GEON Perth wins top accolade at National Print Awards for Dabala’s Rio Diamonds calendar
The ‘best of the best’ printers from across Australia took to the stage on Friday night for the 29th Annual National Print Awards, held at The Palladium in Crown Melbourne.
This year marked just the fourth time that the national award winners were chosen exclusively from the gold medal recipients at the state-based Printing Industries Craftsmanship Awards (PICAs).
The Heidelberg Award for Excellence in Craft went to GEON Perth for the Rio Tinto Diamonds Calendar, designed by Marco Dabala.
This is the second time in four years that GEON Perth has taken the top award. GEON Perth is the only Western Australian printing company to have received this coveted award.
GEON Perth also won a Gold award in the stationery category for Saxon Klein corporate stationery, designed by Turner Design.
GEON Perth’s record for winning the highest print awards is unmatched in Australia in recent times, having won the Heidelberg Award nationally in 2008 and now 2012 and at state level in 2009, 2010 & 2011.
Ian Smith General Manager, GEON Perth, said: “It’s an incredible achievement and I would like to acknowledge the great work of all our staff in maintaining such a high standard year-in year-out. I would also like to thank all our customers – not just the award winners – for their ongoing support and for entrusting us with their printing needs.”
Smith is pictured below (left) receiving the award from Alistair Hadley, General Manager Heidelberg Australia/New Zealand.
5 Comments
As usual not one comment from anyone in the Advertising industry in regards to a Print Award.
Gives an indication of how the Advertising industry views Print
Kudos for that goes to all the Print Companies who have led the race to the bottom ….you reap what you sow ….once you all dropped your pants there was only ever one outcome….. you get treated as a commodity …. bought on price
As a commodity, winning awards becomes irrelevant for most of your client base …. and that shows by the lack of interest here….lets hope you made some money on this particular job …. but that would mean looking at the actual costs to produce this calendar …. food for thought?
Joe you raise some interesting points, although all have been raised previously. However I know and deal with many people in the advertising and design industry, all of whom hold print in the highest regard. The fact that no one has posted a response to the article is of no consequence. After all, how many posts do we see from printers acclaiming the agency that’s just won Campaign Brief’s ‘Agency of the year award’.
As for the comment regarding race to the bottom, the industry and our world is changing, and just like many industries, the printing industry has to adapt to meet this change. Pleasingly, we’re doing this through embracing environmental principles and cleaning our act up, by implementing lean manufacturing principles, by developing digital technologies and embracing new communication mediums. Importantly, as you suggest, we are also improving our performance by delivering a quality product to the buyers of print. In most things in life there are different levels of quality – you only have to go to your local car dealer, white goods store or look at the work of designers and advertising agencies to see this. In all of these industries quality is recognised and rewarded through awards and pricing – we’re no different.
I also need to add that printing is the third largest manufacturing industry in Australia, employing some 119,000 people across the print and paper value chain through more than 1400 businesses. Indeed, data tells us that the industry’s value chain generates sales of more than $30 billion annually, including more than $14.7 billion in gross value added. WE’RE NO SHRINKING VIOLET.
So Joe there’s plenty to be proud of and much to look forward to, including you revealing yourself – as long as your pants are up!
Well said Ian.
You are one of Perth’s truly respected people, both as a person and a professional.
Ian, rest assured this isn’t someone in the Print Industry having a cheap shot.
I don’t do business in Print or an affiliated supply industry
Actually we met a few years ago and as the English Printer said in comment 2, you are a nice guy so don’t take it so personally
My observations are of the Print Industry not an individual Company.
Your assertions about the Print Industry mean nothing when you are bought as a commodity. Just another packet of biscuits that no one really pays attention to who made them.
Print has lost the aura it once had and that happens when the main buying mechanism is price.
The challenge is not for you or Geon, but for the whole Industry.
Change
Wow Joe – you couldn’t be further from the truth. As a marketing firm I would like to respond:
1. We purchase printing based on quality, innovative approach, deadline management and delivery – then price. It is more about the relationship and partnership you have with a supplier in delivering an excellent product. These are the most important elements we consider when selecting a supplier in ANY industry.
2. Awards are important, good for business positioning – but more than anything, excellent motivators for the team in doing a great job! Most of us like to achieve and be recognised…
3. YES I use GEON as our printer – have done so for more than 10 years – because they continually deliver quality for my clients.
My question for you is… if you don’t do business in print, how can you provide an informed opinion about what the industry needs to do/change? Is this based on empirical evidence of some kind, because clearly it isn’t based on experience.
On a positive note: congratulations Ian and the GEON team – it is a shame someone felt the need to cut down a ‘tall poppy’ and criticise an achievement you and your team should be proud of. I expect I will probably receive a negative response from Joe regarding this post also – oh well…