BUSINESS BUZZ: Next-Mark wins 11 awards at 2024 ADDYs, spanning multiple categories

Julie Blomquist, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·2 min read
The Next-Mark team celebrates the agency’s many victories at the ADDYs. They are JT Grano, left, Ashley Bernhardt, President Joseph Grano, Luke Piety, Ryan Hoevenaar, Travis Cornwell and Sawyer Lang.
The Next-Mark team celebrates the agency’s many victories at the ADDYs. They are JT Grano, left, Ashley Bernhardt, President Joseph Grano, Luke Piety, Ryan Hoevenaar, Travis Cornwell and Sawyer Lang.

Big night for Next-Mark at Addys

Sarasota-based marketing and communications firm Next-Mark earned 11 awards at the American Advertising Federation’s 2024 ADDY awards, “Light Up the ADDY’S,” at the Suncoast district awards ceremony.

Next-Mark excelled in several categories, including Out-of-Home & Ambient Media, Print Advertising, Online/Interactive Microsites, Sales & Marketing, Magazine Design, Elements of Advertising, Film, Video & Sound and Advertising/Media Industry Self-Promotion.

The most noteworthy awards won by Next-Mark were two Gold ADDYs, one for Out-of-Home & Ambient Media and the other for Advertising/Media Industry Self-Promotion, as well as the prestigious Judge’s Choice Amy Award for trade show design.

Among the work commended were project partnerships with the city of Sarasota, St. Armands Circle, international publishing giant Elsevier and the Sarasota Players.

Numbers up at SRQ for month and year

For the month of February, 430,348 passengers traveled through the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, a 9% increase compared with 393,807 passengers in February 2023.

The 12-month activity through February 2024 totaled 4,377,319 passengers, a 10% increase compared with 3,976,376 passengers for the 12 months through February 2023.

New artery procedure may prevent strokes

Two years ago, Tom Roberts suffered a heart attack and had successful bypass surgery. Since then, he’s lived an active life in Southwest Florida, golfing, biking and taking up tennis.

During a routine visit to the cardiologist recently, evidence of carotid artery disease was found even though he had no symptoms.

Carotid artery disease occurs when plaque builds up in one or two main arteries that come directly from the heart and provide blood to the brain. If left untreated, this buildup can slow blood flow or dislodge and travel through the artery to the brain, causing a potentially disabling stroke.

Carotid artery disease is estimated to be the source of stroke in up to a third of cases. Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. It is the fifth leading cause of death, with 1 in 20 adult deaths, many of which are preventable.

The cardiologist recommended that Roberts consult with a vascular surgeon. He met with general and vascular surgeon Dr. Issam Halaby to discuss his options.

Halaby recommended an innovative procedure called TransCarotid Artery Revascularization, now offered at HCA Florida Englewood Hospital, where he is a member of the medical staff.

TCAR is unique in that blood flow is temporarily reversed during the procedure so that any small bits of plaque that may break off are diverted away from the brain, preventing a stroke from happening. A stent is then placed inside the artery to stabilize the plaque, minimizing the risk of a future stroke.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Local marketing firm Next-Mark takes home gold and more from ADDYs