Cape Town has won the bid to host the Loerie Awards for a further three years, and is celebrating the opportunity to showcase its creative talent as it journeys towards World Design Capital 2014.
The Loeries recognises the best in South African brand communication, and attracts about 5 000 industry names from all levels of the nations’ creative sector during the two-day awards ceremony.
Besides the creative gravitas the Loeries brings to bear on the nation, spurring competitive growth within the creative sector, it links into the World Design Capital theme of transforming life through design by promoting creativity and innovation as primary business tools.
Loeries aligned with World Design Capital
The decision to continue to hold the awards in the city was based on a number of factors, including continuity and strategic alignment in building a national design capital: “The Loeries are a microcosm of our positioning as a city. It is a reward for an industry that relies on innovation, excellence in design and finding new ways of bringing people together,” comments Cape Town Executive Mayor Patricia de Lille.
“This is exactly the kind of image we want to associate with Cape Town: a cutting-edge driver of bringing people together, fuelled by an unmatched dynamism and energy built by visionary design.”
Creative Week expands programme
Hosting the extended Loerie programme in Cape Town will enable judging to take place during Creative Week – a diverse series of design, music and arts events held throughout the city each year – in the days leading up to the award ceremony. Creative Week, a crowdsourced initiative, opens up the creative industries to the public and in 2011 alone tripled in size to 100 events.
In 2012 it will expand to include an industry-focused expo, seminars with international marketers and creative leaders, the Loeries Student Portfolio Day and the Creative Future Scholarship. Loeries finalists will also be announced throughout the week.
Cape Town, an able host
Ballito in KwaZulu-Natal, Johannesburg and Sun City all competed for the opportunity to host the Loeries Festival Weekend.
The return of the Loeries to Cape Town for the fourth year in a row is something to celebrate, says Western Cape Premier Helen Zille: “It’s proof that the city is one that attracts investment and makes an attractive offering to the creative industry. In light of Cape Town’s recent successful bid for the title of World Design Capital 2014, it is becoming clear to more and more people that the City of Cape Town is a choice destination and hub of increasing innovation and growing prosperity,” she explains.
“The expanded Loeries in 2012 will no doubt inspire new talent and stimulate new energy, which the city and indeed the province will thrive on, as we endeavour to build on the strong foundation that helps make the Western Cape the best place to live, work and relax.”
Other reasons behind the committee’s decision to move all the events to Cape Town include the venue – the Cape Town International Convention Centre provides a world class rated auditorium seating for 2 100 people – and surrounding infrastructure, including an international airport, public transport and a high density of hotel accommodation near the CTICC.
“The Loerie Awards started in 1978 as a vehicle to promote the usage of television as a medium. Thirty-four years later, the Loeries has evolved and grown to be South Africa’s, if not Africa’s, premier creative awards ceremony recognising a multitude of disciplines within the brand communication industry,” says Loeries Chairperson Boniswa Pezisa.
“This includes areas such as digital media, outdoor, print, direct and PR communication, live events, alternative media, architecture, interior design, and many more. Our future focus is to build a compelling and industry engaging Creative Week with a strong accent on industry and people development.”
So now what?
Creative Week will continue to grow as a platform for the city’s creative sector and, with the Loeries’ judges in town, reach a larger, more influential audience.
“We’ve got the buy-in of the city’s creative: In 2012 and beyond we need to connect these creatives up with other entities – commercial enterprises, urban planners, government officials. Creativity is vital to the development of this city and its communities – in positioning us for a more prosperous and sustainable future. We’ll be looking for better synergies with what’s happening more broadly in Cape Town over that time,” says Creative Cape Town coordinator Zayd Minty.
Follow Creative Cape Town on Twitter, find them on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter to keep tabs on the city’s creative industry, as well as its plans for Creative Week 2012. And watch the press for details on entering your design for a Loerie Award.
Image: The red carpet at The Loeries 2011, by photographer Sarah Scott
