relaunch will be supported by a campaign across radio stations in the Emirate, as well as increased retail presence and an increase in distribution of the publication to residences, cafes, salons and events. In addition to the print magazine’s relaunch, a new-look website – www.timeoutdubai.com – will follow later in the year.

Edelman completes acquisition of DABO & CO

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Edelman has completed its acquisition of DABO &CO, expanding the company’s presence in the Middle East region. The completion sees the launch of a new co-branded entity – Edelman DABO – which combines the consumer public relations and digital capabilities of both companies. The co-brand will also see the launch of Edelman DABO Experiential which builds upon DABO’s creative events management division. The company now has a roster of over 50 clients in the Middle East.

“The communications marketing landscape is evolving at a pace where yesterday’s innovation horizon is reached at a speed that was unimaginable even a couple of years ago,” says David Bran, President and Chief Executive Officer, Edelman Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. “Our focus on building our leadership position requires us to be one step ahead of our clients’ evolving needs. DABO & CO has been consistently able to deliver high levels of creativity in consumer communications and experiential activations, making it an ideal addition to our existing business in the Middle East.”

Lucy d’Abo, Managing Director, Edelman DABO Experiential, adds “We are delighted to have completed the acquisition process and to have revealed our new brand identity as an Edelman company. In terms of both strategic vision and cultural fit, it was clear that Edelman represented the best partner for us and everything we’ve experienced to date has reinforced that view.”

 

CIPR and MEPRA to partner

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The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), a professional body for public relations practitioners in the UK, and the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA), have signed an agreement that will see Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status as well as an expanded, accredited training regimen, available to MEPRA members.

Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status is a senior professional status awarded to senior public relations professionals who can demonstrate an outstanding level of professional practice and knowledge, along with a commitment to continuous learning.

“I am delighted that through this new strategic partnership with MEPRA, public relations professionals in the Middle East will have access to the highest level of professional accreditation available,” says Sarah Pinch, President, CIPR. “I look forward to further collaboration with MEPRA, and other international partners, to work together to achieve CIPR’s stated mission of professionalising public relations, on a global scale.”

Alex Malouf, Vice-Chair, MEPRA, adds “The Chartered Institute of Public Relations has been a pioneering organisation in terms of training and development, and we support their promotion of the Chartered Practitioner status, a standard that underlines the abilities and experiences of a professional in the Public Relations industry.”