News in brief
SPONSORSHIP Clipper Ventures has brought in Pitch PR to handle global PR for the Velux 5 Oceans Race, which gets under way in October 2006. The agency won a competitive pitch to secure the account.
CONSUMER Croatia and Montenegro property company Adriatic Living is on the hunt for its first PR firm. It wants to attract investors and holiday-home buyers ahead of property launches next year. Director is UK-based Gareth Wickramasuriya.
AGENCY London-based marcoms agency Fox Parrack Hirsch will go into administration next week, after which its directors will join French agency Fingapour to buy the assets, calling the new company Fox Parrack Fingapour. The PR arm of the business will close.
CONSUMER Fairtrade coffee and tea producer Cafédirect has hired Munro & Forster to handle a consumer brief. It replaces Honey, which resigned the account in July (PRWeek, 1 July).
AGENCY Porter Novelli has appointed Chris Bailey as creative director for its UK business. Bailey has formerly worked at ad agencies BBDO, J Walter Thompson and Grey.
CORPORATE NTL director of comms and policy Keith Monserrat will take the same role in the enlarged NTL/ Telewest entity. NTL's takeover of Telewest is subject to regulatory approval.
EXHIBITION A month-long exhibition is to open in Wakefield to coincide with the CIPR's 'Rebuilding Hope' conference in Leeds on 8 December. Cardiff City Council PR head Robert Webb, whose sister Laura was killed on 7 July, will open the exhibition.
FESTIVE BREAK Our next issue will be on 6 January 2006. We wish all readers a merry Christmas and happy new year.
