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A dedicated hearing professional has been crowned the UK’s top audiologist after a closely fought competition.

Duncan Collet-Fenson of Aston Hearing Services in Amersham has scooped the coveted title of Audiologist of the Year 2016, after a heartfelt nomination from one of his patients swung the judges’ decision. The award, in its ninth year, is run in partnership between Rayovac, a world leading hearing aid battery manufacturer* and a division of Spectrum Brands Inc., Audio Infos, a leading international hearing publication for the audiology industry, and the European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (EHIMA), which represents Europe’s major hearing instrument manufacturers.

The competition celebrates the very best in the hearing care profession, inviting patients from 10 countries across Europe to share their stories and say how their audiologist has made a difference to their lives. With hundreds of nominations that are anonymously judged, the independent panel of industry judges has been busy deliberating over the summer, with Duncan ultimately being announced as the UK winner.

Duncan was nominated by his patient Nicola Magrath, a mother of two with long-term hearing loss.

Nicola said: “Thanks to the continued support of Duncan my story is a happy but complex one. He and his team have been there for me at every turn.

“From childhood I had an 80% hearing loss in one ear and normal hearing in the other. I lived happily with this until I experienced Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL) in my ‘normal hearing’ ear. My life had changed; I could no longer hear. With a young family I desperately needed to reconnect to the hearing world.

“I feel very fortunate at this point to have discovered Aston Hearing Services and to have met Duncan. With patience and understanding he guided me through the options and was always available to answer questions. This was especially important as I undertook more challenges and new, noisier situations.

“Duncan provides care and support well beyond the provision of hearing aids. I felt my personal story could help people understand the impact of SSHL and I have worked together with Duncan on a campaign to raise public awareness of the condition. We often give group talks and have published articles in magazines. We even ran a cookery course for a group of ladies who had similarly lost their hearing. This was a great success and allowed us all to share feelings of loneliness and isolation caused by hearing loss.

“My relationship with Duncan and his team is one of complete trust. I am very fortunate to have Duncan as my audiologist and friend and he deserves to be recognised for all his hard work and support to all his clients.”

Judge Søren Hougaard, from EHIMA, said: “Every year we receive so many inspiring nominations and it’s wonderful to celebrate the admirable work of audiologists across Europe. On behalf of all at EHIMA, I’d like to congratulate this years’ winner and thank every hearing professional across Europe for the incredible difference they’re making to their patients’ lives.”

Paula Brinson-Pyke, Marketing Director at Rayovac, said: “We’re delighted to announce Duncan as the UK winner. His hard work, dedication, patience and kindness really shone through and I know it was a very difficult decision for the panel of judges to make.

“Nine years into the competition and still, every year, we’re overwhelmed by the heart-warming entries we receive. The entries show that this really is more than just a job; the level of dedication and care demonstrated by the nominee is phenomenal. Audiologist of the Year is an award we’re very proud to have founded and continue to back alongside our partners EHIMA and Audio Infos. Now we can look forward to celebrating the overall European winner at our upcoming event in October. I’d like to wish all our country winners the very best of luck!”

Judging is now taking place to decide which of the country winners from the participating countries will win the overall title of European Audiologist of the Year. The winner will receive a cash prize along with a certificate, which will be presented at the annual Evening of Excellence in Hannover this October.

The world’s number one selling hearing aid battery manufacturer*, Rayovac, is announcing an array of digital upgrades to its ProLine Programme at EUHA 2015.

Designed with the needs of the modern day audiologist at the forefront, the updated range will include a dedicated ProLine website and new category management tool, providing tips and advice to help audiologists boost sales.

The Rayovac ProLine programme supports audiology business growth around the world.

The new, dedicated website, which is to be unveiled for the first time this October, will further enhance this support. Included within the website is a digital overview of the ProLine Programme and its benefits, as well as access to a benchmarking tool, which audiologists can use to calculate potential business growth.

Within the site, a members only area with an individual login, will offer additional resources, downloadable ProLine materials, videos, online ordering, digital content and updated news. An interactive Category Management Tool provides members with a unique virtual experience, showcasing footage of an audiology practice and highlighting various point of sale tips and advice that can be used to boost battery sales and use space effectively.

The move follows the launch of Rayovac’s brand new ProLine packaging line in 2014. Rayovac invested significantly in the packaging range, providing a professional, fresh new look with extensively improved features aimed at both the audiologist and consumer.

Paula Brinson-Pyke, Director of Marketing at Rayovac, said: “Our entire ProLine programme has been designed around the audiologists we work with to offer them a full solution, above and beyond our quality batteries.”

