4 Issue 60 The Leading Association for the UK Sign Industry 1Issue 60

Setting the StandardsSERVING THE INDUSTRYwww.bsga.co.uk NEWS

Memorable Day for the British Sign Industry 2015 Edition

The 2015 BSGA British Sign Awards reached its climax at a memorable event staged at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham on October 13th.An audience of over 320 saw a total of 16 awards presented in a range of categories representing virtually every aspect of sign making – from traditional hand crafted signs to applications that utilise the very latest computer control, lighting wizardry and construction techniques. There were also awards for new generation signage including vehicle wraps and wide format digital printing.

“This was the second year that the awards have been organised and run by the BSGA and we are delighted with how they have rapidly become established as a major event in the industry,” said David Catanach, Director of the BSGA.

“The awards attracted over 300 entries across all categories, nearly 20 per cent

up on our first year, and the standard was excellent.

“Our congratulations go to all the winners and to the entries that were highly commended by the five-strong panel of judges.

“Our thanks and commiserations also go to all the other entrants and what they should know is that, in many categories, the results were incredibly close. If you didn’t make it to the top three this time round, don’t give up, start thinking about next year,” said David.

The winners pictured together at this year’s event.

also gives them a significant payback in terms of raising their brand profile across the industry.”

As part of the awards event, all sponsors are invited to take part in the ‘Sponsors Showcase’ which provides an opportunity for them to have a mini-display or demonstration of their products and services during the awards event.

“The Showcase this year was a huge success, with one sponsor even describing it as the best networking

event they had participated in all year,” said David. “He told us he talked to more people about his products and services in just a couple of hours at the awards than he did during three days at an exhibition, where he had spent over £20,000.

“We were delighted with the response and our aim is to build on this at future events.”

The BSGA launched the awards to provide the sign industry with a focal point for the skill, quality and creativity of the products it produces. However, without the support of the sponsors the awards scheme would not be viable.

“We would like to pay a special tribute to all the businesses that supported the awards and the event at East Midlands Conference Centre,” said David Catanach.

3M has been a major supporter since the inception of the awards scheme and this year was joined by Vink, Epson, William Smith, Spandex, Amari, Soyang, Nationwide Platforms, Trade Etching Direct ,

Blackburns Metals and Plastics, Atlantic Tech, Roland, Signs Express and Sign Directions as sponsors of individual awards.

“Without the support of these businesses there would be no awards,” said David. “Their involvement demonstrates their commitment to the industry and to the sign making fraternity, but we hope it

Thanks to the Sponsors

NEw MEMBErS

Kettering-based Sign of the Times carried off the Sign of the Year trophy for the second year in succession. It won the accolade in 2014 for its remarkable installation in the Heinz Innovation Centre in Nijmengen, Holland. This year the judges were blown away by its ‘Timeless’ installation at Senator House in London. Comprised of giant illuminated letters suspended in the 6-storey atrium, it is a working timepiece that tells the time across different world time zones, with different colours representing the different zones.

Also a big winner at this year’s awards was Trade Signs UK for its brilliantly conceived and executed Wayfinding Scheme for Exchange Quay in Manchester’s Media City. Big, bold – and bright orange – the scheme carried off the Wayfinding and Construction Awards.

Goodwin & Goodwin, based at the quaintly-named Chocolate Factory in trendy Wood Green in north London, employs less than 10 people – but still managed to walk-off with two awards including the prestigious Architectural Sign of the Year and the Craftsman Award.

For the former, the team created an art-deco style canopy and sign for the entrance to the Picturehouse Cinema in

Piccadilly Circus. It was a carefully conceived throw-back to the golden age of cinema, and the judging panel felt the hand-crafted sign made a significant architectural impact amidst the general glitz of Piccadilly Circus. Goodwin & Goodwin’s continuing use of traditional skills, including sign writing, metal bending and glass blowing to produce stylish signs for street markets, music festivals, bars and restaurants as well as a number of blue chip brands also won the company the Craftsman Award.

Two Signs Express franchises were also amongst the winners, with the Sheffield operation taking the Interior Award and Northampton winning the Personal Vehicles category.

The team from Sign of the Times who took the Sign of the Year trophy was the second year in succession.

The big – and not-so-big - winnersThis year’s awards saw some big winners – and a couple of no-so-big businesses that won on a big scale.

And one who couldn’t mAke it

Top TrophiesNick Dowell, who started the Cambridge Sign Company in March, 2014, was really looking forward to the event, having been told he had been shortlisted for two awards.

But then fate took a hand. A courier company managed to lose 20 parcels containing materials for a time-sensitive promotion that the fledgling company had sent out to retailers across the country. Nick had no option but to abandon his day out in order to replace the missing goods and make sure they got to their

destinations in time. The good news is that he succeeded.

