BSGA announces new awards scheme and event for UK sign industry

The BSGA (British Sign and Graphics Association) has announced it will be launching a new awards scheme and event for the UK sign industry this year.  The first new BSGA Sign Awards ceremony will take place in the Holte Suite at Aston Villa Football Club in Birmingham on Thursday, October 30th.

“The skills and creativity of the sign industry in the UK deserve recognition and the BSGA Council has decided that, as the UK’s principal sign trade organisation, it should undertake to produce an awards event that will do justice to the industry,” said Association President David Dyke.  “We believe the BSGA is the right organisation to create sign awards that have real value and meaning.

“We are determined to provide a showcase for everything that is good in the UK industry and, while we will organise the awards, they are open to all signmakers in the UK. 

“We encourage all sign makers who feel they have produced outstanding work to enter for an award. Judging will be by a carefully selected industry panel and will be independent of the BSGA.”

BSGA Director, David Catanach, said the association had a close involvement with the awards events held from 2001 to 2008 at venues such as The Botanical Gardens in Birmingham and the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

The Holte Suite at Aston Villa also hosted an extremely successful awards ceremony in 2007.  It has since undergone complete refurbishment and provides superb facilities for the first in what the BSGA plans will be an annual event.

“The earlier events proved to be a high point in the sign industry calendar and we have asked the original organiser to work with us to help produce and stage our new awards. Together, we are determined to create an event that will offer the same level of excitement and enjoyment  as the earlier occasions.”

The first event will, however, be slightly different.  “We have decided to start the ball rolling with a gala lunchtime awards ceremony,” explained David Catanach.  “This will enable us to re-establish the awards while providing a memorable event for everyone involved.  However, the costs of attending will make the event accessible to everyone in the sign industry.  Tickets will be reasonably priced and, unless they want to, nobody needs to stay overnight, meaning that time away from work is minimised.

“We plan to have a fairly extravagant lunch with a keynote speaker followed by the awards ceremony and entertainment and there will also be time and space for essential networking.”

Awards will be presented in a total of ten categories and the judging will be undertaken by a completely independent panel of judges.  “We would emphasise that the awards are open to all UK-based signmakers and the BSGA will play no part in the judging procedure,” said David Catanach.

Full details of the event and how to enter will be announced shortly on a new website (www.britishsignawards.org) dedicated to the awards.

The site will provide full details of the award categories, how to enter, venue and ticket details, together with sponsorship opportunities. After the event the site will be re-structured to feature all the award winners and their projects.