THE NEW ZEALAND SIGN AND DISPLAY AWARDS MISSION STATEMENT
To encourage and promote high standards of design and execution of all aspects of Sign Making and attain excellence in production.

WHY ENTER?
Have you ever thought about the business opportunities you will open if your entry wins a category?
 
Consider these points….
The prestige of an award winning sign will greatly assist your credibility with new clients!
Needless to say your existing clients will know who you are, but will they look at your quotes and your work differently when your company is a National award winner?

Just think about your relationship with the customer whose “sign or graphic” wins.
All entries are submitted to both New Zealand and Australian industry Magazines for publication and appear on this web site.

How will your clients perceive you when they receive national exposure in these magazines?  Are you now entitled to charge “just a little more” of a sign or graphic made by an award winning company? YES of course you are!

Are you happy that your competitors collect awards and win business? There's ample time to submit an entry.

A New Zealand Sign and Display Award equals unbeatable long term marketing - unbeatable long term prestige.

Contact our previous winners to see what you are missing out on.

It is really about the recognition of the diverse and broad spectrum of fields of endeavour our skills operate within. For many years we have had members using various technologies from hand skills to the newest digital equipment that actually don’t even make signs!

Many airbrush artists are not into signs, many digital graphics companies don’t make signs and equally nowadays many traditional sign crafts people have refined their skill set into amazingly diverse applications.

The intent of this broad statement underlines the aim of the New Zealand Sign and Display Awards to ensure representation for all parties involved in the Sign and Graphic industry in New Zealand.

CATEGORIES
There are sixteen award categories as itemised below. All awards will be presented at the Awards function. All entries must have been completed in the period 1st March 2008 to 28th February 2009.

1. VEHICLES (Signwritten – Non printed)
Cars, vans, buses, boats, etc. Production must include either vinyl or hand lettering and may include airbrushing, paint techniques or minimal (no more than 10%) digitally printed elements.

2. VEHICLES (Signwritten – Printed)
Cars, vans, buses, boats, etc. Finished work must be predominantly digitally or screen printed and must include lettering/logos/symbols/etc., and may include minimal vinyl elements. To assist judging your entry must include;

a) Name of the in-house designer/s.
b) Name of the design programme/s used for design.

3. EXHIBITION STANDS
This category is for displays of a temporary nature. These may be in public or international shows, trade fairs or shopping malls. Production may include illumination, dimensional signage, the use of vinyl, digital imaging, hand lettering, air-brushing, paint techniques, screen-printing, etc.

4. POINT-OF-SALE DISPLAYS
Sign or display elements used to promote the sale of products or services, of two or more dimensions, using store windows/floors/ceilings/walls/counters or free standing displays. Fabrication, for example, may include plastic, foam, illumination, digital print, etc.

5. CONCEPTS OR THEMES
This category applies to rooms, shops, museums, galleries or open air spaces which must include multiple elements designed to enhance an overall concept or theme. May include entrances and surroundings, signage, interior/exterior design, wall and floor treatments, fittings and props, etc.

6. GLASSWORK
Lettering and/or graphics to add effect to the transparent or translucent nature of glass. Production may include vinyl, digital imaging, hand lettering, air-brushing, paint techniques, gilding and screen printing.

7. ILLUMINATION – Other than Neon
This category may include signage illuminated by LEDs, fluorescent tubes, spot lights etc and may comprise flexiface signs, general light boxes, edgelit signs, etc., (entries must be accompanied by both day and night photographs). Additionally structural techniques, methodology and manufacturing elements will be considered.

8. NEON BENDING & LIGHTING EFFECTS
This category covers applications of neon glass to illuminate signage or create special lighting effects and may include signage on walls, advertising signs, shop fronts, sky signs, architectural applications etc., (entries must be accompanied by both day and night photographs.)

9. ILLUSTRATIONS & MURALS
This category is restricted to hand-rendered or air-brushed illustrations or murals on buildings, (interior and exterior), hoardings or similar or any type of vehicles.

10. SIGNS
To include sign writing on signboards, walls, shop fronts, banners, hoardings or similar. Production may include vinyl, digital imaging, hand lettering, air-brushing, paint techniques and screen-printing.

11. DIMENSIONAL SIGNS
To include a 3 or more dimensional sign or graphic that is engraved, foundry cast, stamped, or hand-shaped and fabricated in any material.

12. TRADITIONAL HANDCRAFTED AND LETTERED SIGNS
This category is restricted to hand crafted signs. Production must include hand lettering and may comprise of chalk art, watercolour, calligraphy, showcards, window splashes, hand carving in any materials, and may include bead or sand blasting, and gold or metal leaf.

