Harry Mennen of De Budelse accepts the 2008 PIXI Best of Show award from Xerox President Ursula M. Burns.
They call them Premier Partners because they lead the industry. And at the PIXI (Printing Innovation with Xerox Imaging) Awards dinner at the Chicago History Museum on the first evening of the Graph Expo Show Oct. 27, members of the Xerox Premier Partners Global Network lived up to their name.
The Premier Partners is a global network of nearly 800 of the world’s top print providers from 48 countries, all dedicated to developing new business opportunities with digital technologies. The annual PIXI awards honor excellence and innovation in digital printing.
In this year’s expanded program of 42 PIXI awards, 22 went to 21 Premier Partners. Premier Partners member De Budelse of the Netherlands, won two awards, including Best of Show, for a children’s book, complementary CD and accompanying personalized sales display. They also won the top award in New Business Applications, for commercially available personalized chewing gum.
It was a fun evening, hosted by Xerox Production Systems Group Vice President of Marketing Val Blauvelt. She kept the ceremony moving along with an upbeat presentation. Xerox President Ursula M. Burns joined her to make the Best of Show award, and PSG President Quincy Allen physically presented the awards. Many of the industry’s leading print providers, consultants and editors attended.
Several winning entries drew spontaneous applause for their audacity and effectiveness. One, a “Mission-Impossible”- style invitation produced on disappearing paper, got an enthusiastic response when Allen demonstrated how it disappears when immersed in water. That application, produced by Merrell Remington & Associates of Salt Lake City, won the Most Innovative Use of Technology Award. Merrell also received a hearty response for its other award, second place in direct marketing, for an invitation to a presentation on Amazonian plant customs that induced 139 attendees from 120 invitees. And Gorant Candies won Best of North America for its prototype packaging for up-scale chocolate bars, and won everyone’s confection affection by providing samples for everyone.
Still, as vice president and global executive director of the Premier Partners program, I was especially proud of the winning Premier Partners. In addition to De Budelse’s achievements, three won Best of Region awards: Top Advertising of Singapore for Asia Pacific, 7Renk of Turkey for Developing Markets and dsicmm of the U.K. for Europe. Two won first place awards: The Digital Centre of Australia in Books and Manuals, and Trendcommerce of Switzerland in Direct Marketing. And yet another won the first-ever Environmental Award: Kempenfelt Graphics Group of Canada.
For more on the winners, read the press release or go to the PIXI web site, where a full list of the 2008 winners soon will be posted.
If you’re a print provider, it’s not too soon be begin thinking about entering the 2009 contest!
A hearty congratulations goes out to all of the 2008 PIXI Award winners!
Bob Wagner
Vice President, Xerox Creative Services Business and Xerox Premier Partners Global Network
Xerox Corporation
