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Blueprint launches in the UAE

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Kate Watson has launched boutique recruitment consultancy Blueprint, a specialist in placing communications experts throughout the Middle East. Most recently a Director at MCG Associates, Kate has over 12 years of experience in media recruitment, having been based in the Middle East since 2010 specialising in the PR and communications sector. Blueprint clients include SMEs, government entities and global businesses looking to fill both agency and in-house roles across the communications spectrum.

“I am absolutely thrilled to announce the launch of Blueprint at a time when the communications industry in the Middle East is thriving,” says Kate. “This region is increasingly attracting world-class talent from across the communications spectrum and I am hugely looking forward to working with both clients and candidates to ensure the industry’s needs continue to be met.”

TRACCS honoured by The Holmes Report

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TRACCS, the largest home-grown public relations network in the Middle East & North Africa, has been named ‘Best Consultancy to Work for’ in Continental Europe, the Middle East and Africa by The Holmes Report. This is the first time a regional agency has won the accolade.

Recognition from The Holmes Report is determined by a comprehensive survey of agency employees from around 40 PR firms throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The process solicits employee views on a wide range of issues, from the integrity of senior management and the quality of professional development to empowerment, risk-taking and compensation.

“This recognition is a huge vote of confidence in our approach to hiring and training Arab PR practitioners and our unwavering belief that a professional and sustainable communications industry needs to be built from the ground up, without relying overly on imported talent,” says Mohammed Al Ayed, Chief Executive Officer, TRACCS. “TRACCS is deeply committed to transforming itself from an ‘executing’ organisation to a ‘thinking and learning organisation’. This is a painstaking process that requires coaching, mentoring and integrating new talent with the core teams of the network.”

Motivate Publishing welcomes Dean Carroll

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Motivate Publishing has appointed Dean Carroll as Group Editor of the Business division of titles. Dean has worked as a senior journalist across print and digital media for 15 years, before spending 12 months working in marketing and communications for the technology firm Centralway, in Switzerland. His editor’s blog for PublicServiceEurope.com was recognised by the Reporting Europe Prize, and he has had academic work published in a number of noted journals. In his new role, Dean will oversee titles including Gulf Business, The Week, Campaign Middle East and Business Traveller Middle East.

“The decision on whether to join such a talented team at Motivate was not one I had to procrastinate over,” says Dean. “With such a diverse range of leading, multi-platform titles, the company remains ready to push the boundaries of what is possible in publishing – even after all these decades of success. Long may it continue.”

CNN to launch global Traders programme

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CNN is set to launch a new feature strand called Traders, which tells the stories of individuals who trade goods and services across borders. CNN plans to cover the stories behind the global import and export markets by meeting characters who passionately believe in their business to trade products and services overseas. In each report, CNN audiences will also gain valuable business information to put each story in context of international trade and commerce. Traders will run as a fortnightly segment that is part of CNN International’s The Business View with Nina Dos Santos and CNN domestic’s CNN Newsroom Weekend.

“Traders is a content strand that makes sense of the drivers behind international trade in the context of globalised, connected business,” says Ellana Lee, Senior Vice President, CNN International. “By telling the stories of the passionate, innovative people working in global trade, CNN will bring import/export markets to life and show why this affects us all. Traders will add an intruiging angle to our wider business programming.”

Starcom MediaVest Group welcomes Marcus Brown

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Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) has appointed Marcus Brown as Global Growth Officer, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Marcus brings with him over 20-years of experience in galvanising clients, colleagues, prospects and the communication industry, to SMG.He was most recently a founding contributor to a new UK-based consultancy and has also been made a Tech London Advocate – a member of an advocacy group that supports tech start-ups.

In his new role, Marcus will be responsible for building SMG’s growth across the EMEA region and driving performance to deliver a combination of precision, content and technology to clients. He will be based in London, reporting to Iain Jacob, President of EMEA, Starcom MediaVest Group.

“I’m thrilled that Marcus is joining our team,” says Iain. “He joins us with an extremely impressive track-record of client wins and, given his extensive experience, will play an instrumental role in the next phase of our transformation, helping to build on our continued success.”

Marcus adds “It’s clear that within the communications industry, much of the innovation is coming from the media sector. Starcom MediaVest group has an admirable reputation for fueling transformation with some of the world’s most iconic brands.”

