Dont Panic – dontpanicminerva

5 Reasons to Sponsor a Don’t Panic Event

Posted on August 9, 2021April 5, 2022 by Dont Panic

What does being a sponsor at a Don’t Panic Event mean to you?

Your in-kind support of the digital community shows you care about the same things they do. In relation to our events, that is the recognition and reward of creativity, innovation and tenacity that digital achieves to be outstanding.

In return for your care and support you get…

Direct access to a specific, digital audience who are guaranteed to want to engage with you and your products.

Opportunity to shape your consumer attitudes. Your support will ensure your audience has a positive attitude towards your company. Your association with Don’t Panic also sends the message of ethical, fair and transparent – it is our award motto.

Media exposure and coverage from the Awards industry and related commerce. Your branding will appear on websites and social, but also on email marketing and related news and blog posts. You can even guest blog for an event, if you want to!

The chance to differentiate yourself from your competitors who don’t support the industry. Your relationship with your market becomes personal and the emotional value of that is exponential as it begins the journey to ‘trust.’

Increased reach from word-of-mouth marketing. Your positive interaction and promotional materials allow you to reach beyond the award ceremony and networking opportunities. Don’t Panic offer longevity for your sponsorship. If you get your sponsorship in early then from the moment a website is launched to the relaunch the following year, your name will be associated with the Awards. You are not only connecting to the shortlist and winners, you are connecting to the wider digital community.

There are many more reasons to and benefits from sponsoring an award or two and there are many ways to get involved, from sponsoring a whole event, award category or even an award game or activity, which incidentally go on during virtual events too.

Don’t Panic run 28 digital awards around the world, your relationship with Don’t Panic reaches a global audience by association.

Talk to Helen Barkley, Managing Director to discuss exactly what Don’t Panic can offer, including bespoke packages with opportunities to host webinars or demos, or perhaps you have some ideas of your own on how to join the community and party. Telephone: +44 1706 828855

5 Reasons to Sponsor a Don’t Panic Event

Posted on May 12, 2021May 13, 2021 by Dont Panic

Last year, Don’t Panic took Awards virtual, because there was no reason to cancel the celebrations of the digital community, we are proud to be a part of. The role out of vaccines in the UK have enabled us to plan going ‘live’ with the remaining 2021 UK Awards and, if like us, you are ready to get back in front of a living and breathing audience then now is the time to join us.

What does being a sponsor at a Don’t Panic Event mean to you?

In return for your care and support you get…

1. Direct access to a specific, digital audience who are guaranteed to want to engage with you and your products.

2. Opportunity to shape your consumer attitudes. Your support will ensure your audience has a positive attitude towards your company. Your association with Don’t Panic also sends the message of ethical, fair and transparent – it is our award motto.

3. Media exposure and coverage from the Awards industry and related commerce. Your branding will appear on websites and social, but also on email marketing and related news and blog posts. You can even guest blog for an event, if you want to!

4. The chance to differentiate yourself from your competitors who don’t support the industry. Your relationship with your market becomes personal and the emotional value of that is exponential as it begins the journey to ‘trust.’

5. Increased reach from word-of-mouth marketing. Your positive interaction and promotional materials allow you to reach beyond the award ceremony and networking opportunities. Don’t Panic offer longevity for your sponsorship. If you get your sponsorship in early then from the moment a website is launched to the relaunch the following year, your name will be associated with the Awards. You are not only connecting to the shortlist and winners, you are connecting to the wider digital community.

Don’t Panic run 28 digital awards around the world, your relationship with Don’t Panic reaches a global audience by association.

Talk to Nicky to discuss exactly what Don’t Panic can offer, including bespoke packages with opportunities to host webinars or demos, or perhaps you have some ideas of your own on how to join the community and party.

Why? Why should I enter an award? What is in it for me and my business?

Posted on March 22, 2021April 7, 2021 by Dont Panic

Obviously, there is the Event! Live or Virtual.

Don’t Panic have already announced their first live event, now the scientists are showing Covid-19 who is boss. The UK Social Media Awards will be live in London on the 8^th July 2021, and you are invited. Our Global Awards remain virtual, for the time being and your link to the events can be found on the relevant individual award’s event page or on the Don’t Panic Twitter account @dontpanicprojects. In fact, you are always invited to any of our events, live or virtual, each is a celebration of outstanding work and they are not only open to shortlist nominees, but they are also open for networking opportunities, sponsorship partners, award newbies, campaign partners and anyone else who wants to show collective support to the digital industry – no-one needs an excuse to party! And we excel at live and virtual parties!

