Two Wins in Two Weeks: From Breakthrough Talent to Innovation Champion

Some weeks, the cards just fall exactly right. 💛

I'm overjoyed to share that Ace Places has now won not one, but two awards in just two weeks – each one celebrating a different piece of our heart-led mission.

Last week, we were named Best Marketing, Advertising & PR in the South East at the highly regarded UK StartUp Awards – a huge moment that acknowledged how far we’ve come since launching this little deck of big ideas.

And now – deep breath – we’ve also taken home Excellence in Innovation at the highly respected Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Awards - the biggest. 🎉

That’s two trophies in two weeks. I'm still pinching myself.

💡 Why These Awards Matter

When I entered the Innovation category, I knew it might raise eyebrows – after all, when we hear the word innovation, we often think of technology, apps, or AI.

But Ace Places is innovating in a different way – we’re changing how towns spotlight their best independent businesses, local gems, and grassroots charities, all through the playful, tactile joy of a deck of cards.

And the best part? The only screen time involved is if you choose to go deeper – each card links to a story on our website, giving you the option to find out more about the brilliant people and places behind it. But only if you want to. ✨

This award recognises that sometimes innovation isn’t digital – it’s human, physical, and designed to connect people offline.

🏆 A Double Dose of Joy

The Best Marketing, Advertising & PR in the South East gave us a beautiful nudge of encouragement – recognition that this little spark is catching light. The Excellence in Innovation award says: “Keep going. This matters.” And I believe it does.

Together, these awards tell a story of creativity, resilience, and the magic of rethinking something simple – like playing cards – and giving it purpose.

We also made the final of the Most Promising New Business Category too which is a fiercely competitive but we were delighted that Erika from Assist Investigations took that trophy. We met via the Berkshire Growth Hub last year and she's a good egg.

🙌 A Huge Thank You

To everyone who’s been part of this journey – every organisation that features in our packs, our card club crew, our brilliant stockists,, every person who’s picked up a deck or shared our story and last but definitely not least, the amazing Nicola Metcalfe who illustrates every single playing card – this moment is yours too.

You’ve helped us grow from idea to impact.
And now we get to hold that up with pride (and a touch of glitter).

More than anything, these awards are reminders of the power of community, creativity, and a good old-fashioned card game.

That’s me in the blue standing in front of Kriss Akabusi – he is high energy and also a lover of one of my constantly used hashtags: #dreambig

Let’s keep playing.
— Emma ❤️♣️

📌 ICYMI: Read our first big win story – We’ve Been Dealt a Winner
🎉 And keep an eye on @aceplacescards for all the post-awards sparkle (Insta & FB).

📷 Photo caption (from left): Paul Britton - CEO Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce, Sarah Atkinson - Chair of Trustee Board Berkshire Youth, Emma Sweet - Ace Places, Lottie Pheasant - Kenton Theatre, Kriss Akabusi - Olympian medal-winner.