Sponsors say it's time to take National Print Awards to outsiders

With only days to go until the printing industry’s night of nights, new chairman, John Wanless, shares his thoughts on what to expect at this Friday’s National Print Awards.

Last year saw the first of the new-look best-of-the-best National Print Awards and this year will see the awards under the guidance of John Wanless, (pictured) who took over from previous chairman, Scot Telfer.
 
According to Wanless, this year’s event is looking to be just as successful as 2009, with 200 entries received and an estimated crowd of 600 expected to flock to Darling Harbour, Sydney.
 
He was also impressed by the level of entries received. “The judges’ comments were that the quality was excellent,” Wanless said. “Gold Medals were not awarded in every category, but overall the quality is still getting better.”
 
Smaller states will still get their chance to shine, too. Wanless is particularly happy that this year saw at least one gold awarded to each state. “This is the first year that every state has won gold,” he said. “It’s pleasing to see states including Tasmania getting a gong this year.”
 
Something of a work-in-progress, the National Print Awards is expected to continue evolving and changing overtime. In this sense, Wanless said that this year’s awards would not deviate too far from 2009.

“An awards ceremony is like the Oscars,” he said. “You jazz it up a bit each year, but it’s still the same thing: it’s about awarding the best printers.”
 
Long-term, Wanless and the three major sponsors, the Currie Group, Heidelberg and PaperlinX Merchanting, see a need to market the awards to those outside of the printing world. “Overall, the National Print Awards are about promoting the industry,” he said. “We’ve done a great job of doing that, but now we need to do it outside of the industry.”

A word from the sponsors:

Before they take to the stage on Friday, Print21 spoke to the three major sponsors about where they see the awards headed. Though all are proud to be support the awards, each agreed that it is time to promote the efforts of gold NPA winners beyond the printing industry.

“It’s great that we get people together to celebrate print, but I feel as if it’s mainly just printers and sales people; we don’t invite our customers,” said Andy Vels Jensen, managing director of Heidelberg ANZ. “The only way that print buyers would know that we have had a function is by looking in trade media – there is no [mainstream] media coverage – the only thing left over is the catalogue.”

Brian Longmore, group general manager for sales and marketing of PaperlinX Merchanting shares similar thoughts. “We need to show [others] that print is a worthwhile and valuable form of communication and what we are doing in Australia is world-class.”

For Phillip Rennell, (pictured) sales and marketing director of the Currie Group, this promotion will offer a number of advantages to winners. “It’s important for those wanting to buy print to see who are the best and who they should align themselves with,” he said.