But, other than the party, what other benefits are there?

Our blog ‘In these times of trouble, is award entry a nice to have, or essential?’ covers all the practical aspects, but to really persuade you we thought we would let our 2020 Winners share what being shortlisted and winning really means to business and their people.

Aimclear – Winner: US Search Awards

Marty Weintraub, Founder & Creative Director

“Such validation from our treasured industry peers certainly brings us great pride, but more importantly assures clients and prospects that we’ve earned our place among the best search and digital marketers in the world. A US Search Award speaks volumes about quality, innovation, and leadership.”

Memetic – Winner of Content Strategy of the Year: UK Content Awards

David Lewis, Founder

“Winning this award is a validation that marketing is not always about who is the loudest, but can also be about who can best articulate business transformational ideas and raise the standard of discussion in their industry.”

Rise At Seven – Retail Content Campaign of the Year: UK Content Awards

Carrie Rose, Co-Founder & Creative Director

“Nine months after we launched the agency we were hit with the COVID-19 pandemic and I’m incredibly proud that despite this we’ve continued to grow rapidly and deliver award winning work for our clients – it’s a true testament to our amazing staff, well done everyone!”

Major Tom – Winner Retail/eCommerce Campaign: Canadian Search Awards

Victoria Samways, Marketing & Brand Manager

“We always strive to do better than we’ve done before. Committing ourselves to improving our skills, networks, and client relationships is at the core of every decision we make. This award is a great motivator for our team to keep learning, growing, and improving our processes. We’re always wondering, what can we do next?”

Wolfgang Digital – Occasional Winner: European Search Awards

Alan Coleman, Founder & CEO

“Our team finds entering the awards exciting and occasionally winning an award hugely rewarding. Our clients draw great confidence in the standard of the work we are doing together when it is listed among the top digital marketing on the continent. The night out itself is always brilliant craic (Irish for fun) and among the most eagerly awaited dates in the Wolfgang diary. For me, the most magical part is that moment when a team of winners stands on the stage clutching their trophy, as European Champions. A career-high for any marketer.”

Don’t Panic believe awards are the most cost-effective form of marketing money can buy, but with the rise of social proof, what better, than industry recognised judges who give their seal of approval and award accolades that can be trusted and brandished whenever and wherever to demonstrate your prowess. You don’t have to take our word for it – our social proof is our winners!

Don’t Panic have a range of awards across the digital industry that celebrate excellence across the world. If you are proud of the work that you have created, we want to shine a light on it and support your business growth and future prosperity – that’s why we do awards!

Why You Can Trust in a Don’t Panic Award

Posted on March 8, 2021March 8, 2021 by Dont Panic

Don’t Panic Events are Award organisers who deliver awards that are ethical, transparent and highly respected. Our Awards truly value the expertise, creativity and innovation that digital industries around the world deliver on a day-to-day basis.

Ethical and transparent

Our Awards are judged by international leading, industry experts who understand the digital industry which means Award accolades are not only industry recognised but they are legitimate and can be trusted by clients, business partners and employees. Our Awards are driven by merit and judged by peers. They are not a popularity contest!

Judges follow a robust, two-step judging process that involves pre-scoring of all entry forms and examination of any supporting materials. Scores for each question on the entry are combined to give an overall score and the highest scoring entries determine the Shortlist. Judges meet to discuss in detail the highest scoring entries and agree, although this can sometimes become heated, an overall winner.

Confidential

Our judges agree to our judging code of conduct to ensure confidentiality and to provide peace of mind for entrants. All judging discussions are confidential, and material will not be shared with anyone outside of the judging panel before or after the ceremony. Judging papers will not be shared with any third parties and will be deleted immediately after the judging period. Judges can only access entries they have been asked to score.

Progressive

We are passionate about Awards and their need to reflect excellence. In 2020 we began working in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University and David Edmundson-Bird, Principal Lecturer in Digital who is our Judging Panel Chair of Standards. David and Don’t Panic will be working together on continual improvement – in the design of categories and criteria as the digital landscape advances into the future, the development of the judging process that can be applied objectively to ensure consistency and with the selection and coaching of judges.

