Author: Sue Johns-Chapman

2022 is drawing to a close and as always, I like to reflect and share my thoughts the Don’t Panic Year.

I am not sure wild is a strong enough word to describe the past 12 months! It has been a rollercoaster of a ride that I don’t think I, or the team could have predicted.

We entered this year with a postponed Northern Digital Awards due to the threat of Covid continuing to decimate the hospitality and events industry. It wasn’t the start of the year we had hoped for.

However, the winds of change were in our favour! From postponing our first live event of the year we have gone on to achieve many firsts that I am extremely proud of and some of which have become real career highlights for me personally and hopefully the team I am lucky to manage.

We achieved our first live international event after 2 years of virtual-only events. From the stunning venue in Barcelona to the electric atmosphere when each of the finalists entered the room and collected their awards European Search was just a joy to be a part of from beginning to end. The event was a sell-out with us having no tickets left after 3 weeks of sales which we genuinely never anticipated.

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We then went on to sell out many of this year’s events which may not seem like a huge achievement but going from not being able to fill a venue with more than 6 people per table,2 metres apart, to now sourcing larger venues to accommodate the growth of our award programmes is a huge achievement in less than 12 months.

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We then boxed off the 33 events in our 2022 calendar with the infamous UK Search Awards which I must say was stunning! 650 old and new faces descended on the Big Top in central London for an incredible evening of celebration and entertainment that I can safely say continued into the very early hours of the next day. Again, this has been another favourite of mine this year and an incredible showcase of talent within the UK Search scene.

Our Culture Club, which we introduced last year, has had a busy year with social events, initiatives and reminding us all to take care of our mental well-being. They have some great things planned for next year and are an integral part of making Don’t Panic an amazing place to work and thrive.

Due to the expansion in most areas of the business, we also moved into a larger office to accommodate our team who although still operating a hybrid working pattern come together regularly to collaborate in a larger more productive workspace.

So, all in all, we have had the most incredible year and one that feels very much like a bounce back and worlds apart from the previous two. It feels great to be back doing what we love and especially on an international scale. It is however not lost on us that none of this would be possible without the support of some incredible people and businesses.

I would like to thank all our entrants old and new who have entered each of our awards and demonstrated just what a talented industry we are part of. To all our judges who have spent tireless hours judging each of the entries received and made some incredibly difficult decisions we thank you for your continued support. To all our sponsors and partners, your investment in our events ensures that we can deliver the most spectacular celebrations for the digital community and is hugely appreciated by us and all of those who enter and attend. And thank you to the clients some of whom we have previously worked with who have entrusted us to deliver their events many of which returned for the first time this year.

On a personal note, I would like to thank Nicky Wake our Founder, Michelle Graham our Finance Director and Richard Gregory our Non-Exec Director for their unwavering support of me this year especially as this is my first full financial year as MD. The trust you instil in me is incredible but the support and knowledge you provide is invaluable and something that I value immensely.

And finally, I want to thank the entire Don’t Panic team for all of their efforts and dedication this year. One of the biggest lessons I have learnt as an MD is to surround yourself with people who inspire you, motivate you and teach you things you wouldn’t have known because that is what makes a business and team great. I can safely say each member of our team inspires me, motivates me and teaches me things I didn’t previously know and for that, I am grateful so thank you.

We have some incredibly exciting things planned in the New Year which I will announce upon our return in January. For now, we are going to take a well-deserved and needed break with the Don’t Panic office closing on December 23rd and reopening on January 3^rd.

From all of us at Don’t Panic we wish you, your teams and your families the most wonderful Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Helen Barkley

Managing Director

LinkedIn

The UK Search Awards extended deadline passed on Friday and as usual, entrants left it right up to the wire with their submissions. However, we are delighted to say that we have had unprecedented numbers of entries from companies located across the UK!

It is incredible to see the Awards growing year on year, especially as entries demonstrate the extremely high calibre of work the UK Search industry is producing and the pride that companies have in their campaigns, software and teams. Congratulations to all our entrants – you are setting creative and innovative benchmarks for the industry to celebrate.

The shortlist will be announced later this month, on Friday, 21^st October and tickets will officially go on sale for the event at The Bloomsbury Big Top, London on Wednesday, 30^th November.

The Don’t Panic team have planned a spectacular evening at this exciting and fun venue and of course, there will be the ‘infamous’ afterparty!

Sponsorship packages for the event are still available and can be tailor-made to suit your budget. If your target audience is PPC, SEO and Content experts you will want to be part of the Search Awards community as they celebrate their achievements over the past year.