“We are committed to enhancing our digital offer so that our members can benefit from an integrated on and offline programme. Through the new website and virtual content, ProLine members can access whatever they need at the touch of a button.”

“Over the last few years, Rayovac has invested significantly in our entire ProLine Programme to meet the needs of our customers and we’re delighted to be unveiling theselatest updates.”

The ProLine Programme includes a wide range of marketing opportunities, from displays and loyalty programmes, to a wide range of marketing materials and other promotions.

Rayovac’s ProLine packaging incorporates an easy-to-use secure double dial and ratchet feature, making batteries much easier to dispense.

As well as the significant improvements to the user experience, features such as the packaging’s four-colour imprint option, allow audiologists the opportunity to customise the battery packs with their details in full colour.

With a 35% larger print area, allowing for more flexibility, there is the opportunity to create greater brand awareness for businesses – tailoring the battery packaging to the audiologists’ individual requirements.

World leading** hearing aid battery manufacturer Rayovac will be celebrating its 110th anniversary this year by showcasing its high-performance batteries at the 61st EUHA Congress in Hannover, Germany, this October (19th-21st).

Visitors to Rayovac’s stand (B03) at the high-profile hearing industry event will be able to find out about the battery manufacturer’s latest technology, which is designed to give hearing aid users their best battery experience from start to finish guaranteed*.

The innovative technology brings consistent, high-quality performance throughout the life of the battery, delivering power on demand in all hearing situations and offering continued peace of mind for hearing aid users.

Visitors to the stand can also discover more about Rayovac’s business builder programme; the Rayovac ProLine Excellence Club.

Designed with audiologists in mind, the Excellence Club offers a high-performance premium product combined with a first class service, including a customisation programme, a speedy tracked shipping service, eye-catching marketing materials and more.

Also on show at EUHA will be Rayovac’s new EXTRA Premium Packaging, which further enhances the firm’s cutting-edge packaging portfolio. The innovative new packaging is designed to be much easier to handle, bringing added benefit for users with dexterity issues.

The colour-coded and front-facing tabs are 25% larger*** making for easier removal and insertion into hearing devices, while thicker, more robust card, not only allows for easier handling but also supports greater product protection for safer shipping and storage.

Paula Brinson-Pyke, Director of Marketing at Rayovac, a division of Spectrum Brands (UK) Ltd., said: “This is a significant year for Rayovac as we’re celebrating 110 years at the forefront of the battery industry, continuously developing technological advancements that keep us at the cutting edge.

“We are thrilled to be taking our anniversary celebrations to the 61st EUHA Congress in Hannover and can’t wait to give visitors to our stand an insight into our latest high performance products and significant packaging upgrades.

“At Rayovac our customers come first and we’re also really excited to tell audiologists and hearing professionals more about the Rayovac ProLine Programme, which we are continually developing to give audiologists the very best support and advice to help build their practice.

“This year promises to be another fantastic year at EUHA and we look forward to welcoming visitors to our stand.”

During its time in Hannover, Rayovac will also host its annual Evening of Excellence event. The occasion has become an annual highlight in the hearing industry calendar, when the company will reveal the overall winner of the prestigious European Audiologist of the Year competition.

To find out more about Rayovac’s latest innovations, visit stand B03 between 19th and 21st October, at EUHA.

Rayovac, a division of Spectrum Brands Inc, are a proud member of the European Portable Battery Associate (EPBA) and take the safety of consumers very seriously.

The EPBA is the authoritative voibattery-safety-ence of the portable power industry and have recently prepared guidance for parents and the medical profession on the topic of battery ingestion so they have the necessary information to handle button/coin cells safely.

They also aim to highlight the steps medical professionals should take if an incident occurs.

What’s been done already?

The battery industry is already taking significant measures to limit the risk of battery ingestion.  These include:

• Placing warning notices on packaging of ingestible size batteries (i.e. AAA and smaller).
• Participating in the standards development process for battery-powered electronics and toys, with focus on making access to batteries harder for children, such as ensuring secure battery compartments.
• Working through the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and other standard setting organisations to continuously improve battery construction, product safety and harmonization of caution notices/safety pictograms.
• Striving to make battery packaging more childproof for certain battery types that are particularly susceptible to misuse.

Recommendations

Please familiarise yourself with the EBPA and Button Battery Safety website. This is a highly useful resource of information in case you are asked questions on battery safety.

	General risks
	Practical tips for parents to limit the risks of battery ingestion by children
	Learn about treatment and advice for professionals

If you should have any questions internally, from customers, members of the public or medical professionals, you should direct them here http://buttonbatterysafety.com

Here at Rayovac we’re committed to supporting charitable causes and it’s something our whole team is proud to get behind.