From Sept 2020 anyone entering a Don’t Panic owned award receives qualitative feedback on their score, alongside honest constructive feedback from the judges. Each awards scheme has several Head Judges who are responsible for reviewing and approving feedback before it is given to ensure validity and authenticity, agreed by the panel.

Community

Don’t Panic have been delivering Awards for over 15 years with the intention of shining a spotlight on the digital industry. We welcome feedback from our entrants: if you cannot see an award category that suits your work let us know, our team and the judges will look into it; If you have problems with entering, let us guide you through the process; if you feel you can help us ensure the future of Awards is valid, respected and trusted then talk to us. We are in this together.

Don’t Panic are proud to display the Awards Trust Mark, an independent accreditation programme which validates the ethical process operated on all their awards.

Coming to You Live in Your Living Room/Study/Bedroom/Makeshift Office!

Posted on February 22, 2021February 22, 2021 by Dont Panic

Awards are essential – we have already established that.

But what about the ceremonies?

11 months ago, Don’t Panic were forced to postpone the upcoming Award ceremonies due to COVID-19 – it was a very, very sad day.

Nicky Wake, MD and the Don’t Panic team decided very quickly that cancelling permanently was not an option. In our mind the Search, Content, Biddable, Dev and Social agencies, in-house teams and businesses that enter in, and benefit from Don’t Panic run awards, were continuing to deliver incredible, brilliant and outstanding work despite the pandemic, so we would too. Award recognitions, rewards and celebrations were even more deserving than ever.

Like many companies the key to survival was adaptation. We took our first steps into the virtual awards world with the Global Digital Excellence Awards back in June 2020. It seems so long ago! From that first event we have traversed the world with the Search Awards Series, the Content Awards, the Social Media Awards and launched several Global Awards virtually. In total 25 virtual events to date and counting.

What can you expect from a Virtual Awards?

Our Virtual Awards vary depending on location, time zones and entries. All Award categories are announced live with an online build up, so the anticipation and excitement can be felt in the virtual ether. Some awards have filmed production with your celebrity host coming live to you in your living room/study/bedroom/makeshift office and others have animation based production where your host introduces the awards and judges make the winners announcements via video clips. Either way the awards are your chance to come together and live the moment, socially distanced of course.

From a business perspective you can expect all the usual ROI: Pre- and post-event marketing opportunities, industry and client recognition, new business, new talent, motivation and the accolade itself which can be purchased via our online trophy shop, will be sent to you by special delivery, instead of being handed over in person.

From a social and personal angle? Well, here is where we have had to hand it over to you… We have encouraged you to get together via social mediums; we have suggested dress up and dress down themes; we have recommended fine dine, takeaways and nibbles (who wants to cook anyway); we have advocated Champagne, cocktails and cocoa (with marshmallows and cream), we have ordered your participation in events via social walls or social media and we have demanded you share your party with your compatriots.

And we salute you! We have seen you make celebrations of your own in the virtual world we live in and we have loved what you have shared. Thank you for making our virtual awards journey so much fun.

With the vaccine roll out taking place across the world and with positive news on the horizon, we are already working on future live events across the UK where you can expect a return to the fun and frivolity associated with Don’t Panic events. And when the world opens again we look forward to delivering awards internationally and celebrating your win in person.

As leading culture guru Peter Drucker stated ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’

Posted on February 10, 2021February 10, 2021 by Dont Panic

As leading culture guru Peter Drucker stated ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’

Often it is big business that promote their Company Culture and when we say promote, we mean shout very loud and use it to their advantage. They shout because they understand the growing power of company culture as viewed both internally by employees and externally by their competition and by their existing and future clients. Company Culture recognition says we care, we are ethical and we are trustworthy – what is not to love about us?

The Telegraph and The Times newspapers have been keen to get in on the ‘business culture’ act too with their ‘Happiest Places to Work’ and ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ articles. Articles which are based upon the feedback of employees who are asked to complete confidential surveys! And are most likely encouraged to complete said ‘confidential surveys’ by managers and directors!

Our Company Culture Awards are different.

When we first announced we were getting involved in Company Culture Awards and why we would approach them differently, our contacts across the business community wanted to help us build and drive the project forward. Experts passionate about the workplace and its impact on individuals, teams and whole businesses came forward to offer advice and guidance and have become a judging force of nature, cultural of course!