Benefits of Sponsoring the Search Awards

• High-profile branding to UK Search companies, and the wider Search community around the world via We Are Search
• Raise your profile within the industry
• Opportunity to connect and network with your audience at the event
• Align your business to a ceremony that celebrates the best of Search
• Cost-effective recruitment with the very best talent in the room

There are several sponsorship opportunities available including Headline, Social Wall and Category Sponsor. As a sponsor your logo and message will appear in pre-event promotional materials such as email and social, will be included in the event programme and appear on the screen during the awards. You can also talk to us about branding a shot glass, vodka luge, glow stick and more!

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To get involved in the celebrations email Helen Barkley to discuss your package.

Last year, we experienced the same exceptional growth at the European Search Awards which were live in Barcelona.

Following the event sponsors shared their thoughts.

CleverAds – Drinks Reception Sponsor

“I want to congratulate you on behalf of CleverAds for your professional performance in the organization. It was a pleasure for us to be involved in such an amazing event.” Marta Fernandez, Marketing Director

Majestic – Step and Repeat Sponsor

“Majestic is delighted to sponsor the 10^th Anniversary European Search Awards in Barcelona. Our history of involvement in the European Search Awards dates back to their inception in 2012. Since that memorable evening in Amsterdam, this celebration of excellence in Search and Digital marketing has toured Europe, showcasing the very best this continent has to offer. We offer our congratulations to the team at Don’t Panic for building an awesome set of events that enrich the marketing calendar.” Philip Aggrey, Head of Commercial Operations

Advanced Web Ranking – Photo Booth Sponsor

“The Advanced Web Ranking team was thrilled to sponsor the photo booth at this year’s Don’t Panic event. Thank you to the Search Community for the opportunity to be part of the European Search Awards! This partnership opens the door to exciting opportunities for all of us to get involved and connect with others who are passionate about digital search. We can see everyone had a great time and hope they made marvellous memories with fun photos!” 

Philip Petrescu – Caphyon

Download Your Sponsorship Brochure Here

We usually send a round-up of the highs and lows of Don’t Panic at the
end of the year, however, given the fast-paced, ever-changing events
landscape of the last 12 months, I believe a 6-month reflection is
essential.

We headed into 2022 with hope, but reticence as to how the event
landscape was going to look, given the threat of new variants and the
possible return of lockdown. Fast forward to now, and we could not be any
more positive.

Despite our nervous disposition, we pushed on and the start of the year
began with the most spectacular return to our international events. The
long-anticipated live European Search Awards took place in the beautiful
city of Barcelona at the historic Llotja de Mar. Not only did we get to travel
once again, and do what we love doing, but we sold out the event, live
streamed to eagle-eyed viewers watching from afar and were trending on
Twitter!

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I am pleased to say this trend (excuse the pun) has continued with the sell-out of both the UK Agency Awards in September and the UK Business Tech Awards in October. We always believed there would be a return to live events, however, the pace of this return has amazed us! I would like to thank everyone who has joined us to celebrate their achievements, all our judges who have continued to show their commitment and the sponsors who supported us along the way.

This year’s success doesn’t stop there. We may not be growing at an exponential rate, but I am pleased to say we are growing sustainably and have introduced some incredible new members to the Don’t Panic team. Across 2022, we have welcomed our new Graphic Designer, Kyle, Account Executives, Jordan and Joe, our new Content Apprentice, Isobel, new Event Manager, Emily, and Event Assistant Allison.

In terms of personnel, we have also grown a new member of the Don’t Panic team, the very beautiful baby boy of our Operations Manager Sarah. We are already missing Sarah, but no one on maternity leave ever really leaves us and we will look forward to welcoming her back into the fold when she is ready, and supporting her newfound role as a Mum.

The growth we have experienced has left us needing to invest in a bigger space for all our team to come together and collaborate. Despite operating a flexible policy around where our team members work it seems they like to come together and needed a brighter and bigger space which is conducive to their creativity. So, one year after our last office move, we have moved again!! This is a huge milestone for us as an Events Agency and one I would like to thank the Don’t Panic team for making it possible.

Internally we have seen positive developments in our culture, and the satisfaction of employees. Last year we introduced our Culture Club which has been an integral part of keeping all our team motivated and has delivered some much-needed fun in our busiest months. I am also over the moon to report that each member of the Don’t Panic team has reported that they would recommend us as a great place to work. 100% of the team also reported that they feel free to open and voice opinions and ideas whilst also having a clear understanding of the company and individual work objectives.

Personally, I believe this is our biggest achievement of 2022 so far. Our team are the lifeblood of Don’t Panic. They turn up day after day with a smile and an excess of energy and passion for delivering our ever-growing portfolio of events and celebrating your success.

