The roller-coaster world of publishing and awards came under the spotlight during an inspirational talk by one of the legends of the sector as part of the Manama Rotary Club series of community development initiatives.
The after lunch presentation entitled ‘Persistence, Resilience, and Redefining Success’ was presented by Red House Marketing publisher and founding director George Middleton, bringing alive the highs and lows of his professional journey.
The British-born Bahraini businessman, who has been a driving force in the region’s communications sector since 1979, reflected on navigating economic downturns and wars, as well as steering his company through the Covid-19 crisis and spearheading new opportunities.
“Over the previous four decades, I have managed to navigate successfully through two Gulf Wars, a ‘plague’, downturns in business cycles and civil unrest,” Mr Middleton said as part of this address.
“However, I found myself in an unprecedented situation during the Covid-19 pandemic, with revenues for our business drying up through cancellation of bookings, and the fact that nobody was even allowed to distribute print magazines to places like hotels, because it was against the regulations at the time.
“As the weeks and months rolled by, it finally dawned on me that in this new reality, all bets were off,” he added.
The creative entrepreneur turned a new leaf, pivoting toward digital transformation and vocational education initiatives to sustain business growth.
“We set up SOS Marketing, which handles campaigns for real estate, motoring and other clients, reaching tens of thousands of individuals on a targeted basis,” he explained.
“Our magazines have taken up the digital challenge, with our digital reach this year, for example, rising up to 1.8 million for Bahrain this Month.
“We made our entry into the world of education and vocational training, providing employability skills and opportunities for youth and unemployed youngsters in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in particular, which proved to be a rewarding distraction for the benefit of all concerned,” Mr Middleton said in his talk.
Red House Marketing is best known for publishing Bahrain This Month, which was launched in 1997 and arguably the first monthly magazine of its kind in the kingdom, covering lifestyle and social news.
Woman This Month, with a focus on the female readership, was launched in 2003 and has, over the years, showcased the achievements of women in Bahrain and beyond. Most recently, they launched the Woman Of The Year Awards (WOTYA), which is set to be staged in December this year and will honour 17 winners across six major categories.
Additionally, the publishing house has printed a series of supplements and guides, spanning education, hospitality and motoring, and other media for the US Navy in the kingdom.
“George’s talk captured the essence of what Rotary stands for – perseverance, purpose and service with compassion,” said Manama Rotary Club services director Noor Al Hayki.
“This year, our goal is to feature a diverse line-up of speakers representing various fields, providing our members with enriching perspectives that spark dialogue and inspiration,” she added.
The event coincided with the club’s 60th anniversary this year. Founded in 1965, the Rotary Club of Manama is Bahrain’s first and oldest Rotary Club, affiliated with Rotary International.
Mr Middleton commended the club’s continued focus on community empowerment.
&uuid=(email))