Our Company Culture Awards are judged by leading industry experts, who are working within organisations with the people, and they understand how VOI measures employee satisfaction, retention and productivity and how mental health and wellbeing can impact ROI. They understand the importance of health and wellbeing initiatives, development and training programmes, and reward schemes and environments. They work with and in companies, large and small, and recognise what is needed to make businesses not only ‘happy places to work’ but environments where individuals grow, develop and live successfully.

The Award categories have been designed with culture at their forefront and the criteria developed to engage with how culture is defined and measured. There are categories across all elements of business culture, from mental health and wellbeing to reward and recognition and they welcome even the smallest of businesses who are getting it right.

Great leaders make great culture, and our judges, leaders themselves, understand exactly what ‘great culture’ looks like.

Our Company Culture Awards are industry recognised, valuable above just popularity and they provide opportunity for assessment and improvement.

Don’t Panic! You need never miss an award deadline again.

Posted on February 9, 2021May 5, 2021 by Dont Panic

When it comes to awards. Which are you? Do you fire from the hip? Do you follow a plan?

At Don’t Panic we understand the difficulties of entering Awards. Firstly, the Awards entry deadline creeps up on us and then we never seem to be able to find the time in our diaries to collate and write the entry. Sometimes, nerves take over and procrastination sets in and … the awards deadline passes, and we miss our opportunity again or we submit a rushed entry that doesn’t really demonstrate the outstanding work we delivered. Sound familiar?

Awards are one of the most cost-effective ways to market your business so you cannot afford to miss these opportunities. Our Awards team is always ready to help, but if you really don’t think you can find the time or award entry writing seems to be beyond your experience, then we have a solution.

Boost (founded in 2006 as the world’s first award entry consultancy) has worked closely with Don’t Panic for over five years, helping companies entering our awards meet the deadline with entries that do them justice – particularly when they are too busy delivering their own work to spare the time necessary to craft compelling entries. To date Boost has helped its customers win over 1,500 awards. They really know their stuff.

Boost – Chris Robinson, Managing Director

Recent research by Boost Awards suggests that the most common approach is making decisions “as we go along”, but we would like to recommend another approach, the one that only about a fifth of companies adopt – having a plan for the year.

The good news here is that there already is a comprehensive database of over 4,000 awards out there. You do not have to rely on googling. There is obviously the Don’t Panic list, which we recommend you including in your plan, but which other ones?

More good news. Boost Awards (the world’s first and largest award entry consultancy) is offering Don’t Panic contacts a 25% discount off the cost of creating an awards plan. This includes:

A year’s licence of the awards-planner.co.uk cloud-based awards plan-building tool. You can build a plan, traffic light schemes and categories within them, then export or publish your plan. The tool keeps your plan up-to-date automatically and sends you deadline reminders for your chosen awards.
Keyword searchable access to a database of over 4,000 awards around the world. E.g. search for “marketing” categories within EMEA financial services awards.
Consultancy support by Boost’s specialist awards consultants. They will show you how to use the tool and run a series of questions by you to help you make good choices about the right awards to add to your plan. They can also advise on the credibility and winnability of various schemes.

(Discount Valid February 2021)

So next time your boss asks you “why are we entering this award scheme?” or “should we enter this award scheme?” you can honestly say “we did a THOROUGH review of all the awards schemes out there and I can confirm it is/isn’t in our plan and budget”.

So, make sure you don’t just enter and win awards, make sure in 2021 you enter and win THE RIGHT AWARDS.

Please contacts info@boost-awards.co.uk to claim your discounted service.

Boost is entirely independent of awards schemes and operates to a very high ethical standard.

In these times of trouble, is award entry a nice to have, or essential?

Posted on January 28, 2021January 28, 2021 by Dont Panic

Awards – Can you afford not to enter?

This year has seen such changes across the awards industry. We have been unable to come together with our peers to celebrate what makes digital, social and search great and the parties have gone virtual.

That said, as much as we love the physical event, the bonding, the glitz and glamour, our awards are so much more than just that.

Our Awards are based upon the ethos of rewarding innovative, creative and exceptional work that has made an impact on and to business and that has achieved outstanding ROI. This work continues to take place, and dare we say it thrive, and we intend to keep on rewarding and celebrating no matter what the world throws at us.

We all know and recognise the benefits that come with being shortlisted and winning accolades.

Marketing opportunities before and after the announcements
Attracts new clients who are drawn to and seek success
Openings for new business partnerships and collaborations
Appeals to new talent who want to join a successful agency
Industry and staff recognition that gives moral a boost
Entering and judges feedback provides SWOT analysis for future campaigns

These benefits are why we pride ourselves on our industry expert judges and robust two-step judging process which ensures the validity and value of our awards – they are awards the business and customers trust.

