Good news night at NSW PICAs for Offset Alpine

No doubt about it, Offset Alpine was on fire at last week’s NSW PICAs, taking five golds and Printer of the Year. Mitchell Jordan went along to find out the big winners of New South Wales.

Printing awards always bring out the best – and sometimes the worst – in our industry; but before I get accused (again) of trumpeting the bad news, let’s begin with the good. For a start, 420 people attended, a record number for the NSW awards, and whilst entries were down, the number of companies that did enter had increased to an all-time high – interesting considering the rapidly contracting nature of the industry.

Indeed, retiring NSW Printing Industries president, Peter Carrigan, acknowledged how grim things have been. “2010 will go down as one of the most devastating years of our industry,” he said, referring to the mass closures of some well known and award winning businesses.

Pictured: The team at Scot Telfer (right)'s Southern Colour NSW took home three golds on the night.

 

As usual, competition was fierce, egos were rampant and the crowd were rowdy. Luckily, the night’s MC, Paul McDermott of Good News Week fame did a good job of keeping most people in line, though by the end of the night requested a “bit of f---in’ shut-mouth.” Not mentioning any names, you know who you are.

Of course, with 420 people packed into a room you can hardly expect perfect behaviour. Seating arrangements are always an issue: who deserves prime position and who should be placed at the back of the room like naughty school children? Thanks must go to Printing Industries’ Joe Kowalewski, national director, marketing and media services, for putting the media so close to the stage, meaning that taking photographs was easy and did not require negotiating one’s way through a sea of seats with only seconds to grab the perfect photo. Not that all media made the most of the opportunity: yours truly was the only journalist to stay for the entirety of the awards with the others making their exit earlier on. Thank heavens for press releases, right?

Pictured: Garth Hackett, sales and marketing director of Offset Alpine collects the big award: Printer of the Year.

It was also fortunate that Offset Alpine were located within close proximity to the stage, because by the end of the night they had a well-worn path, collecting five golds, four business awards and the big one: Printer of the Year. Garth Hackett, who accepted the last award, paid special thanks to the team at the Lidcombe-based printer. “We look forward to next year,” he added.

Such a short acceptance speech meant he copped some ribbing from McDermott, though Offset Alpine have never been known for hogging the limelight, and in my years as a print journalist often proved reluctant to speak to the media.

More confident with being the centre of attention was the team at Hannanprint NSW, who burst into a dance, with one member even picking up McDermott (pictured below) and taking him along for the ride. “That’s the first time I’d been ridden by a fella like that,” he quipped.

The night was capped off with entertainment from the cheeky cabaret act, The Rat Pack is Back, who brought a taste of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Junior et al to Sydney and proved to be music to printer’s ears in what has been a testing, trying and for many on the night, a rewarding year in print.

For a full list of winners, click here.