The Federation of European Screen Printer Awards (Fespa) is calling for entries for its global print competition next year.
The deadline to enter the Awards is January 26. The entries will then be shortlisted by the Awards Judges and showcased at Fespa 2018 Global Print Expo in Berlin, Germany from May 15-18. Award winners will be announced at the Fespa Gala Night which will take place on May 16.
Australian printers have previously taken out the top prizes. Melbourne company OMUS won the People’s Choice of the Year Award for its Louis Vuitton pop-up store entry this year. In 2015, Sydney wide format printer Next Printing won a silver medal for its paper and board shop window display in Jigsaw stores.
Printers can showcase their work within 14 categories such as point of purchase products, posters, single sheets and multi-sheets; and t-shirts and other garments. Each category can be entered using four processes: digital printing only, screen printing only, mixed techniques and non-printed.
[Related: Fespa Asia heading to Bangkok]
In addition to the four awards, there is the People’s Choice Award, which is selected from all Award entries by Fespa’s online community and The Best in Show Award, with judges choosing the most outstanding overall entry.
Andy Wilson, joint managing director of UK company PressOn, Fespa winner for the last three years says, "Winning a Fespa Award has boosted our credibility and visibility, both internally with staff and externally. It has had a big effect on staff morale. When we carry out prestigious projects such as wrapping buildings, we sometimes take for granted the impact of our work. Winning this prize shows true recognition from industry peers and reinforces the quality of our work."
"The increased awareness of our brand following the recognition at the Awards for our Dazzle Ship project (2015) has opened many doors for us. We would estimate around 40 per cent of the new contacts we have made since 2015 stem directly from links made at Fespa 2015 and the Fespa Awards."
Netherlands printer Sandra Zomer won the Young Star Award at Fespa last year. She says, "Winning the Young Star Award put me in contact with inspiring companies in the digital print sector and helped me to acquire some exciting upcoming collaborations. These relationships will make it possible to reach a broader audience with my designs and ideas, and will give me opportunities to try out new printing techniques."
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