Western Australia is to get a Printers Annual Ball incorporating the local Printing Industries Craftsmanship Awards (PICA) in a new format.
The new event will be staged later in the year replacing the former PICA presentation dinner traditionally held in late August.
Printing Industries State Manager, Western Australia, Paul Nieuwhof, said that with the re-introduction of direct entry into the National Print Awards and some states electing not to continue their PICA events in tough sponsorship conditions, the west decided to opt for something different.
It will feature fewer protocols, changes to categories and entry conditions, separation of companies by size, a scheduling change and move to a more informal networking and social function.
“Western Australia prides itself as being the first state to run a PICA from 1978 and it has been a continuing success story,” he said.
“We recognise the difficulties many states have been facing with sponsorship becoming more difficult, probably impacting on them a little sooner than in WA, and so we decided to completely re-think our approach. The result is a new kind of event from 2015.”
Mr Nieuwhof said changes to entry conditions will limit the number of entries a company can submit per category and also group them according to company size.
“By making this distinction it is expected that companies will be more likely to enter work into the more highly contested categories because they will be competing with like-sized businesses and not the big end of town,” he said.
“We also decided to move the event to 14 November and this will become the WA Printers Annual Ball.
“Formalities will be kept to a minimum with only a few business awards and the coveted Best of Category being announced. All winners will be recognised in the Winners' Hall of Fame which will be opened for viewing after the night’s formalities.”
Mr Nieuwhof said it was intended that the Hall of Fame become an event within an event creating opportunities for recognising and congratulating the winners and encouraging attendance from companies who want to attend for networking but not necessarily as contestants.
“We think that these changes will be successful in attracting more entries and will take the event forward both in the eyes of the sponsors, the contestants and those that come along on the night,” he said.
Printing Industries Association of Australia
www.printnet.com.au
