The inaugural Marketing & Advertising Recruitment Awards (MARAs) have been established to recognise recruitment agencies that have confronted recent challenges and shown outstanding achievements in their industry.

Only Marketing Jobs co-founder, Simon Lewis, commented: "For marketing & advertising recruiters the recent recession has presented many challenges, both for businesses and individuals.  These awards have been designed to reward excellence in our field.  Radical changes are afoot as recruiters are pressured to evolve and adopt new working practices.  idibu is an evolving business and, much like the requirement of today's recruitment businesses, malleable.  The link with idibu was obvious."

idibu account director, Martin Bramall, said of the company's involvement with the Awards: "As a fast growing business ourselves, we're always interested in growth areas and innovative ventures within the recruitment sector. In particular we are keen to endorse and work with enterprising initiatives such as the MARA Awards. Recent financial challenges have contributed to a tough recruitment landscape, where ‘adaptability' has become more and more important. It has long been a guiding principle behind everything we do at idibu and so the MARAs represent a great opportunity for us to integrate with like minded, adapting recruiters - a premise of these Awards."

The MARAs are open to all external recruitment agencies specialising within the UK marketing, advertising, PR & communications and media sectors.  The Awards have been endorsed by senior figures within both the recruitment and marketing fields, with APSCO chief, Ann Swain, and Marketing Society marketing director, Gemma Greaves, included on a heavyweight judging panel.

There are ten award categories, which include: Best Newcomer; Recruitment Innovation; Best Candidate/Client Experience; Best Regional Agency; Best Niche Agency; Most Effective Social Media Strategy; and Personality of the Year.

Recruiters have until Friday 20th August to enter their company for the MARAs.  Category finalists will be announced on 20th September.  The Awards will culminate with a spectacular gala on 25th November, held at the prestigious Grange Hotel, London.

For more information about the MARA's and to enter go to the official website: http://www.mara2010.com/

Twitter users can follow the chat and contribute using #mara2010

About idibu

Simple, reliable, affordable, idibu is the multi-posting partner to Michael Page International, The Randstad Group, SThree, NES Group, the NHS and many others.  As part of their involvement in these Awards, idibu is offering all entrants and users of the http://www.onlymarketingjobs.com/ an exclusive 3-week free trial of the full range of software packages.  For further information please email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 0870 6264268. Please quote MARA FREE TRIAL in any correspondence.