Apex wins Marketing Team of the Year at Network Group

Apex Computing has won the Marketing Team of the Year award at the Network Group 2026 Gala and was also shortlisted in two other categories.

The Manchester-based IT services provider was recognised at an event celebrating managed service providers, IT resellers and retailers across the Network Group community.

The award followed a shift to a fully in-house marketing model in 2025. Apex said the team developed its own strategy and expanded its work across events, webinars, video, social media and lead generation.

It was also shortlisted for MSP of the Year in the over £2.5 million turnover category and for Technical Team of the Year, giving the business recognition across three areas of its operation.

In-house shift

The marketing award follows Apex's decision to bring all marketing activity in-house. The move gave the company more direct control over brand messaging and customer engagement, it said.

The team also introduced marketing automation tools and placed greater emphasis on performance data in campaign planning. Internal engagement was another focus, with marketing staff working across departments to align campaigns with company culture.

Chris Gorman, chief executive officer of Apex, highlighted that wider support: "We are absolutely delighted to have received the Network Group 2026 Gala Marketing Team award. It feels like a just acknowledgment of all the incredible work carried out by the team this last year, as it has transitioned into the complete in-house management of all marketing efforts.

"I'm so proud of the way that the team, led by our amazing Marketing Manager, Rachael, has embraced its new responsibilities - and how well the rest of the Apex team have supported them. Marketing is often dismissed as of lesser value than many other business priorities. But the results driven by the Apex team this year show just how wrong that dismissal can be."

Wider role

Daniel Shone, founder and managing director of Apex, said the team's work had gone beyond campaign delivery.

"Rachael and the team have worked tirelessly this year, not only developing and executing campaigns but also sharing valuable insights that the whole Apex family have been able to learn from. Their work has helped strengthen our connection with customers and improve how we communicate our expertise.

"Over the last year, our focus has been on helping businesses across Greater Manchester and the wider North West better understand their IT, cyber security and digital transformation challenges, and feel more confident about the decisions they need to make. The marketing team has played a pivotal role in that effort."

Apex provides IT business solutions in Manchester and serves organisations across Greater Manchester and the wider North West. Recognition in the marketing, managed services and technical categories suggests judges viewed the business as a strong performer across both customer-facing and operational functions.

For Apex, the result marks a notable point in a period of internal change as it seeks to sharpen how it presents its services and engages with clients in a competitive regional IT market. The additional shortlistings also suggest its progress has extended beyond marketing into wider operations.