Association News: BIA

Letter from the chair

Hello, everyone in BIA land!

It is 2016 already, and the future looks bright. I hope you are all busy and not riding the roller coaster through the post-holiday season. With the New Year, what are your goals and strategic plans? Many of you will be looking for the next big opportunity that will generate lots of revenue.

There are two great conferences coming up that can give you great ideas and expand your resources for the building blocks of the future. I have no crystal ball; however, in this day and age, change is where it is at in terms of diversifying into new ventures. Attending either of these conferences will provide insight into what is new and how to capitalize on your investment.

We are thrilled to announce the return of BIA’s popular President’s Conference to Southern California. This premier event will be held March 5-9, 2016, at the beautiful J.W. Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa in Palm Desert, California. See more information as it develops at www.printing.org.

The Foil & Specialty Effects Association will converge in beautiful Orlando, Florida, for the FSEA National Conference April 3-5, 2016. The three-day event will take place at the magnificent Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, which is surrounded by a championship golf course. See more information at www.fsea.com/conference16.

Have a great New Year, and see you soon!

Valerie J. Price
Coyne Graphic Finishing

Entries requested for Premier Print Awards

No matter what segment of the postpress industry you’re in, there are always a few special products that really make you proud. Whether it was a unique binding or a project that everyone said couldn’t be done, you made it happen to the best of your abilities and then some. It’s these types of projects that deserve recognition on an industry-wide level. And now, you have the opportunity to enter these into one of the biggest industry award competitions – the Premier Print Awards.

Product of Excellence Awards Joins the Premier Print Awards
Starting in 2016, those companies that previously entered the Product of Excellence Awards now have the opportunity to showcase their work within the Premier Print Awards Competition. The Premier Print Awards recognize the highest quality printed pieces in various categories from around the world. Each year, only the most worthy pieces receive Awards of Recognition, Certificates of Merit and the highest honor – the Benny statue. For more than sixty years, winners of the largest, most prestigious print competition in the world have leveraged this honor to gain a competitive advantage.

What categories can I enter?
To ensure your postpress piece is submitted in the appropriate category, the Premier Print Awards has updated five of its categories:

  • O-2 Diecuts and Pop-ups
  • O-4 Folding, Unique Folds and Involvement Devices
  • O-5 Binding
  • O-6 Other Special Finishing Techniques
  • T-1 Cartons, Containers, Boxes and Totes

Of course, you are more than welcome to submit your pieces into other Premier Print Awards categories, including “They Said It Couldn’t Be Done,” “Special Innovation Awards” and other segments. You can view all of this year’s categories by visiting www.printing.org/ppacategories.

Benefits of the Premier Print Awards
Recipients of the Premier Print Awards have been known to use their win as leverage in the industry. Receiving an award in the competition will show your customers that you are among the elite in the industry, and your employees can feel proud knowing they work for a highly regarded company. Each recipient will receive an invitation to the Premier Print Awards Gala featuring the InterTech Technology Awards (Benny winners receive a complimentary ticket), inclusion in the Premier Print Awards Supplement, exposure to the media with a press release from Printing Industries of America, a Benny statue, a certificate or plaque to proudly display, industry recognition, a self-promotion kit to help endorse the win and Premier Print Award imagery to display on your promotional pieces.

We encourage you to participate in this exciting event. To submit your entries into the Premier Print Awards, visit awards.printing.org to create your company profile and enter your pieces. For questions regarding the Premier Print Awards and how to enter this year’s competition, visit www.printing.org/ppa or contact Mike Packard at mpackard@printing.org or call 412.259.1704.