Today social proof, the wisdom and feedback of others (qualified and sadly un-qualified) and influencer stamps of approval guide us to what we engage with and purchase. If it wasn’t the case Twitter would not be popular or Which or Trustpilot or, the travellers’ favourite, Tripadvisor, we could go on and on. Good reviews, high ratings and recognition are all key to growth and an Award communicates perfectly how successful a business is and why consumers should engage.

Entering our awards is the most cost-effective marketing, recruitment and recognition investment you can make. Pre and Post event the Awards advertises your business on their website and social reaching new audiences previously untapped by your business. This along with the benefits above is, why entering awards is, excuse our phrasing a ‘no brainer’! or why you cannot afford to not enter our awards.

We offer exclusive multiple entry offers and early bird discounts. We recently sent an invoice to a company entering 4 Global Social Media Awards – their invoice, which included 1 free entry, was just £774.00. If they had met the early bird deadline it would have been even less! The ROI from this investment across their entire business is unmatched.

Our Awards include the Agency, Search, Social and Content Awards series, as well as the Company Culture Awards and more.

We believe Award Accolades are essential and so should you.

For details of all our awards click here or contact our dedicated team of award experts who will help you with any questions, advise on which awards and categories best suit your business and guide you through the entry process.

Why some digital awards are not worth the paper or trophy they are written on!

Posted on June 4, 2020June 4, 2020 by Dont Panic

David Edmundson-Bird is Principal Lecturer in Digital at Manchester Metropolitan University and an expert in the field of all things innovative and creative across the Digital landscape including marketing, social and interactive.

‘I have been working in the Digital Award business for over 12 years and have to admit that some of the judging practices I have encountered have been murky and destroy the real validity that the digital profession deserves’, he says. ‘We at Manchester Metropolitan University form an integral part of the digital business community and want to add our support to the change that needs to happen in respect of the ethos, respect and trustworthy nature of awards currently available to digital organisations in the real world who demonstrate great practice.’

Currently many awards are simply a popularity contest and no constructive feedback is provided to help businesses moving forward.

Therefore, David Edmundson-Bird has just been appointed Chair of Standards at Don’t Panic Events across our 22 digital awards.

David wants all digital awards to have validity so that employees, business partners and clients can trust the system. ‘We want to build an objective, fair process that judges can apply objectively to all entries that will ensure consistency irrespective of the entry. We also want to provide entries with feedback that will scaffold ongoing innovation and improved best practices that can be shared and celebrated in the future. Awards should be driven by merit and be judged by peers.’

Nicky Wake, Managing Director of Don’t Panic tells us ‘we have a robust two-step process for judging industry innovation, creativity and marketing and from September 2020 all entries will receive constructive feedback to help improve business and to improve future award entries. I believe we are unique in the business as our judges are key influencers, peer nominated and highly regarded in the digital field, our awards therefore are ethical, transparent and legitimate – real awards that add real value to business. Working with David will enhance the kudos of our awards and ensure the public know they are worth the paper or trophy they are written on.’

If you are contemplating entering an award then Don’t Panic awards are the ones that reward business merit and add real value.

We Are Search Brand Ambassador Announcement

Posted on May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 by Dont Panic

Don’t Panic Events are excited to announce that Dixon Jones, formerly of Majestic, has come on board as the official We Are Search Awards Advisor and Brand Ambassador.

With our presence around the globe dramatically increasing, along with our number of international events, we believe Dixon is the perfect confidant and advisor to develop our events as they grow year on year.

Dixon is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur who has helped to build the Internet Marketing industry for over 20 years. He is best known in the industry for his role with the link intelligence search engine, Majestic. During his time as Marketing Director, the company became a Deloitte Fast 50 company winning multiple awards including two Queens Awards for Enterprise.

Since the beginning of his career in 1999, Dixon has won a number of personal awards, including Search Personality of the Year, Silicon Canal’s Outstanding Technology Individual of the year and the UK Search Awards accolade of a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

Dixon states: “For me, I think that the Search Awards makes the whole industry stronger and offers a powerful signpost for quality and best practice within the industry. I have always been impressed at the lengths to which these awards go to protect the integrity of the judges and the whole judging process. I am proud to be a part of the team.”

