08/28/2024
A Night of Celebration
The PEA Grand Ceremony held on Thursday, August 22 at The Revery in Columbus was an evening to remember, perfectly framed by the stunning setting of a clear, beautiful night. As guests arrived, they were greeted by the warm glow of the sunset filtering through the venue's glass atrium, which offered a breathtaking view of the night sky as the event progressed.
The Revery’s modern architecture, with its sleek glass walls and open design, provided the perfect backdrop for the evening’s celebrations. The ambiance was both elegant and inviting, with the atrium’s transparent structure creating a seamless connection between the indoor festivities and the natural beauty outside.
Inside, the atmosphere was lively. Accompanied by the beautiful music of James Pyle, industry professionals mingled and exchanged stories of their latest innovations and achievements. The awards ceremony itself was a highlight, honoring the excellence in the printing industry. The winners took the stage to enthusiastic applause, their success stories resonating with the audience.
The combination of the Revery’s unique setting and the joyous celebration of creativity made this year's Grand Ceremony a truly special event.
Congratulations to our 22 members who won the 35 Best of Category Awards! They include: Baesman Group, Carta Finishing, Evolution creative solutions, Foresight Group, Freeport Press Inc., Graphic Village, Greko Printing & Mailing, HKM Direct Market Communications, Inc., Hopkins Printing, Identity Systems, Inland Press, INNOMARK Communications, Metzgers, Model Graphics & Media Inc., Olberding Brand Family, Oliver, Inc., PXPOHIO, RPI, RRD Detroit, Steinhauser, Think Patented, and West-Camp Press, Inc.
Since we received a record number of student entries this year, we decided to break down the entries into sub-categories to better reward their hard work and creativity. The sub-categories mirror the PEA categories for our printers and covered all of the 120 entries we received in the Student Graphic Design category. Congratulations to: Students of Bowling Green State University, Students of Brighton High School, Students of Cuyahoga Valley Career Center, Students of Delaware Area Career Center, Students of Eastland Career Center, Students of Ferris State University and the Students of Fort Hayes Career Center.
The judging for this year's print contest was executed with precision and expertise by two highly regarded professionals in our field. The judges included long-time judge, Jeff Ekstein, the owner of Willow Printing in Toronto, Canada. Jeff has judged for us the past six years and has been judging national awards for over 15 years. Joining us this year was Michael Klyn, retired as VP of Sales at Peake DeLancey Printers in Hyattsville, Maryland. Michael began his printing career in Ohio at the Cleveland Plain Dealer and has judged national awards for over 35 years! Together, the judges combined their extensive backgrounds in print production and quality to provide expert level judging for our contest.
Jeff and Michael were asked to choose their personal favorite pieces from the Gold Award winners.
Jeff Ekstein chose as his personal favorite Hopkins Printing's entry in the category of Pocket Folders for the Capabilities Folder with Stairstepped inserts
Michael Klyn selected INNOMARK Communications' Point-of-Purchase entry titled Bubly Bellini Bliss palm Tree as his favorite.
The Rising Star award is given to a new participant in the Print Excellence Awards. Excelling in your first competition is a special achievement, especially this year. We had a LOT of first time participants, so the Rising Star was extremely competitive this year. The winner of the 2024 Rising Star Award is RRD Detroit for their entry Notre Dame Traditions in the category of Books - Other Than Hardbound - Larger than 6" x 9".
The People's Choice Award is the only award presented that was not decided on by our judges. Attendees of the Grand Ceremony voted to name Baesman Group and their PINK - Look Book entry as this year's recipient.
The Best of Show Awards honor printed pieces that have worked their way to the top of a rigorous competition. These awards are selected from the winners of the Best of Category Awards and the Best of Region awards that are chosen during the Print Week celebrations at the beginning of the year. Best of Show Awards are presented in four divisions, based on number of employees.
The Best of Show winner in the 20 employees or fewer division, is Evolution creative solutions for their Dart Ops Window Mural entry.
The Best of Show winner in the 21 to 50 employees division is Inland Press who won for their Book Tower Resident Guide entry.
The Best of Show winner in the 51 to 100 employees division is Carta Finishing for their ISM's in Action Handbook.
The Best of Show winner in the 101 and above employees division for goes to Hopkins Printing for their The Merchant Building piece.
Congratulations to all of our winners!
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our amazing sponsors and dedicated volunteers for making our Grand Ceremony a resounding success. Your generous support and hard work made everything possible, and we couldn't have done it without you. Thank you for being an essential part of this unforgettable event!