Paarl Media is back on board as the sponsor of the 2013 MPASA PICA Awards. “The PICA Awards recognise excellence in the magazine industry, which motivates advancements and drives development within the industry. We at Paarl Media are proud to be a part of the driving force behind this excellence,” says CEO Stephen van der Walt.
Van der Walt says that the focus of the awards on motivating and inspiring the future writers and publishers of the magazine industry is what ultimately separates it from others. “The passion with which the organisers approach this task and the end result of the effort put in by all speaks volumes about their commitment,” he says.
Apart from providing financial support as a sponsor to the PICA Awards, Paarl Media also established the Paarl Media Academy during recent years to further make a difference. “Through the academy print training programme, the Paarl Media Group seeks to harness the country’s future leaders of the printing industry by offering management and leadership development, as well as technical and non-technical training,” says Van der Walt. “Furthermore, the training also includes ‘design for print’, which aims to educate those working with the layout and design on how to optimise the design of materials to ensure the best quality when printing. The academy has received accreditation from the Fibre Processing and Manufacturing (FP&M) SETA and of the City & Guilds of London Institute.”
Van der Walt believes that the judges of this year’s PICAs will be looking for fresh new ideas, which “provoke thought, inspire readers and challenge the industry”.