For the chance to chat to Dixon about his new role within the Search Awards, you can join him at the US Search Awards, where he will be hosting on the night.

Show North Round Up

Posted on May 10, 2019July 17, 2019 by Dont Panic

After many months of organising, the Tech Show North and eCommerce show is over for 2019!

Hosted at EventCity in Manchester on 8th & 9th May, our two-day event showcased 100+ exhibitors including Tesla, Barclays Eagle Labs, Hark, NatWest, Bluebolt and many more! Our exhibitors provided innovative technology, eCommerce solutions and revolutionary businesses expertise specialising in a full range of services and solutions .

As well as showcasing our exhibitors, the event offered inspiring talks across the two days for thousands of delegates to attend. With six theatres running consecutively each with a theme; the Keynote Theatre, eCommerce, Enterprise, AI & Insights, Emerging Technology and Reveal, attendees weren’t short on looking for advice or insight from the future-thinkers leaders. Key speakers in the main Keynote theatre included representatives from Moonpig, Net World Sports, Arm, On The Beach and Gumtree.

Panel sessions encourage attendees to think in depth regarding the future of the industry and to seek the professional’s guidance of how to grow, stay relevant and better themselves in the competitive industry. The panel sessions included the likes of Rob McCargow – Director of Artificial Intelligence from PwC, Katie Gallagher – Managing Director of Manchester Digital and Steve Mills – Data Analytics Director of the North of PwC as well as many other successful individuals.

This year, we also introduced the official expo app, that included the day’s programme along with a list of both speakers and exhibitors, moving away from printed brochures and adapting to a technology suited the event (and not forgetting becoming more eco-friendly!). It allowed us to regularly update the app if there were any changes, as well as notifying the attendees when key sessions were about to start – a great new feature to the show.

Being the biggest gathering of technology and eCommerce companies and suppliers held outside London, the event offered great opportunity for networking, whether that’s for start-ups, scale-ups, or established players.

Thank you to all our sponsors including UKFast, the Manchester-based hosting provider as the event lead sponsor.

Check out what our visitors and exhibitors thought of the day by using the hashtags #TSN19 and #eCSN19 on twitter. We look forward to seeing you again as the Tech Show North and eCommerce show returns in 2020 even bigger and better at Manchester Central!

Lauren Sinar

Why you should attend Prolific North Live

Posted on February 2, 2018February 16, 2018 by Dont Panic

Register your place at the biggest marketing expo outside London, Prolific North Live 2018.

Taking place on 28 February – 1 March 2018, Prolific North Live has quickly grown to be the ‘must visit’ marketing gathering outside of the capital. Looking to take your business to the next level? Here’s how attending #PNLive can help you…

Knowledge

Knowing what to prioritise can be the difference between a standard year of growth and a phenomenal one. If you’re not on top of current trends and tools, you’re falling behind, losing sales and waving goodbye to new and existing customers, who’ll flock to more savvy competitors, without sparing you a thought. So, what’s your next move?

Bursting with great advice, technical expertise and real-life examples of effective marketing strategies from global companies & marketing professionals, Prolific North Live provides you with everything you need to know in one space. Our delegates will receive hands on and eyes on experience and learning around:

// Digital innovation

// Marketing platforms

// Marketing technologies

// Immersive Technologies – AR/VR/MR

// Branding

// Experiential

// Content and engagement

// Communications and PR

// Printing innovation

// Broadcast and visual content

// Advertising and media

New Business

An obvious point but new business means new revenue. By attending Prolific North Live, you can gain great contacts and warm leads for your business – all whilst seeing what your competitors are up to. Senior figures from brands such as Barclaycard, Havas, Liverpool Football Club, Pets at Home, Manchester United and Shop Direct Group are all in attendance.

Meet Experts & Influencers Face to Face

PNL 2018 is the perfect opportunity for attendees to mix and mingle, form new relationships, and strengthen existing ones. Over coffee, lunch, or just walking around the exhibition space, you may make a connection with the perfect provider or prospect. At one of our seminar sessions, you may find yourself sitting besides your next customer! If you don’t go, maybe your toughest competitor will be sitting in your seat…

New Tools

In the exhibition space, companies will have on display unique tools and new products that you may have not seen before. Apps and products that make your business faster, sleeker, less prone to costly mistakes or give your business that edge can all be found at Prolific North Live. Whilst all these tools can be found online, there’s nothing more engaging than speaking to someone face to face with a hands on demonstration, where you can ask relevant questions specific to your business needs and even discuss a potential free trial…

So with all said, can you afford to miss out while your competitors gain insights, expert knowledge and exclusive deals?

