New awards push for innovation in digital print

Printing industry makes way for launch of new annual awards targeting innovation.

With a high-profile judging panel consisting of James Cryer, JDA Recruitment and Print21 columnist; Jackie Connor, ex-ACP and previous owner of Justin Print (now print procurement expert); Scott Telfer, Southern Colour and previous chair of the National Print Awards; Marcus Piper, designer and Russell Montgomery, ex-DDB, the awards will take place on Monday 20 September as part of PrintWorks in Sydney.

Award categories include: wide format (A3SR and over); offset/web; digital (non-variable); digital (variable) and general (not elsewhere described).

According to GASAA’s Garry Knespal, the awards, which will become an annual event, were “driven by a desire to reward and acknowledge innovation rather than the quality of print – which is a given these days. What we’re trying to do is encourage people to push the envelope on how they use print.”

Chairman, Theo Pettaras, said that the awards are “about showcasing print innovation in Australia.”

News of the awards has been met with ambivalence from NPA chairman, John Wanless (pictured). “I hope for everyone's sake that having another industry award event doesn't clog up the year with too many similar events,” he told Print21.

Wanless shrugged off any suggestions that the new awards are a threat to the new-look National Print Awards. “I don't see that the NPA's position as being challenged by the Printovation awards,” he said.

“The PICA's and NPA have had an award category for innovation for many years, but it's seen low entry numbers because not too much produced these days is innovative. I'm not saying that what we're producing isn't good; it's just that most disciplines have been done before. Quite often it's the equipment manufacturers coming up with new tools that allow creative users to be innovative."

Knespal believes that there is a place for both awards to exist. “I hope it’s not seen as ‘another award’ because it’s not,” he said. “It’s a chance for the digital side [of the industry] to express themselves. We will be giving a lot more feedback to entrants to make the awards like a two-way conversation.”

What's your view? Are there too many awards in the printing industry, or should there be more? Send your thoughts to mitchell@print21.com.au