Search On For Star Innovators In The South West

More than a thousand creative industries and practitioners throughout Devon and Cornwall are being invited to enter a new and prestigious competition to find the star innovators in the South West.
The Media Innovation Awards 2007 have been established by the region’s two major creative industries organisations, Plymouth Media-Partnership and Cornwall Media Focus, and were officially launched in October at a ceremony at the Tamar Science Park in Plymouth.
The awards have 12 categories:

• Most innovative digital television project
• Most innovative terrestrial television project
• Most innovative DVD
• Most innovative CD-rom
• Most innovative website
• Most innovative mobile communications project
• Most innovative multi-platform project
• Most innovative film
• Most innovative installation or exhibition project
• Most innovative collaboration between business and young people
• Most innovative newcomer (Less than5 years in the industry)
• The outstanding individual contribution to innovation

In addition all the winners of the above categories will go forward to produce an overall winner who will get the coveted MIA Trophy.
The event has attracted enormous interest from sponsors, both for the overall event and for the individual awards.
“It’s important for Plymouth Media Partnership not only to represent the media practitioners here, but also to highlight the innovation that is being carried out here in the South West,” said PM-P’s Karen Stockdale.
“For those people who still think Plymouth and Cornwall is a technological backwater, these awards should go a long way to revealing the ‘star’ innovators and creatives that this area is home to.
The Awards open for entries on December 1 from all creative industries and practitioners who are members of the two organisations throughout Devon and Cornwall. Entries are via the website: www.mediainnovationawards.com The entries close on December 31 and a shortlist will be announced early in the New Year.
The judges will be Caroline Norbury, Chief Executive of South West Screen, Richard Klein, documentaries commissioning editor at BBC TV, Jane Arthurs from the University of the West of England, Mike Bennett from E3Media, Steve Hinde, freelance digital media consultant, and Stuart Scott from Intohand, and Graham Harrison from the South West of England Regional Development Agency.
(DS)