PR by a Makovsky team that organized a black-tie gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art honoring ten individuals and organizations fighting global extremism won the top prize at the firm's in-house awards program.

The “Mak Awards” celebrated its 20th anniversary this year.

Wolf Blitzer speaking at Global Hope CoalitionWolf Blitzer speaking at the Global Hope Coalition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Aerial photo of Global Hope CoalitionAerial photo of the event.

photos: Makovsky

“It is so important to recognize the excellent work our employees do for our clients with the highest level of passion, creativity and loyalty,” said Ken Makovsky, president and founder.

Makovsky’s “Energy team” received a trophy and a cash prize of $5,000 for executing a program for the Met event in less than a month. Hosted by the Global Hope Coalition, it drew an attendance of 400.

The firm was approached to come up with a big idea in the U.S. with a focus of fighting violent extremism. An event was recommended. Makovsky’s Washington, D.C. team led the project, and nearly all the practices in the firm contributed to the event's success.

The client asked the firm to organize a gala dinner during the UN General Assembly week in mid-September for 300 heads of state, government ministers and senior officials, business leaders, cultural icons, philanthropists, and human rights activists.

Also sought was a high-profile journalist emcee, an outstanding venue and top tier media attendance. With only four weeks until the UN General Assembly week, the clients request seemed nearly impossible, but Makovsky rose to the challenge and set to work.

Recipients of the Coalition awards were:

  • Abdihafid Yussef Abdi (Kenya), for his courageous and innovative work as a co-founder of Teachers Against Violent Extremism, a network of educators fighting radicalization in Kenya.
  • Nicholas Kristof (USA), New York Times columnist, for his steady focus on the root causes and cultural and political ramifications of violent extremism.
  • Turki Al-Dakhil (Saudi Arabia), Director General of Al-Arabiya TV, for his outspoken advocacy of tolerance, freedom of the press, the rights of minorities and women in the Gulf region.
  • A team of students at the Rochester Institute of Technology (USA), who won the Peer-to-Peer Challenging Extremism Initiative award organized by the State Department, for their innovative approach to countering hate speech on the internet.
  • Nadia Murad (Iraq), a Yazidi woman who survived the massacre of her family and sexual enslavement by ISIS, for her valorous exposure of atrocities committed by terrorists against her people.
  • Hafsat Mohammed (Nigeria), a former radio journalist-turned-civil society activist, for her resilient campaign against religious intolerance in Nigerian schools and for leading a grassroot multi-faith effort to denounce Boko Haram.
  • Serge and Beate Klarsfeld (France and Germany), for their lifetime dedication to expose and bring to justice Nazi war criminals and their tireless efforts to use the lessons of history to denounce racism and bigotry.
  • Emanuel Jal (South Sudan), musician, actor, former child soldier, and political activist, for his engagement to bring peace and reconciliation to his people through music and art.
  • Li Yongjun (China), for his innovative leadership in preserving and promoting intangible cultural heritage in China and around the world.

PogoTec Team Won Second Prize

PogoTec’s PogoCamPogoTec’s PogoCam

Second prize in the Mak Awards went to the firm’s Corporate + Consumer team for its work with PogoTec to launch PogoCam, “the world’s smallest and lightest camera attachable to eyewear.” The team was awarded a trophy and cash prize of $3,500.

Honorable mention went to the Financial + Professional Services team for work for Trinseo, global specialty chemicals and materials company. It raised investor awareness after the company posted record earnings for 2016. It also coordinated Trinseo’s first Investor Day and its successful efforts to broad the investor base. Print coverage was expanded and there were multiple appearances for CEO Abhinav Keswani on business shows including CNBC’s “Power Lunch.

Judges Are From Leading Companies

Awarding the prizes are executives from companies including Pfizer, IBM, GE Capital, JPMorgan, Johnson & Johnson, Hess Corp., Quest Diagnostics, Reckitt Benckiser Group, KPMP, Eagle Pharmaceuticals and Ness Digital Engineering.

Makovsky practice areas include Health, Financial + Professional Services, Energy + Sustainability, Technology, Digital and Corporate + Consumer. Founded in 1979, the firm attributes its success to its “original vision: that Power of Specialized Thinking,” a phrase it has trademarked, “is the best way to build reputation, sales and fair valuation for a client.

Based in New York and Washington, D.C., it is partners with nearly 2,000 professionals in 30 countries through the IPREX network of PR firms, of which Makovsky is the founder.

It is No. 29 in the 2017 O’Dwyer’s ranking of PR firms with $13.1 million in fees and 56 employees.