When Covid-19 first became serious in South Africa, The Bookmarks were already fully planned in the usual way, with key elements locked and tickets booked. Two weeks later, with guidance from the IAB CEO, I helped reinvent the entire event as an online-only property.

The Bookmarks is South Africa’s premier digital awards ceremony, and the pivot became an industry first, delivered entirely through Instagram Stories. It was a hard left turn, but it worked because the client trusted the shift, and I moved quickly from “planned event” to “new format” without losing the sense of occasion.