British Sign Awards Special
Brendan Perring analyses how entering, and just maybe winning, the British Sign Awards could significantly improve your business prospects, and finds out what else the awards offer sign-makers
Monday, 08 Aug 2016 14:30 GMT
(Above) Astra Signs won the award for Signage Roll-out of the Year at the last British Sign Awards for its work with Arnold Clark
The British Sign Awards were launched by the BSGA (British Sign and Graphics Association) to provide the industry with a credible awards scheme that would provide a focal point for the myriad skills of sign-makers and act as a beacon for quality and creativity across the industry. But it has become far more than that today, as those who have gone through the process of submitting awards and won have found that receiving such a badge of honour has really helped them to increase their revenues and target higher end clients.
“We are now in the third year and the awards are going from strength-to-strength,” says David Catanach, director of the BSGA. He adds: “The awards give sign-makers of every type and size the opportunity to showcase their best work and winning can give a business a huge lift, both externally with present and prospective customers and internally amongst staff who see their skills and hard work receiving real recognition.
The awards give sign-makers of every type and size the opportunity to showcase their best work and winning can give a business a huge lift”
This year we are aiming for the biggest entry to date and the biggest attendance at the awards event, which will take place in November.”
The awards scheme as a whole is supported by 3M, and each award category is sponsored by a leading business in the sign industry. “This year we have a full house of sponsors and we are really pleased that SignLink is amongst them as sponsor of the Sign Construction Award,” says Catanach.
Goodwin and Goodwin won the Craftsman of the Year Award in 2015 for its commitment to quality and using traditional sign-making techniques
He continues: “The awards provide the whole industry with an opportunity to come together at what is now one of the events of the year. The awards themselves are, obviously, very serious, but the event itself is very social and provides a great networking opportunity for all who attend.”
This year’s awards ceremony will take place at the East Midlands Conference Centre, located on the campus at Nottingham University on Thursday November 3rd and will, once again, be a day time affair with the awards presentation following a luncheon.
“When we launched the awards in 2014, we wanted to make them as accessible as possible to as many people as possible,” explains Catanach, who adds: “The day time event and central location meant that ticket prices could be kept low and virtually anyone could attend without incurring the cost of overnight accommodation.
When we launched the awards in 2014, we wanted to make them as accessible as possible to as many people as possible”
“The format has proved very popular with both our sponsors and the industry and so we have retained it for this year.”
This year’s awards will be hosted by journalist Bill Turnbull, until recently a presenter on BBC Breakfast. In addition to making sure the awards run smoothly, Turnbull will be telling people what it was like to sit on that sofa for 15 years.
The awards are constantly evolving to reflect what is happening in the UK sign industry. New features this year are the Young Signmaker of the Year and the Wrap of the Year awards.
The Young Signmaker, supported by Roland DG, is designed to celebrate the contribution young people make to the sign industry. Entries for this award must be received by Friday August 5th , because shortlisted entrants will be visited at their workplaces by awards assessors. The Wrap of the Year, supported by Spandex, recognises the growing market for the wrapping of cars and other small vehicles, and will be judged separately from the Commercial Vehicles Graphics award. This latter category is supported by William Smith, which covers every kind of commercial vehicle from vans and trucks to planes, boats, and trains.
A good time was had by all at the last British Sign Awards
Other awards this year are Architectural Sign (Blackburns Metals and Plastics), the Craftsman Award (Trade Etching Direct), Wide Format Project (Soyang), Wayfinding Scheme (Atlantic Tech), Small Signmaker of the Year (Pyramid Display Materials), The Innovation Award (Epson), Roll-out Programme (Nationwide Platforms), Illuminated Sign (SignFab), Interior Signage (Metamark), Retail Signage (Complete CNC Solutions), and Product of the Year (Sign Directions).
The assembled winners from the British Sign Awards 2015, which has received high-acclaim from all those involved with the initiative
The awards are open to all UK sign businesses (membership of the BSGA is not a requirement). Full details of all the awards, together with entry forms and advice on judging criteria, can be found on the awards website at www.britishsignawards.org. Tickets for the awards event can also be bought via the website. Closing date for entries for all these awards is Friday September 9th.
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