13. OUTDOOR DIGITAL IMAGING DESIGN
This category is about design, originality and innovation. Judging will be based on creative flair, readability and the technical ability to build a programme. Can include backlit digital signs and billboards but not vehicles. To assist judging, your entry must include:

a) Name of the in-house designer/s.
b) Name of the design programme/s used for design.

14. SELF PROMOTION
Promotional work of any type that contributes to the creation of a total brand. May include hoardings, banners, freestanding signs, walls, vehicles, brochures, business cards, etc., that are created for the purpose of self promotion with no budget constraints or commercial value to a client.

15. ANY SIGN PRODUCED BUT DESIGNED FROM OUT OF HOUSE
This category is for all work designed by an advertising agency, graphic designer, artist, etc., who is not a member of the entrant's organisation.

16. WORK BY AN APPRENTICE
May include any of the above categories produced in-house by the apprentice or the apprentices' own original design work undertaken by others in-house. An apprentice can be of any age but must be CTITO registered..

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
It is of major importance that you state honestly how much of the originality of the design and production for any entry is your company’s work as the judges rely heavily on your integrity in judging your entry.

All entries must be of work completed in the period 1st of March 2008 and 28th of February 2009.

Entries from non-financial members of the New Zealand Sign and Display Association Incorporated are encouraged but require an entry fee of $50 for each entry submitted. A GST tax invoice will be forwarded by return in acknowledgement of receipt.

All entries must outline the extent of originality in the work submitted for judging (i.e. client supplied logos, clip art, sketches, etc). If someone other than an employee of the submitter has designed the work, it must be placed in Category 15: Any Sign Produced But Designed From Out of House. All categories must detail the title of the work entered, the client, the category entered, and the name of the designer, details of materials suppliers and the level of originality.

Entries must be presented in photographic form. Only glossy photograph quality images of the work to be entered will be accepted. A further three copies of each photograph are required for promotional purposes after the event. Full requirements are detailed with the mounting instructions that will be sent to you with entry-mounting sheets. The size must not exceed 420mm x 297mm and be no thicker than 5mm when the mounted entry is finished.

With the notable exception of Category 14: Self Promotion, it is important that the identity of entrant cannot be determined in the work being judged when viewing the front face of the entry-mounting sheet. Therefore no promotional material, business cards or graphics can appear with the mounted photographs of work entered. It is likewise important that photography does not include business signage or material in the background of any images to be judged that would enable judges to identify the entrant.

Identical entries may be submitted for judging in several categories, e.g. signs and graphics on a vehicle could possibly be entered in both Category 1: Vehicles and Category 9: Illustrations and Murals. In this or similar instances a separate entry is required for each Category entered. Please note that one entry-mounting sheet with two entry forms attached for a separate class is not acceptable.

Entries must be in the convenor’s hands by the close of business on Friday the 6th of March 2009. No late entries will be accepted.

It is imperative that the entrants’ must either attend themselves or ensure representation by someone other than one of the sponsors or suppliers representatives, on the Awards presentation evening. Entrants who are not present and are awarded an excellence medal will not be permitted to enter the following years’ event.

A pre-judging category selection committee will check class categories and adherence to the Terms and Conditions of Entry and reclassify or disqualify if necessary. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered in to. All entries remain the property of the organisers.

JUDGING INFORMATION

A. Judge selection
The judges for the New Zealand Sign and Display Awards are made up from our pool of independent judges. Each Judge is selected based on their skills and knowledge in a particular field within the sign and display industry.

B. Blind Judging
With the notable exception of the category for Self Promotion, all judging is BLIND which means that the judges do not know who each entry is from until the winner is announced at the Awards ceremony.

This is achieved through the standardised presentation of all information provided by the entrant. Other information judges may request is provided by the Awards Convenor without reference to the entrant and subject to that information having been provided on the entry form.

C. Judging on Merit
Judges will have full rights to select appropriate entries for each of the medal categories. They are under NO obligation to award a GOLD, SILVER and BRONZE in each and every category. The awards are based on merit and should the judges see fit they may award more than one of the medals or none of the medals in any category.

D. Final selection methods
All entries are pre-judged to ensure correct classification and adherence to the Terms and Conditions of Entry. Non-qualifying entries may be reclassified or disqualified.

E. Final Decision
The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered in to. All entries remain the property of the organisers.

F. Judging Criteria
The criteria for Judging the New Zealand Sign and Display Awards is outlined below. These guidelines are provided to all judges prior to the start of judging.

When invited to judge a National Competition of any group, one needs to look at what are the most important qualities that make a winner.