REGISTER FOR FREE HERE

To find out how you can get involved, contact Jill Taylor, Expo Director on 07879 471 636 or email Jill@prolificnorth.co.uk.

Bing, Steamhaus, The Landing and Channel 4 are Prolific North Live’s official Event Partners.

We’ve got that #FridayFeeling

Posted on September 15, 2017November 17, 2017 by Dont Panic

Welcome to our weekly Don’t Panic blog – if you’ve been keeping up with our fantastic events and innovative developments, you will know that we aim to inspire, inform and celebrate through the fantastic events we are privileged to be involved in.

The past two weeks have kept everyone on their toes in DP HQ. Here’s what we’ve been up to…

Last week’s event breakdown

Last week we travelled down to London to host our first event of the Autumn, the UK Public Sector Communication Awards & Conference. The conference and awards took place at the prestigious Montcalm Marble Arch in London on Wednesday 6 September.

The afternoon featured inspirational presentations and talks from a number of high profile speakers in the public sector, including Pinky Badhan – Head of Campaigns for the Prime Minister’s office and Emma Hartley – Head of Campaigns and Corporate Communications for The Electoral Commission. It was a great opportunity to hear public sector communications professionals exploring a number of issues and hot topics occurring in these challenging times and informed the audience about how to successfully do what they need to do, with less money.

The gala dinner and awards ceremony took place later in the evening in the Grand Ballroom. The awards celebrate and reward excellent communication strategies and campaigns, teams and individuals in local and national government, emergency services and not-for-profit bodies from across the UK.

A huge congratulations to everyone who made the shortlist – and especially to those 20 winners who walked away with a prestigious trophy. To see the list of winners, head to the UK Public Sector Communications Awards & Conference website here.

You can see the photographs from the night on the Flickr album below:

This week’s events

The third UK Agency Awards took place at the Montcalm Marble Arch on Wednesday 13 September 2017. With our biggest attendance to date, the awards rewarded specialist agencies and teams across a broad range of sectors, showcasing excellence in the way their agency is run, marketed and grown. The event saw over 200 creative, digital, PR and marketing professionals gather for one night of celebration. Winners included; Click Consult, Epiphany, Merkle|Periscopix, M&C Saatchi Mobile and Stein IAS. The full list of winners can be found here.

You can see the photographs from the night on the Flickr album below:

To wrap off the week, the events team have been managing the #PZConnectedConsumer Conference, taking place in Manchester on both Thursday 14 and Friday 15 September. The two-day conference focuses on the Connected Consumer – “Consumers are now even more connected than they ever have been and this has had a significant impact on the way consumers behave and interact with brands globally. In this ever-changing world, it is essential for us all to know what this means for our business.”

Hot off the press

Here’s our top three events you need to know about this week…

Search Camp 2017
Take a little summer into winter by attending Search Camp 2017, a brand new venture from the creators of the Search Awards Series. Search Camp is a two-day residential search marketing conference, taking place on 13 & 14 December at one of the UK’s best loved holiday parks; Butlin’s in Bognor Regis. The event will explore cutting edge thinking, innovation, best practice and futurism in SEO & PPC. Featuring 17 keynote standard speakers in a solo track format across two days, it will attract over 200 senior level search marketing practitioners from across Europe.

The conference programme was announced this week, take a look here – http://www.searchcamp.co.uk/programme/

UK Social Media Communications Awards 2017
The UK Social Media Communications Awards, hosted by Connor Phillips, celebrate the very best in social media communications and reward the individuals, companies and organisations who are using online platforms to communicate in fresh and innovative ways. The shortlist for the 2017 awards has just been announced! You can view the full list of our finalists here. Early bird tickets are available until the 15 September, be sure to secure your team’s place at the event today – click here to book.

eCommerce Show North
eCommerce Show North is the only exhibition outside of London dedicated to eCommerce and reflects the huge commercial marketplace that is the North. Taking place on the 11 & 12th October 2017 at EventCity, Manchester, eCSN will be the biggest ever gathering of eCommerce companies, vendors and suppliers held in the North.

Free registration is now open – confirm your place here.

Don’t press the panic button yet!

