33_Henries Judging.qxp_Grid 15/08/2024 16:18 Page 1
The Henries 2024 Judging Process
The Judging Colossus The Henries awards are the ultimate accolades in greeting card design, this year attracting 2,095 entries from 313 different greeting card publishers across the 19 product categories. PG explains the two-stage judging process, involving well over 100 retailers, to arrive at the finalists and winners of The Henries 2024. “Publishers’ engagement with The Henries 2024 broke new records, with 313 greeting card publishers entering, from established leading brands to brand new start-ups, collectively showcasing our industry’s incredible creative prowess,” commented Jakki Brown, managing director of Max Publishing, which owns and organises The Henries. “Likewise, the two-stage judging process has seen more retail buyers than ever casting their votes, both online and in person to arrive at the finalists and winners,” she added. As ever, The Henries were free to enter, making them accessible to all publishers. The first round of judging took place entirely online, which saw a judging panel of some 90 retail buyers cast votes to arrive at a shortlist. There were 15 shortlisted ranges in the vast majority of the product categories. These shortlisted ranges as well as all of the submissions for The Lynn Tait Most Promising Young Designer or Artist category featured at a physical judging event (which was held on 30 July at London’s Business Design Centre) with a judging panel comprising over 40 retail buyers, considering the actual greeting cards and giftwrappings and casting their votes to arrive at the finalists and winners for The Henries 2024. Top right: Cheers from the judging panel and PG team at The Henries 2024 physical judging event. Above: Red Card’s Sally Matson and Sean Austin of Austin & Co were among the 100+ buyers involved in the judging. Right: (left-right) Maxwell Roberts of Headrow Gallery, Shannon Fisher of Postmark, Tim Reynolds of Medici Gallery, Mark Janson-Smith of Postmark and PG’s Warren Lomax discuss the relative merits of some of the shortlisted ranges in the Best Photographic category.
The Henries 2024 Live Judging Panel l Sonya Adams, owner of Serendipity, Hale l Priya Aurora-Crowe, buyer/co-owner of Lark London, 23 stores l Sean Austin, owner of Austin & Co, Malvern l Anne Barber, owner of In Heaven at Home, Market Harborough l John Barratt, director of Card Centre, Felixstowe l Georgina Black, owner of Pretty Shiny Shop, Finsbury Park and Oval l Dale Boreham, head of card design, Moonpig l Debbie Brown, co-owner of First Class Greetings and Plum Green, Hadleigh l Jerry Brown, co-owner of First Class Greetings and Plum Green, Hadleigh l Deb Came, proprietor of Paperweight, Cardiff l Laura Clarke, buyer of Scribbler, 36 stores l Lauren Clarke, assistant buyer of Waterstones, 320 stores l Megan Douglas, card and giftwrap buyer, Waterstones, 320 stores l Lucy Eason, owner of George’s, Whitstable l Cilena Easton, owner of Artichoke, Tynemouth l Shannon Fisher, buyer of Postmark, 14 shops in London, Birmingham and Glasgow l Scarlett Ford, buyer of WHSmith, 500+ stores l Charlotte Green, buyer of Cardfactory, 1000+ stores l Mark Janson-Smith, co-founder of Postmark, 14 shops in London, Birmingham and Glasgow l Sandra Jervis, stationery boss lady of Creative Cove, Lampeter l Sarah Laker, chief stationery geek of Stationery Supplies, Marple and Wilmslow l Aga Marsden, owner of The Highworth Emporium, Highworth l Sally Matson, owner of Red Card, Petworth l Samantha Ody, head of buying of Cardzone Group, 300+ stores l Evonne Pearson, owner of The Hedgehog Bookshop l Katrina Raill, director of Etcetera, Hitchin l Caroline Ranwell, owner of Hugs & Kisses, Tettenhall l Andrew Reid, manager of Card Centre, Felixstowe l Olivia Reilly, co-owner of Little Boat Gifts, Brightlingsea l Peter Reilly, co-owner of Little Boat Gifts, Brightlingsea l Tim Reynolds, retail manager of Medici Gallery, Kensington l Maxwell Roberts, owner of Headrow Gallery, Leeds l Cheryl Sandbach, senior buying manager of Cardfactory, 1000+ stores l Jo Sorrell, owner of Cardies, Stevenage l Helen Southgate, owner of Cards N Things, Hellesdon l Paul Southgate, owner of Cards N Things, Hellesdon l Serge Sumerling, owner of Nor, Beckenham and West Norwood l Ruth Taylor, merchandise and buying administrator of Scribbler, 36 stores l Lauren Thomas, buyer of Tesco, 4,000+ stores l Emma Thurgood, manager of Sincerely Yours, Hornchurch and Shenfield l Kaye Thurgood, owner of Sincerely Yours, Hornchurch and Shenfield l Jo Webber, owner of Jo Amor, Tiverton l Andrew Webb, partnership manager of Scribbler, 36 stores l Nigel Williamson, partner of House of Cards, seven shops in the Home Counties PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS 33