Print.IT Reseller - issue 81

01732 759725 22 PRINTIT AWARDS 2020 We were delighted to (finally) announce the winners of the inaugural PrintIT Awards on February 11 And the winners are… of a pandemic has been interesting to say the least… but like so many of the businesses in this industry, we too had to pivot to keep things moving. So, as COVID-19 meant meeting in person was off the table, we pulled out all the stops, and used every bit of technology in our arsenal to ‘meet’ with the awards’ sponsors and everyone who made the shortlist, prior to the big reveal. We were thrilled to engage comedian, writer and actor Tom Allen to host the awards event, which was broadcast to your homes and offices on February 11, and announce the worthy winners. I have it on good authority that filming with him was great fun! The awards would not be possible without the support of organisations in this industry and we are particularly grateful to our brilliant line-up of sponsors. We are also very proud to count some of the industry’s leading figures on our judging panel and thank them for their time and valued insight. Ian Birch, Managing Director, IBC Group; Eric Crump, Director of Strategic Alliances, Ringdale; Sofia Dahlqvist, Director, 55 Connect Ltd; Louella Fernandes, Director, Quocirca; Darren Lewitt, Former Director, Midwich; Brendan Perring, General Manager, IPIA; Jeff Root, UK Country Manager, Mobi Systems; and Julian Stafford, Former Managing Director, Midshire. And last but not least, a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to submit an entry in these most difficult circumstances. The quality of entries this year was extremely high – something that made our judges' jobs just a little bit more difficult and prompted much discussion on judging day! When we launched the PrintIT Awards at the beginning of 2020, our plan was to come together at a glittering awards ceremony at The Tower Hotel in London and celebrate the achievements of the vendors, distributors, service providers, resellers and individuals, who work within our vital, dynamic and ever- changing industry. But, none of us could have predicted the advent and long-lasting impact of the global pandemic. It’s fair to say that for the past ten months, we have all found ourselves working through the most challenging and unpredictable period in all of our working lives. And I know from talking to many vendors, dealers and OEMs, that the resilience and adaptability that this industry is renowned for has been well and truly put to the test. From our perspective, running the inaugural PrintIT Awards in the midst xx PLATINUM SPONSOR In association with: MAGAZINE &WEBSITE PIA-Brochure-2020.indd 1 26/01/2021 15:04 Ian Birch Sofia Dahlqvist Darren Lewitt Jeff Root Eric Crump Louella Fernandes Brendan Perring Julian Stafford