It’s not hard to imagine the work that goes into the phenomenon that is the AFL Grand Final. Arguably the biggest sporting event in Melbourne of the year, the amount of people, time and effort involved is astounding.
This year, Spicers are pleased to have played a (albeit small) part in it by supplying a Mimaki JFX 200 to one of the MCG’s most trusted contractors.
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| L:R: Warren Davey (Spicers) with Pamela Hammond and Leigh Onions from Stadium Signs. |
Stadium Signs in leafy Ferntree Gully are possibly one of the most envied sign-makers in Melbourne. They’re also fantastic at what they do. The company, who produce signage for big name brands for installation into the aforementioned MCG, Crown and Federation Square, are also one of the privileged few to have a pre-front row seat to the stadiums during most major events in Australia’s sporting calendar.
‘It’s a real honour to have that contractor’s pass to go onto the ground, and we respect that,’ comments Pamela Hammond, Director and Sales and Marketing Manager. ‘We love the sporting culture and to be involved in it on this level is a great thrill.’
It’s also a great responsibility. Big name brands that approach Stadium Signs aren’t just after a one-dimensional sign to stick on the wall. They are after brand theatre or a brand experience, to really engage the consumer in the brand rather than just being a passive observer.
‘Stadium Signs is involved in not only most of the above ground signage but also the Grand Final AFL Sprint every year, and it’s an incredible experience,’ Pamela smiles. ‘The amount of work that goes into not only printing the sponsor signs but also setting up is extensive. But it is so rewarding, thinking that thousands of people will watch it.’
Understandably, companies are after absolute perfection when it comes to this many people viewing their brands. And this is where Mimaki comes in.
‘It is imperative that our colours perfectly match our clients brand guidelines,’ Pamela says. ‘When you think that at the Grand Final alone there are almost 100,000 people present, not to mention those watching at home, there is no room for error. It needs to look brilliant. And that’s why we’ve been so thrilled with Mimaki. We can rely on it. It delivers on time, every time.’
Not surprisingly, working with commitments this large requires a great machine. Hence Stadium Signs founder/director Leigh Onions and Pamela decided it was time add another printer that could handle these jobs.
‘We did a lot of research into flatbed printers but we just kept coming back to Mimaki, every time,’ explains Pamela. ‘We’ve been extremely happy with our Mimaki JV5 roll to roll and now we are ecstatic with our Mimaki JFX200. As an example, Spicers installed the machine a few weeks ago on a Monday. By the Thursday it was printing 27 nine-metre long signs for the MCG, and had finished in 3 hours. They were then installed the next morning. That’s a phenomenal turn around.’
But it’s not just the speed and quality that Leigh and Pamela love about Mimaki. It’s the fact they can breathe easy when the pressure is on, knowing they can trust the machine.
‘An urgent job came in and we realised we only had one piece of spare Corflute left over,’ Pamela says. ‘We were praying nothing went wrong. And absolutely nothing did, it was amazing. We were all high-fiving each other.’
Spicers
www.spicers.com.au