Had he managed to get to East Midlands Conference Centre, Nick would have made the long walk to the stage twice – to receive the awards for Commercial Vehicle Graphics and the Small Signmaker of the Year – a quite remarkable achievement for a business that had been up and running for less than 18 months.

His ‘colour me in’ wrap for a vehicle dealership demonstrated really creative use of vehicle wrapping techniques and his first year’s performance in business, which saw him complete the graphics for 270 individual vehicles, provide graphics support for two vehicle fleets and carry out branding for a chain of franchise shops as well as producing work for a number of blue-chip businesses, was outstanding.

Nick did, in the end, get his trophies. They were handed over by David Catanach when Nick visited the BSGA offices in Newark later in October.

Nick Dowell (right) from The Cambridge Sign Company receives his trophies from David Catanach

The unique trophies presented to the winners were specially crafted by Corby-based Trade Etching Direct who also, appropriately, sponsored the Craftsman Award. All were produced in polished stainless steel with the exception of the Sign of the Year trophy which was created in brass.

A Note about JudgingThe judging of all sign maker awards is blind. Before the judges see any entries, the identities of the signmakers involved are carefully removed. The BSGA believes that this is the fairest way of conducting the judging and provides a level playing field for all.

The exceptions to the above are the Apprentice of the Year, which is judged by a separate panel, and the Product of the Year, which is voted for by BSGA sign maker members.

For other BSGA and general industry news please visit the association’s website at www.bsga.co.uk

2 Issue 60 3Issue 60

THE wINNErS

Sign of the Year

Architectural Sign of the Year Product of the Year

The Innovation Award

Small Signmaker of the Year

Apprentice of the Year Personal Vehicle Graphics Award

Commercial Vehicle Graphics Award retail Sign of the Year

Illuminated Sign of the Year

Sign Construction Award

Interior Signage of the Year

Presented bySponsored by Sponsored by

Sponsored by Sponsored by

Sponsored by Sponsored by

Sponsored by Sponsored by

Sponsored by

Sponsored by

Mr Dennis Parker (left) Managing Director of

Blackburns Metals and Plastics, presents the Architectural Award

to the team from Goodwin & Goodwin.

Rebecca Dack, Marketing Manager

of Signs Express presents the Product of

the Year trophy to Nova Aluminium

for Novaskin.

Nathan Aston from AST Signs receives

the award from Brett Newman, Managing

Director of Roland DG UK.

Jonathan Harle (centre), Internal Sales Manager

with William Smith, presents the Personal

Vehicle Graphics trophy to Mark Meadowcroft (right) owner of Signs

Express, Northampton and Brandon Desborough who actually installed the wrap

on the winning vehicle.

Darren Roughton, Managing Director of

Sign of the Times (left) receives the trophy for the best sign of

2015 from Nick Barnes, General Manager

of 3M’s Commercial Solutions Division.

Leisure Industry Sign of the Year

Murray Crompton, President of the BSGA, hands over the Leisure

Industry Signage Award to David Catanach for safekeeping on

behalf of the winner, Pullinger Signs.

Because of prior commitments, innovation

award winners Exaprint were unable to attend the awards

but the trophy was later presented to Simon Cooper,

the company’s Managing Director, by Polly Chapman, Epson’s Channel Marketing Manager on the company’s

stand at The Print Show.

BSGA Director David Catanach accepts the

Small Signmaker of the Year trophy from

Andy Carroll, Managing Director of Amari Plastics on behalf of Nick Dowell,

of the Cambridge Sign Company

(see separate story).

Kerry McGeown (centre) Aftermarket Sales Manager with

Spandex presents the Interior Signage Award

to Steve and Carol Morris, owners of Signs

Express, Sheffield.

Macer Bridges (right) of Vink Lighting

Solutions presents the trophy to Signbox.

The team from Trade Signs UK receive the

2015 Sign Construction Award from Mike Wolfe (right), President of the

Sign Design Society.

Mark Brown of William Smith (left) hands the trophy over to

David Catanach for safe-keeping.

The trophy was later presented to Nick Dowell, owner of

the Cambridge Sign Company at the BSGA

Offices in Newark.

Presented to John Anthony Signs for

Harrods Fine Watch Room by

Val Hirst, Editor of Sign Directions Magazine.

The Craftsman Award Sponsored by

Michael Worsdell (left) Production Manager

with Trade Etching Direct presents the

Craftsman Award to Paul and Viviane

Goodwin of Goodwin & Goodwin.

roll-out Programme of the Year

Sponsored by

Peter Douglas, UK Operations Director of Nationwide Platforms

presents the award for the Roll-out

Programme of the Year to Astra Signs.

wayfinding Scheme of the Year

Sponsored by

Trade Signs UK won the Wayfinding Scheme Award for their work at Exchange Quay in

Salford. Keith Pratt (right) Managing

Director of sponsor Atlantic Tech, presents

the trophy.