A lively programme and quality technical and apprentice entrants helped SWUG New Zealand to a record attendance last weekend.
The two-day fourteenth annual conference – branded Think with ink brought substantially more than 100 delegates to Dunedin's Southern Cross Hotel for technical sessions mixed with networking, socialising and industry awards.
Chairman Dan Blackbourn welcomed overseas delegates and sponsors from Tonga and Fiji, as well as Australia and New Zealand, and added that the calibre of entries in the quality awards was “of the highest seen, a great tribute to the dedication of our craftspeople”.
He reported a busy year with host site the Otago Daily Times installing a new mailroom equipment including Ferag drum inserting, a press extension at the Whakatane Beacon including a new tower and folder, and the Ashburton Guardian moving to a new production site at Rolleston. Heatset printer PMP had commissioned a 12-colour press and was installing digital equipment at Christchurch site, and Blackbourn was well-placed to discuss arrangements under which APN Print Ellerslie – for which he is responsible – would take on contract work for Fairfax Media.
And especially pleased that an APN Print apprentice had been chosen for the ‘apprentice of the year’ award for the third year in a row… “testament to the high quality of the in-house tutoring at Ellerslie,” he added.
The 2014 apprentice winner was Molisi Saulala, with with PMP Print's Faanuualii Suafoa as runner-up. Judges said Saulala’s quality of workmanship showed pride in his work and this followed through in his finished product. It was a view shared by his supervisor Blair Evans, who added that Saulala represented “all that is great about the Print NZ and APN Print training processes”.
Saulala’s prize – backed by sponsor DS Chemport – includes a trip to Australia to visit sites and attend the Australian SWUG conference.
Dan Blackbourn thanked SWUG sponsors – including Norske Skog Tasman, Hostmann-Steinberg NZ, DIC, Bottcher Systems, DS Chemport, Fujifilm, Goss International and CPI – the team of helpers from Promote, photographer Robin Bush and webmaster Arthur Lenssen, as well as fellow committee members.
“Bringing the conference back to the South Island was a big success,” he says. “There was a fantastic award night at Larnach Castle, and the venue for the networking dinner and trivia night was a highlight for the attendees.”
The Gisborne Herald, PMP Print and APN Print Ellerslie took out the major honours in the 2014 SWUG Quality Awards, with the Herald and PMP Print snaring two top awards each.
Chairman Dan Blackbourn said that this year represented the best quality ever seen at SWUG. Guest speaker Steve Gurney presented the prizes at the awards night dinner.
Winners were:
Tabloid 42gsm section: Winner– The Gisborne Herald for The Wairoa Star; runner up– Horton Media for The Weekly Telegraph; third– The Gisborne Herald for The Gisborne Herald.
Heatset Tabloid: Winner– PMP Print for Rural News; runner up–PMP Print for NZ Farmer Weekly; third– Webstar for PGG Wrightson.
Broadsheet: Winner– APN Print Ellerslie for The Vision China; runner up– Allied Press for Otago Daily Times 16/6/14; third– Allied Press for Southland Times 18/6/14.
Retail catalogue: Winner– PMP Print for Farmers; runner up– Webstar for The Warehouse; third– PMP Print for Countdown.
Tabloid enhanced stock: Winner– The Gisborne Herald for Gisborne Property Guide; runner up– The Gisborne Herald for Angus Ball Sales; third– Horton Media for Process/Hold.
Pictured: Guests including Allied Press chairman Sir Julian Smith (left) honour apprentice of the year Molisi Saulala