The first of the Nation’s 2013 Printing Industries Craftsmanship (PICA) awards was staged in Western Australia on Saturday 24 August at the Hyatt Perth.
A total of 40 Gold, 54 Silver and 33 Bronze awards were presented across a spectrum of print and business categories which included new categories for 3D printing, Best Entry by an Apprentice, the Media Super Future Leaders Award and the Green Stamp resource efficiency award.
Scott Print took out major honours winning Gold Medals in 14 categories including the FutureNow Workforce Development and Green Stamp environmental categories.
The prestigious Kodak Best of Category Award also went to Scott Print for the Midland Atelier book.
The LIA Graduate of the Year Award was introduced by the LIA’s Peter Scott before crossing to Peter Shardlow of Heidelberg for announcement of the winner – Timothy Smith of Quality Press.
Manish Shah of Quality Press was the Media Super Future Leaders Award winner and will go on to represent Western Australia against winners from all other states in 2014.
Phil Brown of Promotional Graphics won the Fujifilm 2013 PICA Printing Industry Recognition award for his work on the WA PICA committee over many years.
Printing Industries State Manager, Western Australia. Paul Nieuwhof said the 2013 event received an increase in entry numbers in 2013 from a wider selection of companies largely due to better promotion of categories before the event and the introduction of new categories.
“Our masquerade ball theming was also a hit with guests encouraged to modify their ticket, which by chance was also their mask,” he said.
WA PICA Chairman, Ainslie Lamb, highlighted that the awards were focussed on quality and reinforced that quality was an ideal that looked forward and was critical to the security of the industry.
He said he was encouraged that more companies had entered the awards this year and spoke highly of the sponsors of the event.
Printing Industries National President Susan Heaney, said that there was a need to look at how all the print awards are staged. Some states had already begun to move away from formal dinners because of increasing costs and sponsorship needs.
She said the world was changing at an unprecedented rate and business owners needed to concentrate on their business more than ever before, particularly as the country transitioned away from being a resources based economy.
“Government also sees this move and has provided Printing Industries with assistance to extend its Apprentice Mentor program,” she said.
“Funding is also highly anticipated for the development of eight state-based precincts to bring superior workforce development practice into all levels of print and associated industries.”
Fujifilm’s Sturt Eastwood also focussed on change.
“In the world of change things will come and things will go, and, things change,” he said.
“Our ability to innovate is going to be a tool for our survival. People will always admire and appreciate beauty and there is timelessness inherent in quality”.
Mr Nieuwhof said that while the WA PICA had been a great success, Western Australia like all other State PICAs needed to reassess its event and how it fits with the National Print Awards for the future.
He said the pace of the event was set early with Percival Print and Packaging and Quality Press picking up gold awards.
“Returning to the competition this year Pilpel Print and Worldwide Printing Solutions Fremantle/O’Connor picked up Gold too.
“In the label category it was Labelworld and LabelForce featuring in the Gold winners. In the web printing categories the Gold awards were evenly spread between WA Newspapers, PMP Print and Rural Press with one Gold award each.”
Mr Nieuwhof commended Scott Print on its achievements.
“They are the masters of what they do and they do it well,” he said.
MC was Carl Pagano of DIC and Channel 10 Newsreader, Narelda Jacobs.
The results can be seen together with photographs of the event by clicking here.
Printing Industries Association of Australia
www.printnet.com.au
