McCann man is new BPA chair

THE chief growth officer at McCann-Erickson, Andy Dickey, has been appointed the new chair of Birmingham Publicity Association.

Dickey succeeds Joanne Harrington, of Orion Media, who chaired the organisation from 2013-2015 and who will continue to serve on the BPA Council.

The AGM, held at the Custard Factory in Digbeth, also saw the appointment of Emma Holsey, business development executive at ITV, as deputy chair.

Dickey said: “I am really excited about taking on the role of BPA chair and continuing the great work that Jo and the committee have been doing over the last couple of years.  Having been a committed member of the BPA for almost 10 years I have enjoyed many of the events that the BPA organises and I really felt that it was time I put something back in to the organisation.

“I have two main objectives – to raise as much money for the worthwhile causes the BPA supports as possible, and to increase the membership so that more people are aware of the great work being done to support the media and creative industries in the region.”
 
Ms Harrington said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed serving as chair over the past two years, and I know that Andy will do a sterling job as my successor. We have donated over £25,000 to our designated charities during my term and introduced new events such as the Speaker events where we had the likes of Andy Street, MD of John Lewis and chair of the LEP share his insight with members.
 
“The BPA has an important role to play in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands, encouraging relationships and opportunities between media and creative industries and serving as an excellent platform to showcase the outstanding talent in the region, and the council, under Andy and Emma’s guidance will continue to drive it forward.”

The organisation is dividing its fund raising efforts this year between Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity and Youth Space.

It raised a total of £12,000 for its chosen charities last year.

Agency adapts to the needs of Retail Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM digital agency Adaptable has won a new account with Retail Birmingham, helping the body with the design and delivery of all its digital and marketing collateral.

The work, intended to help the BID raise its profile, includes refreshing the Retail Birmingham brand identity and crafting a new website. This will showcase BID projects, news and events. The site also includes a private members area where people can access a range of useful materials.

Dan Cooper, managing director of Adaptable, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to partner with Retail Birmingham and support them in raising awareness of the great work they do around the city. We work with a lot of international clients, so it’s very rewarding to work on a local project which will fly the flag for Birmingham’s retail and leisure destinations.”

Based at the Custard Factory in Digbeth, Adaptable was founded by Dan Cooper (pictured left) and Olly Sorsby (right).

Steve Hewlett, Retail Birmingham BID Manager, said: “2015 is set to be an exciting year for us with a host of new retailers coming to the city centre. Adaptable is a talented young digital agency in Birmingham and we’ve been really impressed with the quality of their work and retail industry understanding  in helping us develop our new brand identity and website for BID members.”

Stone Junction lands Renishaw contract

ENGINEERING firm Renishaw has appointed Staffordshire manufacturing PR agency, Stone Junction, to handle media relations for its 3D printing and additive manufacturing (AM) division.

As well as AM, Renishaw specialises in measurement, motion control, spectroscopy and precision machining. Its AM division is also based in Stone.

As well as handling media relations, Stone Junction will also head up an AM blogging campaign in addition to contributing to social media for the engineering firm.
 
“We’re really looking forward to working with Stone Junction,” said Chris Pockett, Renishaw’s Head of Communications. “We’ve known of the company for some time and its specialist knowledge, proximity to our AM division and media contacts make for an ideal fit.”
 
Richard Stone, managing director, Stone Junction, said: “Adding Renishaw to our roster of engineering and manufacturing clients is brilliant, particularly as it gives us the chance to enter the 3D printing and AM debate, something which we have been keen to do for some time.”