The Communiqué Awards will return for the 26th year in July 2024 to celebrate excellence in the healthcare communications industry, this time welcoming Neil Flash and Catherine Devaney as the new co-chairs of the judging panel.
Although they will be taking on the joint role for the first time, the pair are well-versed in the Communiqué judging process.
Flash, the owner of Ignition Consulting, took on his first Communiqué judging role in 2007, leading a panel of experts for the newest category at the time: Best Use of New Media.
“Who would have thought, fifteen years ago, that we would have moved from evaluating static websites to potentially assessing creative and content built with the support of cutting-edge generative AI platforms,” Flash said.
He continued: “Amid this radical transformation, one aspect remains unchanged: the significance of purpose, partnership, measurement and bravery reflected in the submitted work.”
Devaney, founder of Curious Health Communications, has also been a judge for the Awards for many years and she remarked on the “privilege of seeing incredible work from across the industry and the confidence of knowing just how rigorous the judging process is”.
Both also have experience on the other side of the judging process, having been entrants and winners.
“My first Communiqué Awards was in 1999,” Devaney said. “I was an account executive and in my first job in an agency. I was completely overwhelmed with the work that was showcased, and the community that I was part of. In some ways, our industry is unrecognisable from those days.”
Flash said: “I can remember every moment I stepped (or was carried!) onto the stage during the Awards as part of a winning campaign or agency team, or as a sponsor. On each occasion, I couldn’t help but contemplate the programme’s significance in enhancing the credibility of our industry and celebrating the exceptional work that it brings to life.”
As Devaney and Flash take on this new appointment, the current co-chairs – Jeremy Clark, founder and chairman at Clark Health Communications and Fiona McMillan, vice-president, international communications at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals – will be stepping down.
Commending the role that Clark and McMillan have played in shaping the Awards over the past two years, Flash said: “This makes inheriting the responsibility for the continued evolution of the Awards from these two remarkable communicators, both of whom I have had the privilege of working with over the years, somewhat overwhelming.”
Communiqué has been elevating and celebrating excellence within the healthcare communications industry since its inaugural ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel, London in 1998.
The Awards have become a calendar fixture in the industry, with Communiqué trophies being seen as a symbol of sector-leading work.
Winning a Communiqué Award continues to be an independent validation by an impartial, experienced team of industry leaders and can be a key driver for business growth, as well as for building morale with both internal and external stakeholders.
Unsurprisingly, the Awards have seen a significant amount of change in their 25-year history, with the Communiqué judging criteria and categories being carefully assessed and updated each year to reflect the evolving medical and pharmaceutical environments.
The 2023 Awards, held at the London Grosvenor House Hotel on 6 July, included 31 categories, covering healthcare communications and medical affairs, as well as individual, team and company honours.
Both Flash and Devaney hope that their time as co-chairs will help shape and develop the Awards even further.
Devaney outlined that they will continue to prioritise diversity within the judging panel, as well as ensuring that the integrity of the process will be maintained.
She added: “We will also be looking at ways that we can encourage and celebrate brave health programmes that have patient outcomes at their heart and help to build the reputation of our industry.
“We want to hear about smart strategies and innovative ideas that will help our industry continue to thrive. We want to see programmes that bring together stakeholders and communities to collaborate and tackle health and social issues in meaningful ways.”
Sharing a similar sentiment, Flash said: “Throughout my term as co-chair, my hope is that the Awards will become even more reflective of the industry’s ability to operate at the cutting edge of technology and the profound impact it has on the health landscape.
“Together with Catherine, and the entire Communiqué community, I am excited to embark on this transformative journey, elevating the Awards to even greater heights and celebrating the remarkable achievements that lie ahead.”
Looking ahead to next year, the Communiqué Awards 2024 will take place at The Grosvenor, London on Thursday 4 July. Entries will open in January 2024.