You can be helped in this by referring to the panel at the bottom left of each entry which should contain information as to the customer brief, the materials or methods used to create the imagery.

However, after saying that, it is equally vital in the advertising area of signage, to recognize that there are seven elements that apply to all categories, i.e. "Good Design", "Readability", "Creativity", "Originality", "Competency", "Innovativeness" and "Commerciality".

The first thing that judges should look for is "eye appeal", how well the entry has been presented, and the subject matter.

"BASIC GOOD DESIGN" It goes without saying that this is the keystone to all signage.

"READABILTY" It is useless to have excellent impact but not to be able to read well, particularly on a vehicle that is moving rapidly at some distance away.

"CREATIVITY" A must for the continuation of attractive signage. Whatever the category, this element is as important as any. People see with not only their eyes but with their intellect, which will naturally respond to stimulating visuals.

"ORIGINALITY" Something not seen before will always appeal to our senses.

"COMPETENCY" This factor is obviously a prerequisite to the end result, good design and sloppy finishing is a disaster.

"INNOVATIVENESS" The ability to use the environment and identify with it is a large part of good signage. In judging, it is another factor.

"COMMERCIALITY" This is what keeps business running and the "Awards" are meant to reflect the ability to compete and also do what business is meant to - "Make a profit", hence the category "Self Promotion". It is the combination of commercialism and skills makes the entry valid.

One's peers are of course an important factor, but the old adage "signmaking for the trade" is dangerous because it is not the trade who is buying nor paying the bill, so this aspect needs to be kept in mind.

With the exception of the Self Promotion Class, you will not be able to identify the entrant until the class has been judged. Judges are requested to not view the entry form details on the reverse of the mounting sheet. It is important that any preconceived notions as to the entrants' abilities should not form part of the consideration in judging the entrants work.

The Awards, over many years now, have set the benchmarks and standards, these have proven to be the catalyst for many more people to show these and to match and enhance.

The "Awards" entries are judged on photographic presentation; therefore it is essential that care should be taken to make the best of their entry with quality photos in proper settings to give the entry a professional finish.

THE NEW ZEALAND SIGN AND DISPLAY AWARD
 
Entrants award
The winning entrant/s are presented with a framed A3 sized award certificate and ribboned medal that will feature the Gold, Silver and Bronze finish and prestige ambience that only a real medal can.
Both the certificate and medal have been designed with permanent display in mind, a keepsake to remind the winners of the quality and prestige of the New Zealand Sign and Display Awards and to indelibly recognise their sign and display endeavours. The certificate will identify the title of the award, the entrant's organisation or trading name, the year and level of recognition. The certificate and medal will be framed to match the Gold, Silver or Bronze award.
 
Suppliers, clients and designers recognition
Each Gold, Silver and Bronze winner will also receive miniature certificates for suppliers, clients and designers as nominated or specified on the entry form. These are designed so as others may share in your success in creative excellence. These should be forwarded to the nominated recipients as soon as practical after the event - who knows, they could be worth more business to you!

N.B Not all categories have gold, silver and bronze awards. The judges may award more than one gold, silver or bronze in any category or in fact may chose to withdraw an award if the entries exceed or fail the judging criteria.

REGISTRATION OF INTEREST

Please type in your details to receive information on the New Zealand Sign and Display Awards  
ALL New Zealand Sign and Display makers are WELCOME to enter!

THE AWARDS NIGHT PRESENTATIONS
Awards and Gala Night
A Gala Presentation Night will be a prestigious event with the dress code being lounge suit or at least smart casual. Individual tickets, priced at $134 plus GST, and corporate tables can be booked by contacting the Convenor on (09) 473 9109. The ticket price includes a served three course meal, wine, beer, soft drinks and entertainment.

The venue
The Awards will be presented at the Hawkes Bay Opera House, Hastings Street South in Hastings on Friday, 24th April 2009.

The Event date
This awards evening will coincide with the annual New Zealand Sign and Display Association conference occurring Napier during the period 22nd to 26th of April.

Limited Seating
As you can imagine an event of this nature is a must attend chance to see, meet and talk to the best of the best in the sign and display industry. The unique choice of venue is enhanced by its idyllic location.

Great Entertainment
It is hoped that the Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be Dame Susan Devoy. Dame Susan has a enviable reputation as an inspirational speaker and it is fitting that she helps us recognise and celebrate the best that the New Zealand sign and display industry has to offer. The 2009 event will prove yet another occasion where memories are made. As always it will be an evening not to be missed.

Audio Visual Presentation
To ensure the evening is fast paced a professional Audio visual presentation will feature the work of all awards recipients. The creative layout and presentation style will guarantee the evening also for dancing and socialising.

