Hail to the Victors!

For more than 30 years, Signs of the Times has conducted competitions that capture some of the industry’s best examples of design and fabrication. Although some of the winners from the early editions appear dated — times and tastes change – the competition (known as the International Sign Contest since we merged the Electric and Commercial contests into a single entity in 2002) remain a prime example that signs provide the most efficient form of advertising that helps even owners of even the smallest businesses reach the public.

For a change of pace, I ventured approximately 100 miles south to Nicholasville, KY, and held our 2012 competition judging at Alltech’s corporate headquarters. Alltech is one of the world’s top producers of animal-nutrition products, and its elegant campus is a testament to the positive impact environmental graphics can make on corporate facilities.

This year’s crop of 280-plus entries provided the usually challenging, but enjoyable, task of winnowing the field down to the winners that will be featured in ST’s March issue.

I can’t express enough gratitude to our top-flight panel of judges – Scott Cambron, a project manager for Ruggles Sign (Versailles, KY); Albert Oberst, president of Integrated Sign Co. (Lexington); Laci Poulter, Alltech’s consumer-communications manager; and Jeff Walker, creative-services manager for the University of Kentucky Healthcare system. Thanks are also in order for Tim Cambron, Ruggles’ president, for assisting with logistical arrangements.

Look for the March issue of ST next week; the contest results will be published concurrently on www.signweb.com (each category will be posted individually). For a sneak preview, here are the results from the Sign Systems category, which includes the Best of Show entry: Roswell, GA-based design firm Lorenc+Yoo Design collaborated with Shenzhen Youking Sign Design and Mfg. Co. to develop a signage and wayfinding system for Fish in the Garden, an upscale Chinese mixed-use, resort property.

Enjoy!
 

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