Image Nation partners with Ali Mostafa

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Emirati filmmaker Ali Mostafa is re-partnering with Image Nation Abu Dhabi on his next feature, The Worthy, which will go into production later this year. The director will be joined by Hollywood veterans Peter Safran (Producer, known for his work on The Conjuring) and Steven Schneider (Producer, known for his work on Paranormal Activity and Insidious) who have come onboard to produce the project with Ali’s Regional Producer Rami Yasin, who also worked on his 2014 film, From A to B.

“As the first action/thriller I’m directing, The Worthy is a new adventure for me,” says Ali. “My producers are really at the top of their game right now and their expertise will be invaluable on The Worthy, so I’m excited to be working with them and Image Nation again.”

Peter Safan adds “The film industry in Abu Dhabi is at an extremely exciting time in its development, I am looking forward to playing a small part in its growth by working on this fantastic film.”

Style.com to become e-commerce site

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Condé Nast has announced that Style.com will become the home of its new e-commerce business platform. Launching in the UK in Autumn, the concept will replace the website’s news and fashion show reports content. Following the UK launch, the e-commerce website will grow to incorporate the market from the US, with other major countries to follow. How this will affect Style.com/Arabia is yet to be determined.

The new e-commerce platform will operate as a stand-alone business, although it will still come under the ownership of Condé Nast. It will look to connect fashion companies as well as upscale brands from other sectors – such as beauty, travel and technology – to potential buyers, including readers of other Condé Nast print and online publications Vogue, Vanity Fair and GQ. The new venture will be headed up by Franck Zayan, who previously worked as Head of e-commerce for Galeries Lafayette.

Valleywood successfully debuts in Dubai

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Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) and its content division, LiquidThread, hosted the inaugural Dubai edition of Valleywood at Grosvenor House Hotel on 14 May, 2015. The event, in partnership with YouTube, brought together over 200 SMG MENA clients, partners and senior executives together for a day-long immersive experience of content and technology.

The event follows LiquidThread’s recent unveiling of its new offerings as a fully-fledged, tech-driven content solutions division delivering SMARTContent – data–led content designed for people and delivered to the individual. Valleywood featured a line-up of regional and global players in the broadcast, tech and content creation industries, with speakers including Egyptian satirist and comedian Bassem Youssef, Google’s The Zoo, Facebook, Yahoo, Uturn Entertainment, OSN, Endemol and Freemantle Media.

“The entertainment, technology and content creation worlds are converging intersecting and, more often that rarely, overlapping on many levels,” says John Antoniades, CEO, Starwoon MediaVest Group MENA. “The collision has ignited a chain reaction that neither brands nor agencies can afford to ignore – and contrarily, must utilize to its fullest potential. Valleywood came about to address this inevitable shift and transformation, for both our clients and the industry.”

 

Ahlan! Awards 2015 final nominees revealed

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Following weeks of voting, Ahlan have revealed the top 10 nominees for each of the 20 categories in the Ahlan! Awards 2015. With awards for Best Fine Dining Restaurant, Best Bar and Best Club DJ, amongst others, the winners will be announced in June at the Ahlan! Awards 2015 ceremony.

The nominees in each category were narrowed down following weeks of initial online voting. One final round of awards voting has now commenced, and anyone can participate in order to support their favourite nominee from each category. To vote, head over to www.ahlanawards.com.

Motivate Publishing appoints new Associate Editor

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Lyndsey Steven has been promoted to Associate Editor of the Emirates Woman Group, part of Motivate Publishing. Having joined the company a year ago, Lyndsey most recently held the position of Deputy Editor at Emirates Woman and will now utilise her 16 years of experience in the publishing and broadcasting sector in her new expanded role. Lyndsey has previously contributed to a spectrum of publications in the UAE including La Femme, The Rake, Indulge and The National, and will now be writing, editing and overseeing content for Emirates Woman, Emirates Woman Bride, Emirates Woman Mini and Harvey Nichols – Dubai magazines.

“My year at Motivate has flown by and I am looking forward to many more,” says Lyndsey. “I’ve always been a huge fan of Emirates Woman and it’s been wonderful working with such an accomplished and dedicated team.”