The UK Search Awards entry deadline is today! But don’t panic, we’re extending the entry deadline for a further week. However, entries submitted after the first closing date of 15 September 2017 will be charged a late submission fee. The cost per entry after 15 September and up until 22 September will be £195 + VAT.

The UK Search Awards celebrate and reward leading search and digital agencies from across the UK & Europe. Submit your entries today – enter here.

About Don’t Panic

Don’t Panic is a full service events agency that specialise in seamlessly delivering all aspects of awards, conferences and more! We pride ourselves in producing innovative and profitable events, based on our strong relationships, attention to detail and unique approach.

From awards dinners to annual conferences, international exhibitions to experiential projects, we are the cool, calm events collective.

About the Speaker Bureau

The calibre of a presenter is critical to the welfare of an event. A funny, enlightening, or motivating after-dinner speech will make an award ceremony live long in the mind. A credible DJ will get an audience jiving into the wee small hours. Matching the wrong personality to the wrong audience is a tragedy. Don’t Panic.

If you need a peer-approved keynote speaker, a conference or panel chair, an MC, a host, even a Voice of God, we manage a diverse roster of regional and national personalities, public speakers, and thought leaders from business, technology, politics, academia, and the arts, to help you with your event planning. Contact Sarah Power, Speaker Bureau Manager on sarah.power@dontpanicprojects.com for more information.

Speaker, speaker on the stage…

Posted on September 8, 2017 by Dont Panic

Over the past two months, we’ve been very busy securing some new faces to our speaker bureau. The calibre of a presenter is critical to the welfare of an event. A funny, enlightening, or motivating after-dinner speech will make an award ceremony live long in the mind. A credible DJ will get an audience jiving into the wee small hours. Matching the wrong personality to the wrong audience is a tragedy. The Don’t Panic Speaker Bureau matches our speakers to your event perfectly. If you need a peer-approved keynote speaker, a conference or panel chair, an MC, a host, even a Voice of God, we manage a diverse roster of regional and national personalities, public speakers, and thought leaders from business, technology, politics, academia, and the arts, to help you with your event planning. Contact Sarah Power, Speaker Bureau Manager on sarah.power@dontpanicprojects.com for more information.

We’d like to welcome our latest members below:

Professor Greg Whyte
Physical Activity Expert

World-renowned physical activity expert Greg Whyte is a two-time Olympian and professor of applied sport and exercise science at Liverpool John Moores University. He has published over 200 peer reviewed papers and eight books in the fields of sports performance, exercise physiology, and medicine. He is the Director of Performance at the Centre for Health and Human Performance, and he has helped to raise over £35 million for Comic Relief and Sport Relief.

http://www.dontpanicprojects.com/events/speakers/Greg-Whyte

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Holly Hamilton
Award Winning Journalist, Presenter & Reporter

Holly Hamilton is an award winning television journalist, presenter and reporter currently on BBC1, BBC2, the BBC News Channel and BBC Sport. Originally from Greyabbey in Northern Ireland, Holly achieved a Masters in Politics and French from Dundee University and has spent over a decade working on some of the UK’s biggest networks.

http://www.dontpanicprojects.com/events/speakers/Holly-Hamilton

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Phil Lewis
Speaker, Mentor and Founder of Corporate Punk

Phil Lewis is an award-winning strategist, speaker, author, mentor and business leader. His work transforms the fortunes of organisations around the world. Phil speaks with rare authority on how to build impact cultures: harnessing energy within organisations to deliver both creative innovation and commercial performance. He’s been doing it internationally for over 20 years, in both creative agencies and management consultancies.

http://www.dontpanicprojects.com/events/speakers/Phil-Lewis

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Daniel Prince
Associate Director for Security Lancaster and Cyber Security Expert

Dr Daniel Prince is the Associate Director for Business Partnerships and Enterprise for Security Lancaster, which is Lancaster University’s multidisciplinary research centre for security and protection science. He works closely with external organisations to develop collaborative research and educational activities in security and protection science. This includes helping define business strategy and growth plans for companies both large and small.

http://www.dontpanicprojects.com/events/speakers/Daniel-Prince

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Sean Collins
Comedian, Awards Host & After Dinner Speaker

Comedian Sean Collins has 25 years experience in stand up comedy, with initial success leading to ‘Best Male Stand Up’ nominations at the Canadian Comedy Awards, a Just For Laughs Gala set at Montreal and his own hour long special on Canadian television.

http://www.dontpanicprojects.com/events/speakers/Sean-Collins