You Can’t Win?... Yeah Right!

You Can’t Win?... Yeah Right!

It was something of a “Tui advert” moment when Alyssandra Skerrett heard her name read out from the stage before about 700 people at a glittering Pride In Print. Awards Dinner in the Sky City Convention Centre in Auckland last year.

Because the Queenstown graphic designer, who beat the odds to win a gold medal in New Zealand’s showpiece printing industry awards at the first time of asking, wouldn’t have been there if she had listened to the misguided advice of a misinformed printer.

Alyssandra had wanted to enter Pride In Print for years and after carving a niche for herself with her hand-made and hand-drawn stationery for what was billed “The First Gay and Lesbian Wedding in New Zealand” ceremony in Rotorua, organised as part of a promotion with The Edge radio station, she was encouraged to give it a go by Fuji Xerox Southland representative Patrick Crosby.

However through a friend she met a printer who told her she would be wasting her time.

He said she would be “lucky to get past the initial round as the pieces that win have really big budgets”.

Alyssandra takes up the story: “He explained the judges initially walk through and bin those pieces not up to entry standards. The next three levels of judging have fewer and fewer judges and more difficulty. The last round has complete secrecy until the names are called on the night.”

Alyssandra offered to show him her entry but he wasn’t interested – “He was sorry to burst my bubble as I would not get a placing of any sort as it is the big printers and advertisers [who win].”

Fortunately Alyssandra wasn’t put off entering and still went to the Awards Dinner with her husband Warren just to see the spectacle.

“I explained to Warren I wasn’t getting anything. We went WOW with the visual show, I was inspired to see so many amazing pieces, and I imagined all the work that must have gone into each piece.

“When my name was called, I was absolutely astonished and astounded. I was stunned and couldn’t believe it - my photo definitely reflects how stunned I was. “

Sue Archibald, Manager of the Pride In Print Awards, says Alyssandra’s story was a real “yeah right!” response to misinformation and highlighted how big and small entrants are treated equally in the Awards.

“I think what is good is that she still pursued her dream. She did not let the negative comments get her down.”

Sue also put the record straight on the way each and every entry is treated.

“No entries get ‘binned’ on a ‘walk through’ and there’s no such thing as the initial round. The judges look at and talk through each piece that is entered and judge it on its own merits, not comparing it with everybody else’s.

“The selection process gradually narrows down the choices to the best of the best.

“Judges are not told who the entry is from, so have no knowledge if the entrant is a big company or small. Alyssandra’s success shows that the ‘small’ personal design company can compete with the best. That is the essence of Pride In Print.”

Sue also says it is important to note that the last three winners of the Supreme Award have not been big companies at all – Logick Print & Graphics, GTO Printers and Arria Design Group, all very small companies who produced amazing work.

“So it is definitely not just for big companies and advertisers to win big – anyone can win if they are good enough.”

Alyssandra herself is happy to let her story be an inspiration to those “small companies” who dream of “winning big” at Pride In Print.

And in particular, her story is testimony to the fact that being a large company is not a passport to getting top recognition from the judges.

The last line is best left to her – “The Pride in Print Awards have reminded me to stay positive, be grateful, be inspired, and push ideas to something even better … something original, very special and/or unique.”

Footnote: Entry to this year’s Pride In Print Awards is still open till February 28.

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