PICAs suspended, National Print Awards go ahead

The Print & Visual Communications Association has suspended the individual State Printing Industry Creativity Awards (PICAs) for this year. Instead, they will present a single, expanded National Print Awards competition.

The entry process for industry businesses will remain exactly the same, with those who have already entered their local PICA competition having their entries automatically transferred into the national competition. Any new entries will go straight into the pool for national judging. The new closing date for entries will be 22 April. Click here to enter.

PVCA says businesses in many areas of the country are concentrating on recovering from recent natural disasters, leaving little time to focus on PICAs. The association, which has hosted the annual printing awards for 39 years, says the move to Nationals only will allow for an extended entry deadline, streamlined judging, and presentation of all awards at the industry’s ‘night of nights’, slated for Thursday 30 June during PacPrint in Melbourne.

Peter Clark, newly-elected president of the PVCA, said the association had been busy over the past few days assisting printers – particularly those in flood-affected areas of Queensland and New South Wales – with HR and other business continuity issues.

“We are well aware of the long road to recovery ahead for many, and feel it’s not the right time to be celebrating when so many are suffering,” he says, pointing out that the latest challenges come on top of significant disruptions already caused by the pandemic over the past couple of years, and more recent international events.

“In this climate, we acknowledge that any request to locate and submit entries to a printing awards competition – no matter how much businesses value the recognition – is unrealistic.

“We have also this week been in contact with our sponsors including Media Super, Currie Group, Orafol, Ball & Doggett, Roland DG, Manroland Goss, Mutoh, Screen and Spicers who, while disappointed, agree with our position as they – like all suppliers – are busy assisting businesses with insurance claims and contingency plans, which will take some weeks to work through. Getting businesses back up and running obviously has to be the priority.”

With Covid delaying last year’s awards until late in the year, the 2022 PICAs were already requiring a quick turnaround for businesses to collate and prepare work printed over the past 12 months for entry. Now, business owners will have until 5pm on Friday 22 April to get their entries submitted.

“We have received a good number of entries already, many from the affected areas, and all those already received via the PICA entry process will automatically be entered into the National Print Awards, together with any received from this point,” Clark says, adding that the entry process will remain unchanged.

“While PICA presentations could potentially go ahead in some States, the PVCA felt that a blanket national approach was fairer and more transparent.

“We are fortunate this year to be able to look forward to an NPA Presentation Night during the industry’s foremost expo, PacPrint, at the end of June, which we know will attract print service providers from across the country. We are already talking to a high-profile personality to MC the event, and with an expanded field of entries in the National Print Awards, this will only add to the value and excitement of the event.

“We are committed to working with affected PVCA members to assist with recovery over the coming weeks and, in due course, look forward to seeing more entries come in from across Australia, to be recognised for excellence at the National Print Awards,” Clark says.

To find out more, review the Awards categories, and submit your entries via the now-familiar PICA-style entry process, go to https://bit.ly/PrintAwardsAU.