Christchurch hosts successful Pride In Print Awards

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre played host to the premier event on the Kiwi print industry calendar on Friday night, when the Pride In Print Awards returned to the Garden City for the first time in five years.

The fast-paced evening was energetically MCed by the riffing Justine Smith and Jason Gunn – the latter particularly bringing the house down when needing to announce 17 consecutive Gold Medals for Rapid Labels, and breaking into an impromptu horse racing call.

PrintNZ chief executive Ruth Cobb said organisers were “extremely happy” with the event, which was attended by about 400 enthusiastic industry delegates.

“Entry levels were down on 2021, but that was expected because of the extensive lockdown in Auckland at the back end of the year, which meant a lot of businesses weren’t producing work,” she said.

“Then in the New Year, we had the onset of the new variant of Covid, so businesses didn’t have the staff to actually put the entries together.

“However, the number of awards given were actually only slightly down – and the standards were still very high.

“We are extremely happy – happy with the turnout, a brilliant venue and great to be able to come and see and talk to our industry people in person.”

Notable winners included:

• Supreme Award – Logick Print (fourth time winner)
• BJ Ball Papers Apprentice of the Year – Kosema Fuiono
• Trainer of the Year – Mandy Nilsson, Blue Star Constellation (runner-up Phil Norvill, ACI Screen & Print)
• Training Company of the Year – Polymer Systems International (runner-up ACI Screen & Print)
• Business Award for Sustainability – Soar Communications Group
• 100 Gold Medals – Rapid Labels (joining APC Innovate, Blue Star Wellington and Ovato NZ)

The full list of winners: