AOP launches awards as separate event

by Staff, Brand Republic 12-Feb-09, 11:25

LONDON - The Association of Online Publishers is moving its Digital Publishing Awards away from a joint event with its flagship Summit in October, to a separate event of its own in June.

The AOP Digital Publishing Awards will now take place on June 2, 2009, and move to a new venue at the Old Billingsgate in London EC3.

The Awards, which were attended by over 800 people last year, will continue to celebrate excellence in digital media across the AOP's varied membership. The call for entries is open from the end of February and the closing date is in late March.

The AOP has introduced three new categories this year: digital commercial individual, an opportunity to applaud an individual who works in digital advertising, marketing or business development; digital editorial individual, an award for the individual contribution of online journalists, editors and community managers, which is open to those working in consumer and B2B; and an award for specialist publisher, recognizing the success of smaller media owners with an annual turnover of less than £5m, which is again open to business and consumer publishing.

Alison Reay, AOP chairman and digital & multi-media director, Telegraph Media Group, said: "We have decided to make the 8th AOP Digital Publishing Awards a summer event, and to give it the space and stature the awards deserve by moving the event away from the Summit.

"In one of the most difficult economic years for businesses, it's even more important to reward and recognise those businesses that manage to innovate in the publishing sector; we also have expanded the awards to respect the creative talent of individuals in the business. We look forward to welcoming you to the results of another keenly fought contest at our Awards dinner in June."

The rest of this year's categories are as follows:

Launch 2009

Editorial Team 2009 - Business/Consumer

Research and Insights Project 2009

Digital Advertising Sales Team 2009

Innovation 2009

Cross-Media Project 2009

Commercial Partnership 2009

Use of Video 2009

Mobile Site 2009

Digital Commercial Individual 2009 - New

Digital Editorial Individual 2009 - New

Website 2009 - Business/Consumer

Specialist Publisher 2009 - New

Digital Publisher 2009 - Business/Consumer