We’ve long partnered with Audition Solidarité, a hearing charity based in France, with our links going back as far back 2008 when we donated hearing aid batteries to its annual humanitarian missions and our support has continued to grow ever since.

Donations such as ours allow Audition Solidarité to continue its life-changing work, making a difference to the lives of those suffering from hearing loss and deafness across the world.

Arnaud Martin, Rayovac Sales Manager for France and Belgium, said: “It is fantastic to be able to give back to a cause we’re truly passionate about and we hope to raise even more in the future.”

Rayovac’s ongoing charity projects span Europe, Africa and Asia, and include regular support for UK charity Hearing Dogs for the Deaf and German charity, Deutschen Schwerhorigenbundes (DSB).

Our ‘Love Your Hearing’ campaign, which we ran earlier this year, proved a great success on social media. The campaign, which took place over Valentine’s Day, was packed with hints, tips and infographics on how to look after your hearing and featured a fantastic prize giveaway.

Our Love Your Hearing hints and tips were heard far and wide: the campaign reached more than 50,000 people on Facebook alone and we were inundated with entries to our competition.

After the success of the campaign on social media, it was time to get employees from across Rayovac’s parent company, Spectrum Brands, involved in learning a little more about hearing and hearing loss. Again we shared the Love Your Hearing message, hints and tips and really got everyone talking.

You can join in the conversation and see Rayovac’s upcoming social media campaigns by visiting www.facebook.com/HearwithRayovac or twitter.com/HearwithRayovac.

The world’s leading hearing aid battery manufacturer, Rayovac, has showcased its latest advancements at top hearing exhibitions around the world.

Rayovac, a division of consumer products company, Spectrum Brand Holdings Inc., recently exhibited a host of innovative new developments to its product lines as far afield as France, UK, USA, Dubai and Australia.

The battery manufacturer, which exports around the world, exhibited at the prestigious UNSAF Congress in Paris, France in March, and the AAA in Phoenix, Arizona in April. Next on the calendar for the global brand was Dubai’s Otolaryngology Conference, Audiology Australia in Melbourne and the BSHAA in the UK, which all took place in May.

Rayovac has invested heavily to ensure it continues to lead the way in technological advancements – pushing the boundaries of hearing aid battery capabilities further than ever before. Visitors to Rayovac’s eye-catching stands had the opportunity to discover these cutting-edge advancements first-hand.

Battery innovation on show included ‘Clear Sound Technology’, a performance innovation found in Rayovac’s ProLine and EXTRA Advanced Premium ranges. Designed to offer the power and consistency needed to meet the demands of today’s high-tech hearing aids, Clear Sound Technology ensures users receive a consistently high-power performance throughout the life of the battery, no matter the device.

Rayovac has also updated its ProLine programme for 2016, offering audiologists the very best in hearing aid battery technology, combined with superior service, premium packaging and an array of digital tools designed to help grow business and drive revenue. ProLine customers benefit from a full colour packaging customisation service, meaning practice details can be printed directly onto packs, as well as speedy shipping and a wide range of pack sizes. Rayovac has also launched a new B2B website exclusively for ProLine customers, allowing partners to order batteries and download marketing materials at the click of a mouse.

Additional advancements on display included upgrades to Rayovac’s EXTRA Advanced packaging, designed to offer a range of benefits to hearing aid users and retailers alike. Fresh, vibrant colours ensure packaging will stand out on shelves, while battery tabs are now larger* for ease of use.

Glen Rutherford, General Manager at Rayovac, said: “At Rayovac, we’re constantly investing and evolving to ensure our products remain at the forefront of hearing aid battery technology and that our customers continue to enjoy the very best experience from our products and services.

“It is fantastic for us to be able to meet delegates at exhibitions and showcase our latest innovations, of which we’re extremely proud. 2016 is an exciting year for us; our battery range is better and more powerful than ever before and our packaging upgrades bring benefits for both users and audiologists alike.”

The latest updates are just some of the innovations to come out of the purpose-built Spectrum Brands Institute of Design and Technology, which opened its doors at the end of 2013 and is already having an impact on Rayovac’s products and the market as a whole.

Hearing care professionals from across Europe are in the running for a top industry award after nominations flooded in from hundreds of grateful patients. With the prestigious Audiologist of the Year competition now closed for entries, judges now have the difficult task of deciding who will be crowned this year’s winner.