Finalist Display
All finalists work will be displayed at the Hawkes Bay Opera House on the evening of the Awards.

A FEW TIPS TO ENSURE YOU MAKE MAXIMUM IMPACT
Entry information. Terms and conditions
To make the most of entries please read the following.

The Terms and Conditions of Entry require that entrants are represented on the awards evening. This requirement is to ensure that there are no embarrassing moments for sponsors or presenters when awards winners are announced. Please note that you cannot be represented by a supplier or members of a supplier’s staff.

Accuracy. All entries must contain true and accurate information as to originality, time frame and manufacturing methods.

Time frame of completed works. All entries must have been completed in the period 1st March 2008 to 28th February 2009.

Originality. All entries must outline the extent of originality in the work submitted for judging (i.e. client supplied logos, clip art, sketches, etc).

Presentation of entries. All entries must be presented in photographic form and full instructions are supplied with entry-mounting sheets. An additional three copies of each photograph are required for promotional purposes after the event. Please do not prepare special presentation folders or brochures. These will not be seen by the judges. It is important that the entry being submitted does not exceed 5mm in thickness. No raised mountings please. Entries remain the property of the Organisers.

Mounting Sheets. Entries must be made on the official New Zealand Sign and Display Awards standardised entry-mounting sheets. These are available at no cost. Entry forms and mounting sheets are also available from many of the sponsoring organisations.

Photographs/illustrations. Each entry requires that three additional photographs of each mounted photo are included with the entry for promotional purposes. Full requirements are detailed with the mounting instructions that will be sent to you with entry-mounting sheets. The size must not exceed A3 420mm x 297mm and be no thicker than 5mm when the mounted entry is finished.

All details required. Complete the entry form in full. When you wish to enter your sign in multiple categories, please use a separate form. Please do provide a written description of the sign or display entered on the front panel in the space allocated. The judges will be particularly interested in unusual features, innovative use of materials or the description of techniques or equipment used.

Out of house. If someone other than an employee of the entrant has designed the work, it must be placed in Category 15 - Any Sign Produced But Designed From Out of House.

Exceptions. With the notable exception of Category 14 - Self Promotion, it is important that the identity of entrant cannot be determined in the work being judged when viewing the front face of the entry-mounting sheet. Therefore no promotional material, business cards or graphics can appear with the mounted photographs of work entered. It is likewise important that photography does not include business signage or material in the background of any images to be judged that would enable judges to identify the entrant.

Categories. All categories must detail the title of the work entered, the client, the category entered, and the name of the designer, details of materials, equipment used, suppliers and the level of originality.

Photographs/illustrations. Signs and displays are visual media – and the photographs or illustrations you submit are the most important element of your entry. Please do your best to make sure that the photographs you submit are of the highest quality possible. If you wish, employ the services of a professional photographer. If this is not possible and you, or a member of your staff, is going to take the photographs make sure that your camera is set to the highest resolution setting.

You should take photographs that show the sign “in context” (i.e. in its surroundings), plus close-ups and detail shots.

If you are entering classes 7 or 8, the “illumination or neon bending and lighting effects” category, you must submit photographs of the sign taken when it is illuminated.

Photographs MUST be submitted in hard copy form.

Laser or Ink Jet prints. When you send hard copy photographs make sure they are good quality prints (low resolution laser or inkjet prints are unacceptable and will not be judged). Only glossy photograph quality images of the work to be entered will be accepted. Premium photo quality ink or laser prints on photographic paper using suitable 600 dpi or higher resolution are suitable.

(Remember, if your entry is successful, your pictures may feature in magazines, on the web and certainly in the audio visual presentation at the awards ceremony. Quality is important!

Multiple Entries Identical. Entries may be submitted for judging in several categories, e.g. signs and graphics on a vehicle could possibly be entered in both Category 1: Vehicles and Category 9: Illustrations and Murals. In this or similar instances a separate entry is required for each Category entered. Please note that one entry-mounting sheet with two entry forms attached for separate classes in not acceptable.

Closing date for entries. Entries must be in the convenor’s hands by the close of business on Friday the 6th of March 2009. No late entries will be accepted.

Presentation of Awards. Entrants must either attend themselves or ensure representation on the Awards presentation evening. Entrants who are not present and are awarded an excellence medal will not be permitted to enter the following years’ event.

Final Decision. Any entrant or participant into the New Zealand Sign and Display Awards is bound by the understanding that all of the decisions made by the organisers are final. The entrant is also accepts the terms and conditions as above. No correspondence or dialogue will be entered into.