STI Lilyfield, Offset Alpine dominate NSW printing awards

After already picking up seven gold awards, STI Lilyfield picked up the final gold of the night with its 'Three Best of the Best' win, with Ian Kingham (pictured, right) stepping forward to collect the award. It caps off an eventful year for the Regents Park-based company formerly known as the Lilyfield Group, which was taken over by German packaging company STI Group in August.

Offset Alpine Limited was the other big winner on the night, following up from last year's impressive haul, netting no less than five gold awards for 2009. Pettaras Press and Bright Print Group were close behind with three golds each, whilst Armstrong Miller McLaren and PMP Print both notched doubles.

Pictures from the NSW Print Excellence Awards 2009 in Sydney.

The event was hosted by Good News Week host Paul McDermott, who was seen casting his own eye over the nominated entries in the lead-up to the ceremony. McDermott's performance as host was note-perfect, delivering just the right mix of his subtle (occasionally cruel) wit and respect for the industry's achievers.

He started by mocking Printing Industries national communications manager Joe Kowalewski for the lack of jokes in the turgid introduction that had been prepared for him, before turning his comedic blowtorch to other Printing Industries figures Peter Carrigan and Jim Atkinson by 'threatening' to bring them back on stage if the audience became too rowdy.

Rowdiness from some circles was welcomed, however, with McDermott praising the raucous table from GEON, who raised the roof every time one of their nominations was called out. Indeed, McDermott eventually attempted to enlist GEON's support in raising the noise level for STI Lilyfield's many nominations, though without success.

Even ProPrint became swept up in the excitement of the evening after sharing a table with Brookvale-based Docmaster, which went on to win the gold award in the Annual Reports category.

Despite his good humour throughout the evening, McDermott clearly grew weary of saying the words 'Offset Alpine Limited', who - by a quirk of the system which saw awards given for each individual entry rather than each company - managed to win as many as nine awards in the Web Offset Publications with Cover Price category alone: two gold, four silver, and three bronze.

McDermott had the name down pat when the company also picked up six gongs in the Web Offset coated Stock Off-line Finished category: two gold, one silver, and three bronze.

The event concluded with 'speed painter' Brad Blaze showing off his swift artistic skills by dashing off a few celebrity portraits, before holding competitions

On more serious matters, changes to the awards format were touted by Printing Industries' NSW president Peter Carrigan in the introductory address. Carrigan cited a prevalence of entries submitted in the wrong category as prompting reforms for the submission process.

National president Jim Atkinson then discussed the industry's recent success with regards to the 30-day rule, deriding an article that had appeared in that day's Financial Review which identified printers as 'pigs with their nose in the trough'.

"So you are all pigs," Atkinson joked, declaring that it was therefore acceptable for attendees to throw their food around and spill drinks on each other.

Whilst no one appeared to take him up on this offer, there was a somewhat 'wild' feeling to the evening, with tables decorated with elaborate centerpieces featuring towering eucalyptus branches. Thankfully, these were removed shortly after the ceremony commenced, with the table settings making conversation across the table particularly difficult.

The National Print Awards are set to be held at the Darling Harbour Exhibition and Convention Centre in Sydney on March 26.

A full list of gold award winners is published below.

Commercial Posters  

STI Lilyfield

Leaflets & Folders

Bright Print Group

Booklets, Catalogues & Magazines (saddle-stitched)

Offset Alpine Printing

IMMIJ NSW

Booklets Catalogues & Magazines (Bound by any method but saddle-stitching)

Pettaras Press

Macdonald Masterson Printing

Annual Reports

Docmaster

Calendars

Bright Print Group

STI Lilyfield

Post Cards & Greeting Cards

STI Lilyfield

Limited Editions

STI Lilyfield

Book Printing

STI Lilyfield

Multi-Piece Productions & Campaigns

Armstrong Miller Mclaren/Sydney Allen

Bright Print Group

Packaging

STI Lilyfield (2 golds awarded)

Labels

Impresstik

Flexographic Printing on any Substrate

Pack Creations Flexibles

Web Offset coated Stock Off-line Finished

Offset Alpine Printing

Web Offset Coated Stock Press Finished

PMP Print (2 golds awarded)

Web Offset Publications with Cover Price

Offset Alpine Printing Limited (2 golds awarded)

Web Off set Un-Coated Stock

Hannanprint NSW Pty Ltd

Digital Printing Electrophotographic

Pettaras Press Pty Ltd

Digital Printing Inkjet

Armstrong Miller McLaren

Embellishment

Avon Graphics

Self Promotion

Miller McLaren

Innovation

GEON Group Australia

Specialty Or Special Printing

Pettaras Press Pty Ltd

Small Printing Business Awards Less than 10 staff

Peachy Print Australia Pty Ltd

Three Best of the Best Judges' Choice

STI Lilyfield