Former Dennis Publishing CEO Alistair Ramsay has been appointed non-executive chairman of Imagine Publishing - one of the UK's fastest growing consumer specialist publishers. He will work with company founders Damian Butt, Mark Kendrick and Steven Boyd to drive acquisition and overseas growth.
"I'm really looking forward to getting involved," said Ramsay. "Imagine has strong publications and market positions, a talented and proven management team and supportive financial backers. It may be barely two years old, but it has enjoyed a meteoric start," he added.
Having joined Dennis Publishing in 1982, Ramsay rose to CEO in ten years, a position he held until 2005. He oversaw several acquisitions and launches, including Maxim, Auto Express, The Week and PC Pro, as well as launching Dennis in the US, which was sold recently for US$121 million. He also helped develop Dennis's worldwide licensing business.
"Alistair's consumer magazine experience will be invaluable to our future success," said Imagine Publishing managing director Damian Butt. "I'm extremely pleased to welcome him to the board. We've always respected Dennis Publishing and Alistair was at the heart of it for more than 12 years. He was responsible for the creation and development of many of the UK's best magazine brands."
Ramsay is also currently non-executive chairman of Imagine's magazine distributor Seymour and subscriptions marketing and fulfilment company Dovetail.
The 148-page title, priced at £3.99, gives special focus to hardware and retro gaming, while each issue also includes a 20-page mini-magazine dedicated to the massive multi-user online role-playing game ("MMORPG") market - the games market's fastest-growing sector.
The Bournemouth-based company is hoping the new title will become another award winner, after its flagship multiformat games magazine games" won two gongs at the Games Media Awards event in London in October. Many of Imagine's other independent videogames magazines, including Play, X360 and Retro Gamer, were also shortlisted.
"It's a fantastic endorsement from the industry for our hard-working team," Butt added. "Since its launch in 2002, the magazine has focused on quality and integrity in games journalism, and it's never lost its sense of wonder and enjoyment."
Some 400 guests will gather at the Victoria and Albert Museum for a champagne reception to get first sight of the impressive publication, produced by Boat International, which is now in its 21st year.
Gracing the libraries of many luxury vessels around the world, a complete collection of The Superyachts is currently valued at £10,000. The definitive work of reference to which existing and potential owners refer, the publication also provides a comprehensive guide to the latest projects by the best builders and designers in the luxury market, as well as containing a register of the world's top 100 yachts.
For the second year running, 4Projects has scooped the award for E-Commerce Product of the Year at the prestigious Construction Computing Awards 2007 ("The Hammers II"), which took place at the Novotel London Euston in November.
The market-leading project collaboration software provider was also nominated in two other categories - Product of the Year and Company of the Year.
"We are very proud," said 4Projects managing director Richard Vertigan. "Winning E-Commerce Product of the Year and being nominated for a further two awards is an excellent achievement and is recognition of how well the company continues to develop."
In November, 4Projects also took part in the Construction Computing exhibition at Arsenal FC's Emirates Stadium.
"Our collaborative extranet was at the heart of the construction of Arsenal's impressive football stadium," added Vertigan. "The smooth construction of the stadium is an excellent example of why 4Projects has twice won ECommerce Product of the Year."
The move will aid Anglian - the UK's leading home improvement company - in its drive to restructure its kitchens business and be better placed to meet increasing demands from its customers for quality, speed and efficiency.
"This new partnership is an important one for Planit," says Alastair McPheat, managing director of Kent-based Planit. "It adds another leading player in the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom industry to our client base."
"We're convinced Planit will make a significant difference to the development of our business," added Anglian marketing director Martin Troughton.
Returning in October for its 34th series, the show, produced by Hat Trick Productions, has become a TV comedy institution, attracting more than six million viewers.
Taking a satirical and irreverent look behind the week's headlines, the series features team captains Paul Merton and Ian Hislop, who are each joined by a guest, typically from the world of politics, journalism or comedy.
Since Angus Deayton's departure in 2002, a succession of quizmasters have hosted the ratings-winner, including Jeremy Clarkson, Joan Collins, Ronnie Corbett, Jack Dee, Boris Johnson, Des Lynam, Ann Widdecombe, Sir Trevor McDonald, Neil Kinnock, Charlotte Church and Bruce Forsyth. However, the record for chairing the show since Deayton is held by Alexander Armstrong (ten), star of The Armstrong & Miller Show, another Hat Trick offering.
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