I am beyond proud and grateful to get to work alongside the team every day!

Speaking of the team, they will be out and about at awards events, conferences, exhibitions and networking events over the next 6 months, so if you see them, say hello, they are a friendly bunch!

The Team at Don’t Panic is delighted and proud to announce that their Awards Trust Mark Accreditation for 2022 has arrived and we achieved Outstanding on 28 of our Digital Awards.

The Awards Trust Mark is awarded by the Independent Awards Standard Council which runs the accreditation programme with the goal of enhancing trust between award entrants and the organisations running them.

To receive the outstanding accreditation the Awards must have been running for at least a year. The council requires the business to agree to an extensive list of elements and sign their code of conduct as well as having their work validated through randomly selected awards’ judges and entrants.

Don’t Panic has also been accredited for their two new Award events the MENA Agency Awards and UK Digital Excellence Awards both of which are in their first year. We have no doubt that next year these will receive their ‘Advanced” quickly followed by the ‘Outstanding’ accreditation we strive for on all of our awards.

We believe that Awards are only valuable to the digital industry when they are trusted by entrants and their employees and clients. We strive to be the best Digital Awards organisers in the world and work with leading industry experts, who give up their time for free, to ensure that entries are competently judged against appropriate judging criteria and that the shortlist and winners are worthy winners.

After being away on maternity leave, it is great to be back!

People always say, ‘it feels like I have never been away,’ and this is true! However, there have been changes over the past 12 months and exciting times are ahead.

Whilst I was away, the Don’t Panic team worked tirelessly to deliver virtual events during the dark days of covid, and when lockdown was lifted, they brought back as many live events as they could. This tenacity and determination has seen the business grow, and over recent months has seen us hiring across all departments.

So, I left as Senior Event Manager and came back as Head of Events, and now I am managing a team of 4 incredible women (we didn’t have any men apply for the vacancies!) and we are looking for 1 more – everyone welcome.

Despite the growth, I have slotted back into working life with the team easily. I have already been lead at a live Awards celebration, been on a site visit and menu tasting in Barcelona and worked on a client event!

I think what has made it so easy to return is because Don’t Panic have stayed in touch throughout my maternity leave, and I never felt less of a team member being on leave, than had I been at work. I had invites to all the socials and invites for my son Otis to visit the office for fun days.

What’s My Plan?

There is nothing like a live event so I want to see as many as we can over the coming year. Search is top of my agenda as European Search in Barcelona was a sell-out, we intend to build upon this with fringe events taking place around the ceremony itself. The US Search Awards are already live again in Las Vegas, UK Search is heading to a bigger, better venue this year, The Bloomsbury Big Top in London, and following the incredible success of the still virtual Global Search Awards in 2022 we are determined to get it live in 2023! Following that MENA and APAC Search we are coming for you!

In addition to the Awards, which remain a huge priority, we are also starting work again with clients to deliver launches, expos, conferences and festivals. As a team we are always looking to change things up, so working with new clients will be an exciting adventure, but you can quote me on this ‘there isn’t anything we can’t do!’

Personally, 2023 sees me getting married to Josh. 3^rd time lucky! Not in husbands, but in venues. Covid put pay to our first wedding date, the venue burning down (no word of a lie) prevented the second wedding date, so one way or another we are getting married next year whether that is in a beautiful barn overlooking Rivington (already booked) or last-minute flights to Vegas!

I will be heading out to Awards, industry events and networking socials over the coming year to build relationships with our award entrants and industry clients, so I look forward to meeting you.

Alex Rimmer

Don’t Panic MD, Helen Barklay, sums up the 2022 European Search Awards

What an incredible week we have had in Barcelona celebrating the very best in Search across Europe.

The 2022 European Search Awards celebrated its 10^th anniversary, the return of a face-to-face live event and 74 incredible winners across a multitude of categories. We also celebrated a record number of entries, and a completely sold-out event, which after two years of virtual celebrations was a huge achievement and a very emotional one to share with all our attendees, sponsors and judges.

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Each year we welcome entries from across Europe, and the standard and quality each year improves exponentially. This is a true testament to the amazing agencies, teams and individuals that continue to excel in Search across the continent. This year our judges were put through their paces and had some incredibly difficult decisions to make, but I would like to thank them for their tireless efforts in ensuring each entry was scored and reviewed in the most ethical and transparent way.

I would also like to thank our incredible sponsors whose support made the European Search Awards the most extravagant to date. Our drinks reception sponsor Clever Ads, paparazzi red carpet welcome sponsored by Majestic, the ever-popular photo booth sponsored by Advanced Web Ranking and of course the social wall which was sponsored by five elements.

