Fire Safety Matters wins Business Publication of the Year Award

Pictured (Left to Right): Mark Sennett (CEO and co-owner of Western Business Media and the founder of Fire Safety Matters), marketing manager Estie Adamczyk, designer Alex Romero, sales manager Leanne Velez and Fire Safety Matters’ Editor Brian Sims

Taking place on 24 November at etc. Venues in London’s Houndsditch, the prestigious PPA Independent Publisher Awards featured no fewer than 25 categories. Fire Safety Matters was a shortlisted finalist in four of them: Business Publication of the Year, Media Brand of the Year, Commercial Partnership of the Year (in conjunction with the Fire Industry Association for the FIA Guide to the UK Fire Safety Industry 2022-2023) and Event of the Year (in recognition of the inaugural edition of Fire Safety Matters Live, which ran at the CBS Arena in Coventry back in mid-June).

Commenting on the Business Publication of the Year category in the event’s programme, the PPA said: “The best business publications are highly respected and trusted by professionals in their sector, who turn to them for insight and opinion that matters. This award recognises the title that has excelled in representing its sector and truly delivers value for its audience.”

In their summation statement for the category, the Judges explained: “We loved this entry. It was full of facts, contained plenty of impressive numbers to back up the narrative and evidenced lots of joined-up thinking.”

Having triumphed in the Commercial Partnership of the Year Award at this event in 2022, and then subsequently picking up a Special Commendation at the main PPA Awards 2023 in the Media Brand of the Year category, Fire Safety Matters has now won what is arguably the most prestigious accolade that could be bestowed upon a business-to-business magazine: Business Publication of the Year.

As an organisation, East Grinstead-based Western Business Media was nominated in ten categories this time around and, on the day, won two further accolades: Independent Publishing Company of the Year (Annual Turnover of Less Than £3 million) and Relaunch of the Year, with the trophy for that category being bestowed upon Fire Safety Matters’ sister title in the company, namely Logistics Matters.

Support and engagement

Western Business Media’s CEO and co-owner Mark Sennett commented: “This has been the proudest week of my career. We acquired Professional Security Installer, Benchmark and Risk Xtra magazines from Pro-Activ Publications to add to our security portfolio and then went on to win three categories at the PPA Independent Publisher of the Year Awards. Words cannot describe how thrilled we are to win these awards. We would like to thank all of our members of staff, our clients and, of course, our magazines’ audiences for their ongoing support and engagement.”

Brian Sims, Editor of Fire Safety Matters, stated: “Fire Safety Matters became a standalone title in the early stages of 2020 at the point at which the Editor’s role was entrusted to myself by Mark Sennett and his co-directors at Western Business Media, namely Keith Gabriel and Danny Kosifou. For the magazine to be recognised with such a prestigious award less than three years later, and to have won another award and a Special Commendation across the intervening period, is testament to the reputation that it has diligently built in the fire sector for being the must-read and trusted publication among practising professionals.”

Sims continued: “I would like to pay a huge tribute to my colleagues who work on the tile with me and who have played an integral and vital role in its success. They are sales manager Leanne Velez, designer Alex Romero, marketing manager Estie Adamczyk, marketing administrator Jo Fee, production manager Sharon Miller and web developer Chris Whatley. Special thanks also go to Keith Gabriel and Danny Kosifou for their continual backing and superb stewardship of the business.”

Further, Sims noted: “Of course, Mark Sennett founded the original Fire and Security Matters magazine, which then morphed into Fire Safety Matters and Security Matters, for which I also serve as Editor, and laid the foundations for this success through particularly skilful brand management and forging an extremely strong working relationship with all of the key players and organisations present in the fire sector.”

In conclusion, Sims explained: “Thank You so much to all of our commercial partners, our readers and our industry partners and supporters. Everything that we do is for you and, in parallel, the betterment of the fire industry. We hugely appreciate your ongoing support and excellent contributions.”