On Friday 21 November, the UK independent publishing community came together at 133 Houndsditch in London for one of the highlights of the year. The day kicked off with an inspiring morning of talks and discussions and wrapped up with an afternoon of recognition and celebration at the awards ceremony.
The ESco team — Susan, Louise, Alistair, Victoria, and Alice — had a great time soaking up the insightful and practical sessions at the morning conference, which was packed with valuable insights. This included a standout roundtable session, “Using AI to Provide High-Quality Customer Service“, led by our very own Operations & Development Director, Alistair Wood. His session focused on the critical role of customer service and experience in successful products and campaigns, exploring how and when to integrate AI into the customer journey and backend processes. Alistair shared how ESco is leveraging AI and proof-of-concept projects to enhance customer acquisition and retention, offering practical strategies for improving customer service.
Later, we were thrilled to be joined by Bill Butler (Managing Director, Hemming Group), Emma Robson (Chief Operating Officer, First News), Chris Clover (Managing Director, Panini UK), Richard Cosgrove (Director, Sundial Magazines Ltd), and Jenny Cook (Creative Director, Anthem Publishing). It was such a pleasure having you all at our table—thank you for sharing the day with us!
A massive congratulations to all the winners at this year’s PPA Independent Publisher Awards 2024! We’d like to give a special shout-out to our amazing client, Anthem Publishing, for their incredible achievements. They truly stood out and took home an impressive collection of awards, including:
- Highly Commended for Commercial Partnership of the Year
Women’s Running and SportsShoes
Judges’ comments: “An innovative approach to content, resulting in significant engagement and excellent commercial results.” - Editor of the Year
Esther Newman, Women’s Running
Judges’ comments: “The judges were blown away by the winner’s ability to combine exceptional editorial authority with commercial success. Their authentic, inclusive approach to journalism is something to celebrate.” - Game Changer of the Year
Jon Bickley, Anthem Publishing
Judges’ comments: “This award went to someone who’s pushing the boundaries of traditional publishing. Their clear vision, impressive innovations, and knack for motivating their team are incredibly impressive.” - Innovation of the Year
In Focus, Anthem Publishing
Judges’ comments: “Smart strategies and creative decisions led to outstanding results. A fantastic example of what innovation in publishing looks like.” - Podcast of the Year
The Women’s Running Podcast
Judges’ comments: “The journey of this podcast has been phenomenal, with creative ideas leading to amazing engagement, extended content, and record-breaking numbers.”
For the full list of winners, head over to the PPA Independent Publisher Awards 2024 website.
Congratulations again to all the winners and those who were highly commended—it’s inspiring to see the incredible work being done across the industry. A huge thank you to the PPA for hosting such a brilliant event; it’s always a highlight of the year for us. We can’t wait to celebrate even more successes with you all in 2025!