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Personally, it was incredible to see so many faces, both old and new, in person at the event, but we also had over 900 views on our live stream, which is going to be a huge challenge to beat! As such we are already working on a 2023 venue large enough to hold all our wonderful entrants, sponsors and judges at a location that will be revealed in due course!

So next we move on to the Global, US, and UK Awards before the last 2022 Search celebration of the year MENA.

We have limited sponsorship packages available across the remaining 2022 Search Awards and are already taking enquiries for the 2023 calendar of events. If you would like to get involved, please email me helen.barkley@dontpanicprojects.com

Likewise, if you are interested in demonstrating your work in front of our esteemed panel of judges, please email our Search Awards account manager Stephanie.gianfriglia@dontpanicprojects.com

Don’t Panic are excited to be working with connective3 on The Marketing Mixer, and we think they feel the same way, but we can let them speak for themselves!

Introducing connective3…

connective3 is a digital marketing agency, and we create market leaders. We do this through the application of SEO, Content Strategy, Digital PR, PPC, Display, Social Media and CRO. We were founded in October 2019 by CEO Tim Grice, and in just two years have grown to a team of over 80 marketers across Leeds, London and Manchester. We’ve already achieved multiple award nominations and wins for our work across Organic and Paid search – something we’re immensely proud of. 

Headquartered in the north, with growing teams in both Leeds and Manchester, we’re proud of the incredible northern digital community. With the north boasting some of the best agencies and marketers in the UK, being part of and investing in the northern digital community has always been something we’ve supported and promoted. There’s so much to be gained when marketers get together to share knowledge and network, and there’s no better way to do this than at events. That’s why we’re so excited to be hosting our first in-person event in Manchester in partnership with Don’t Panic.

The Marketing Mixer is happening on 27 April and is free to attend for marketers working in the north and beyond! The event provides the perfect opportunity for us to get together, hear from leading marketers in the northwest and enjoy an evening of relaxed networking.    

Grab you free space here: https://dontpanicprojects.com/marketing-mixer/

Earlier this month the Event Team headed to London for the International Confex.The event left us all feeling incredibly inspired.

The full team was back in force as we were joined by our lovely Head of Events, Alex Rimmer. It was a fantastic opportunity to attend talks and meet with suppliers to discuss the new and exciting event inclusions they have been working on.

Some personal favourites discovered by the events team were alcoholic mist orbs, edible balloons, tipsy fountains, roll up ice creams and 360 photo booths.

At Don’t Panic, we feel it is super important to keep up with new and exciting industry initiatives to allow us to adapt aspects of our awards to make them more engaging for our audience.

It is safe to say we have taken away lots of new ideas for our upcoming events. After a full two days attending the Confex, we had a lovely team meal and drinks to finish off a successful trip!

Kicking the 2022 Live Award Season off with a bang has been a priority for Don’t Panic since the shortlist for the Northern Digital Awards was announced in December 2021! 

Following a date move due to continued covid restrictions, the event finally happened at the Royal Armouries, Leeds on Thursday 17^th March. And it was worth the wait!

Northerners know how to party, no offence meant to our southern award entrants, there are opportunities in London to prove the North you can do it better! 

Dressed to impress the glitz and glamour pervaded from everybody in the room who and host, Jenny Powell, took it to another level, which the paparazzi loved! Even ‘Our Jordan’ looked the business in his check 3 piece suit! 

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Starting with welcome drinks and photo opportunities galore, finalist gathered to sip something sparkly, hit the gif booth and pose in front of the infamous Don’t Panic neon angel wings, before sitting down to a gala dinner. The menu included, according to Jenny, ‘massive chicken breasts’ served with confit leg and carrot, pea, and broadbean pine nut ragout, followed by the most incredible Which Chocolate Tarte with Sable Biscuit and Raspberry Bonbon. (Sadly, mine was whipped away before I could finish it!)

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On to the ceremony! Winners were welcomed on stage by Northern Digital Awards judges, partners and digital celebrities to receive their trophies! Congratulations to all our winners and finalists, not only have you produced outstanding work you made our first live event of 2022 a night to remember!

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In attendance were the whole Don’t Panic Team, except Steph who was working on the Global Agency Awards early bird deadline (she will be attending the European Search Awards in Barcelona to make up for this). It was great for us all to meet the Northern Digital community, put names to faces, and we were honoured to be able to join in the celebrations. We really hope you enjoyed the evening, and we look forward to doing it all again next year! 

Meet our finalists on the Northern Digital Awards website and peruse the picture-perfect moments here. 