The award, now in its ninth year, is run in partnership between Rayovac, the world’s number one hearing aid battery manufacturer* and a division of Spectrum Brands Inc., Audio Infos, a leading international hearing publication for the audiology industry, and the European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (EHIMA), which represents Europe’s major hearing instrument manufacturers and promotes ongoing research related to hearing instruments.

Each year, the three organisations come together to celebrate the very best in the hearing care profession, inviting patients from 10 countries across Europe to nominate their hearing care professional for the inspiring hearing industry accolade.

This year, people from the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland all shared their hearing stories, describing how their audiologists have changed their lives for the better.

An independent panel of hearing professionals from across Europe are now hard at work, tasked with the difficult challenge of selecting the very best from hundreds of entries. Judges will first select a winner from each of the 10 countries taking part, before deciding who from that elite group will go to take the European title.

In particular, judges are looking to reward the audiologists who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to provide exceptional levels of support and service to their patients.

This year’s winner will follow in the footsteps of Austrian audiologist Herdis Menhardt, who was crowned as 2015 European winner after an emotional nomination from her patient, Susanne. Susanne’s son was treated by Herdis shortly after he was born, changing his life for years to come.

Country winners will be announced in September, before these 10 country champions go head to head to battle it out for the title of European Audiologist of the Year. The overall European winner will be revealed at the upcoming EUHA Congress in Germany this October, when the winning audiologist and their nominating patient will also scoop an incredible prize bundle.

Paula Brinson-Pyke, Marketing Director at Rayovac, said: “Everyone at Rayovac is incredibly proud to be part of a competition that rewards such worthwhile work and we wish all of this year’s nominees luck in the judging process.

“Rayovac has worked closely with the hearing care industry for almost 80 years and we know just how much of a difference audiologists can make to a person with hearing loss. The fact that patients take the time to enter on behalf of their audiologists, sharing stories of care and dedication, highlights just how life-changing the work of hearing care professionals is.

“With so many worthy nominations, the judges always have an incredibly difficult time in deciding a winner and this year will be no different. We’re thoroughly looking forward to seeing the country winners announced in September and celebrating along with the overall European champion when they’re crowned the following month.”

* Based on internal company estimates

There’s still time for hearing care professionals to be in the running for a prestigious industry award that sees the best of Europe’s audiologists compete to be crowned Audiologist of the Year.

Audiologist of the Year, which attracts hundreds of nominations from patients across the UK and Ireland every year, celebrates and rewards hearing care professionals who go above and beyond the call of duty in caring for their patients.

The competition invites patients from 10 European countries to nominate their hearing practitioner by describing the difference they have made to their lives.

Now in its ninth year, Audiologist of the Year is run by Rayovac, the world’s number one hearing aid battery manufacturer and a division of consumer products company, Spectrum Brand Holdings Inc., Audio Infos, a leading international hearing publication for the audiology industry, and the European Hearing Instrument Manufacturer’s Association (EHIMA), which represents Europe’s major hearing instrument manufacturers and promotes ongoing research related to hearing instruments. With the search for this year’s winner already underway, entries are coming in thick and fast from patients who have nominated their hearing practitioners as a means of saying ‘thank you’ for their care and support. These heartfelt stories highlight the hard work of the country’s best audiologists and why they deserve to be rewarded on an international stage.

The winning audiologist will receive £250 plus a generous PR package to help them promote their practice or department, while the patient who wrote the winning entry is also eligible for a cash prize and a gift bundle worth £200.

After the 8th July 2016 deadline, a panel of industry judges will decide on a winner from each of the 10 participating countries in September. Once these winners are announced, the top audiologists from the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland will battle it out for the title of European Audiologist of the Year.

This year’s winner will join an impressive list of audiologists to have already held the title. Last year, it was Herdis Menhardt from Austria who was crowned as European winner after an emotional nomination from her patient, Susanne. Herdis treated Susanne’s son shortly after he was born with hearing difficulties, changing his life forever.

Paula Brinson-Pyke, Marketing Director at Rayovac, said: “The Audiologist of the Year competition is always a highlight of our annual calendar and 2016 already looks set to be bigger and better than ever. The hearing industry contains some truly outstanding professionals and it is fantastic to be part of something that recognises and rewards their dedication and hard work.”

“Every year we look forward to entries coming in, they’re always inspirational and illustrate the profound effect that audiologists have on their patients’ lives. While it is patients who nominate, audiologists are encouraged to promote the competition in their practice as this is the first step to possibly being crowned Europe’s best.”

Entries can be submitted online at www.audiologistoftheyear.co.uk

Entries close on 8th July 2016. All nominations must be submitted by patients, however audiologists can promote the competition in their practice by downloading promotional materials from the competition website.