Samantha Loveday takes on the role of editor and Katie Roberts-Mason joins the team to strengthen the title’s nursery content.
Progressive Preschool and PreschoolNews.net have started the new month with a new look editorial team.
Samantha Loveday – who was contributing editor on the publication, covering the toy and licensing categories – steps into the role of editor, following the departure of Jacqui Parr who has taken a great opportunity to step into a new role outside of the Max Publishing business following a very successful 11 year tenure.
Samantha (pictured left) will be supported by Katie Roberts-Mason (pictured right), who joins with the remit of further strengthening the nursery content in both the magazine and on the website.
Katie and Samantha originally worked together on toy industry trade title ToyNews a number of years ago, before Katie moved on to join KD UK as the company’s consumer marketing manager, giving her in-depth knowledge of the supplier side of the business. Since 2015, she has been freelancing in copywriting, marketing, social media and web roles for Good Play Guide, community interest company Families in Focus and Kilogrammedia, as well as contributing to a number of other publications in the Max Publishing stable.
Katie also has two preschool age daughters – Lottie (5) and Frankie (3) – making her a strong addition to the team.
“Progressive Preschool is such a lovely title and both the publication and the awards are held in such high esteem by the industry thanks to the great work that Jacqui has done; it’s a big honour to take the helm,” said Samantha. “With retail getting ready to re-open and people ready to get back to business after the latest lockdown, now is a perfect time to give the magazine a bit of a refresh and the team have got some great ideas for the content, look and feel to further underline its credentials and unique cross-category offer for suppliers, distributors and retailers across the preschool industry.
“I’m really looking forward to working with Katie again, who is ready and waiting to meet the nursery industry, and who comes complete with her own adorable focus group of Lottie and Frankie.”
Jacqui had been editor of Progressive Preschool since the magazine’s launch in 2012, working with Max Publishing’s director, Rob Willis, to grow not only the publication but also the trade’s only preschool-dedicated awards event, the Progressive Preschool Awards which will return later this year on Thursday 11 November.
Samantha will also retain her role as editor of Licensing Source Book and LicensingSource.net. Jo Pilcher continues as Progressive Preschool and PreschoolNews.net’s very popular advertisement manager