“My own definition of a feminist is a man or a woman who says, yes, there’s a problem with gender as it is today and we must fix it, we must do better. All of us, women and men, must do better.” – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Empowering women is a value we hold high at Don’t Panic. With 72% of our full-time workforce being female we wanted to take the opportunity for International Women’s Day to learn which women influence and inspire our team. 

I asked our team members to reflect on women who have made a lasting impact on them whether that be a family member, colleague or person in history. This exercise has been profound given it has allowed us to gain an insight into the values each of our team members hold dear but also helped us understand their history and why they are who they are today.

Here is what our amazing team had to say about the influential women in their lives….

“My mother is my biggest inspiration, she firstly moved cities all on her own to provide a better life for my brother and I while simultaneously working, raising us and studying towards her degrees in BCom Business Management and Executive Development, which is not an easy feat with two young kids who need your attention all the time. She also put us through prestigious universities where we both achieved our honours, in the fields of our choosing without adding pressure on us, and she’s still going today, being an amazing mom!”

Leenesha Friend, Marketing Manager

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“The woman I admire is my daughter. She is 16, suffers from anxiety, panic attacks and catastrophising, yet she still challenges herself and the people around her. Despite her thought process, she puts herself out to try new things, join new clubs and meet new people – none of which are easy, at the best of times. She commits to engage with political and controversial topics to broaden her understanding of the world around her, and speaks out when she sees wrongdoing. With all the world has shown her she remains committed to improving the environment for the future, educating friends and family in relation to LGBTQ+, the empowerment of women, and equal and fair rights for all. Her strength astounds me.”

Sue Johns-Chapman, Content Manager

“There are many women that inspire me, but at this current moment in time, my biggest inspiration is Don’t Panics working Mums! Seeing first-hand how these amazing women can juggle the trials and tribulations of raising children and managing a career, and excelling in both, even when they probably don’t feel like it, is a huge inspiration. They’re women I feel incredibly proud to be working with – and I will definitely be learning from them!”

Sarah Power, Operations Manager

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“Strong and independent women rule the world. It’s true. Whilst I’m sitting at a desk, messing around with graphics on the computer, my wife is raising, educating and basically moulding our two children into lovely human beings. She’s doing an amazing job. My little girl, Aoife Grace, is already a formidable and independent spirit. When her older brother starts a fight, it’s Aoife who finishes it. When I have the audacity to suggest bath time is over, it’s Aoife who informs me it’s not, and that I still need to wash behind her ears. Don’t let her grin fool you, she is feisty and she is fierce. And those are beautiful things to be.“

James Harding, Graphics Guru

“My Grandma is my inspiration 90 years young and still going strong after recently over coming Coronavirus. She is the best listener and gives great advice, she calls a spade a spade and we love her for that. At 90 years old she still dresses impeccably and has been the best baker and cook! She’s lived through so much being evacuated to Wales during WW2 and being a business owner in her 30s, running multiple children’s clothing shops. She a STRONG lady and is known affectionally in our family as ‘The Boss’. Here she is with my two wonderful children being, a fabulous Great Grandma!“

Steph Gianfriglia, Account Executive

For me, the first women who had a profound influence on me are my late grandmother and my mum who are both empathetic and fierce in equal measure. They both bucked every trend for their time and I am pretty sure had they been alive during the suffragette movement they would have been at the front of the line. Both have taught me to have a voice and to always remember that no one is better or lesser than yourself so treat everyone as equals and not fear difficult scenarios.

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Aside from my grandmother and mum, there are two little ladies who empower and influence me every day and they are my daughters. As children, they both have a beautiful innocence and an unwavering sense of patience and forgiveness for others which inspires me. 

When we were talking, in the office, about what IWD means to us the conversation led us to believing in, and taking inspiration from, ourselves. With that in mind Sarah Belcher our event manager shared a little inspiration of her own.

“I am ‘Little Saz’ from Salford. Not a qualification to my name, but running events around the world, including my fav venue, Sydney Opera House. I’m a full-time working Mum and I am fab at both, my son is gorgeous and I made him! (well 50% of him) At work I fill the day with laughter, I am gameshow host and comedian. Day to day, I strive to be the best woman I can, and do you know what – I’m a belter!”

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I am lucky to be surrounded by inspirational women every day at Don’t Panic. So, my hope on International Women’s Day, for my daughters, colleagues and all women is that they do not still have to have the conversations we do today around equal opportunities and women’s rights, and that they will hopefully benefit from the years of hard work women have put into paving the way for a better future for women.

“Here’s to strong women: May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”

Helen Barkley, MD