MarCommEd celebrates double shortlisting at CommsHero Awards
MarCommEd is thrilled to announce a remarkable double shortlisting at this year's CommsHero Awards. Our education communication platform, Arro, developed by MarCommEd, has been shortlisted in the "Best Use of AI" category, with Ryan Green nominated for his pivotal role. Adding to the excitement, Julia Benning, Head of Marketing and Communications at Stamford Park Trust, has been recognised for her outstanding contributions with a nomination for the "Unsung Hero Award."
Arro: Pioneering AI in education communications
The "Best Use of AI" award celebrates communications, marketing, or PR professionals who have leveraged AI in innovative and effective ways to streamline processes or power up campaigns. Arro, MarCommEd's flagship platform, stands out as a true leader in this space. "Arro - transforming the way schools and trusts manage communications" was designed to specifically address the unique communication needs within the educational landscape, understanding that parental engagement, student admissions, and operational efficiencies are intrinsically linked to robust communication strategies.
Arro distinguishes itself through its seamlessly integrated artificial intelligence capabilities, which are designed to ensure absolute confidentiality and data security, preventing any leakage or unauthorised access of sensitive educational data. Unlike conventional platforms that might feed data into extensive language models, Arro's AI features bespoke prompts and models meticulously designed around the distinct needs of education, delivering precise insights and actionable recommendations without compromising student safety or data integrity.
Julia Benning: Unsung Hero
The "Unsung Hero Award" recognises individuals who consistently go above and beyond in their communications, marketing, or PR careers, offering support and upliftment to their peers without seeking recognition.
Julia perfectly embodies this spirit - her dedication to professional excellence, collaboration, and community has been evident in the way she has developed CPD opportunities with the likes of Reach and Bauer Academy, to deliver crisis communications and media relations workshops for the MarCommEd network.
Julia proactively developed a program to train marketing and communications professionals in crisis communication and media management, generously creating and delivering workshops with follow-up support.
Over the course of the last year, Julia’s workshops have reached 300+ schools and colleges across the UK - solidifying relations between colleagues nationally. Her impactful workshops, including "Beyond the Headlines" in Derbyshire and the "Stamford Park Trust Media Workshop," have provided attendees with invaluable practical experience and strategies which have been tried and tested!
Julia’s strategic foresight and generosity in sharing her knowledge have significantly raised the standards and confidence of like-minded colleagues across sector. Members have consistently highlighted her approachable, empathetic style, which makes complex media and crisis management principles understandable and immediately applicable.
MarCommEd takes immense pride in Arro's innovative use of AI and in Julia Benning's profound impact on the communications community. These shortlistings are a testament to the dedication to raising the value and importance of communications and marketing in education. We look forward to the CommsHero Awards and celebrating these incredible achievements!
For more information on the CommsHero Awards, visit commshero.com/awards-2025/.
