Auckland City Council is delighted to support the BeST Design Awards, held with pride in Auckland city, the home of the design industry.

The design sector is vital to Auckland?s economy, as the largest employer in the city?s creative industries. The council recognises that design is crucial to the city?s economic future ? intrinsically adding value, enabling business across sectors, and providing unique points of difference that give New Zealand enterprises an edge in the global marketplace. Auckland City Council is leading the way with in-depth research and its action plan Blueprint: Growing Auckland?s creative industries. We recognise the economic, creative and dynamic contribution all design disciplines give our city and we are proud to celebrate excellence in New Zealand design at the BeST Design Awards.

Better by Design aims to help New Zealand companies make world class design a bigger differentiator for their products and services in export markets.

Better by Design is part of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and offers a programme of practical programmes and support to help New Zealand export companies improve their design capability. This includes design audits and mentoring for approved companies, funding for specific design initiatives for audited companies, education courses, design education internships for final-year students and new graduates, and a range of information resources and events.

Great graphic design and quality printing are essential before fine paper stock can fulfil its potential. Our continued sponsorship of the BeST Design Awards cements our support for the design community throughout New Zealand.

BJ Ball Papers profile outstanding new work on our website, and actively encourage New Zealand designers to match their best work against the rest of the world through entering the internationally renowned Mohawk Show each year.

We place a high importance on products that are environmentally responsible, and urge our customers, when specifying papers for their communications, to consider the nature in which these stocks are manufactured, for the sake of the environment. With this in mind, we offer an extensive and varied portfolio of papers that fit a broad spectrum of environmental requirements.

The Department seeks to ensure that New Zealanders have access to quality homes and buildings that meet their needs and reflect the environment. It takes a big picture approach, covering all aspects of buildings and their use, from design and construction through to living and renting.

The Department?s responsibilities include ensuring laws relating to the building and housing sector are effective and are complied with; providing a wide range of building-related information and guidance; assisting with dispute resolution ? for example, involving building consent, weathertightness or tenancy issues; working with the sector to improve professional standards, skills and behaviour; and providing policy advice to the Government.

The Department is based in Wellington, with service delivery staff in numerous locations around the country, and a small number of Weathertight Homes Resolution Services staff in Auckland.

The Department of Building and Housing is proud to support the BeST Awards 2008.

Designlink is a hosted web based design collaboration tool, which enables easy, secure communication of a wide variety of media and project critical information.

Designlink's simple user interface, takes the hassle out of communicating and documenting the development process, effectively creating a virtual design portal on the internet. Being email enabled, Designlink aids in the channelling of information through User Groups, which can be set up on the fly.

Designlink was developed by designers, for designers and their clients, to help speed up the delivery of new ideas to a global market.

Fisher & Paykel is pleased to support the growth of design-led innovation in New Zealand through their sponsorship of the BeST Design Awards.

Fisher & Paykel has been producing innovative appliances for over 70 years in New Zealand, where it deservedly has been voted this country's most trusted appliance brand and third most trusted brand overall. As one of the smallest global appliance companies, Fisher & Paykel's continued success relies on stylish design along with fast-paced market led innovations that reflect the changing lifestyles of consumers.

Formway is passionate about pursuing excellence in design, a philosophy recognised when Formway was awarded the Best Design-Led Business Award in 1999.

Formway prides itself in playing a key role in the creation of outstanding workplaces, providing creative solutions through its products, ideas and workplace expertise. Formway sees this investment in design as the vehicle for the company?s international success and the many worldwide accolades its products have received.

Formway is delighted to again be a sponsor of the 2008 BeST Design Awards. www.formway.com

Methven is a proactive design-led New Zealand company with a vision to be a world leader in the design and supply of the ultimate showering experience. Founded in 1886, Methven is a public company, whose stock is traded on the New Zealand Stock Exchange. Methven is the market leader in New Zealand with a 40% market share and one of the leading brands in Australia with 30% market share and growing. The Methven Group markets around 2,000 different models of tap and showerware and valves, distributed in New Zealand, Australia, USA and UK.

Methven represents contemporary New Zealand design, delivering world class products that are distinctive, attractive, functional, efficient and fit consumers? needs. Methven is currently the holder of 19 patents for the design and development of shower products, hot water heater valves, and water saving products.

MINI is driven by design. As one of the most iconic vehicles on the planet, MINI continues to successfully challenge modern conventions and break the mould through true emotive design and innovation. At the same time, MINI remains consistent in keeping with the original concept, character and flair from the Sir Alec Ignossis creation of 1959 to the highly successful BMW Group re-invention of the brand in 2001.

MINI offers people more than just a car, it's a lifestyle choice that exudes confidence, creativity and style, whilst remaining unconventional and unique.

MINI is passionate about design, and that's why we are proud to be associated with the 2008 Best Design Awards.

Panprint has a long relationship with many New Zealand designers and is therefore pleased to repay some of their loyalty by supporting the BeST Design Awards. The core of Panprint's business is represented in every aspect of high quality print from the most demanding annual reports through to self-adhestive labels. Panprint is also pleased to see many of the Panprint Awards entrants moving steadily through all levels of our industry.

The best design deserves the best print.

Portfolio Recruitment is a niche agency that employs a unique approach.

Sourcing exceptional talent for the creative industries since 1998, we not only assess our candidates? performance, skill and suitability, but also take our time to really get to know them. We like to find out about their aspirations ? both career and personal ? their likes and dislikes, what their drivers and motivators are, past achievements and future life goals.

Portfolio consultants have a background in the design, advertising and creative industries. We understand the nature of the busines s a nd the expectations required, as well as the difference a good employee can make in contributing to the creative workplace.

We stay in close contact with the industry and are pleased to be able to continue to support the BeST Design Awards in 2008.

ProDesign is the official magazine of the Designers Institute of New Zealand. It is unique in reflecting the interdependence of the three core commercial design disciplines: spatial, product and graphic design. With a reputation as the hub and mouthpiece of the design industry, it is read and respected by top decision-makers and specifiers in these professions, and also by their clients.

ProDesign is a truly eclectic, inclusive, positive magazine that attracts and maintains the genuine enthusiasm of its readers through a mix of content, size and style. ProDesign is integral, and contributes much to the success of the programmes set in place for many of our top design awards.

We are proud to be one of the sponsors of this year's BeST Design Awards.

Lets face it ? you didn?t get into the creative industry to do time sheets or invoicing. Nor did you want to spend most of your time scheduling workflow and organising Job Bags. Traffic does not need to be horrible thought. Production is a great thing. Streamline is the worlds fastest growing software to solve your job tracking and client management information needs.

Being Mac and PC capable, everyone in the office can utilise Streamline?s easy interface and logical navigation ? from the accounts team & finance people through to the creatives and designers. Take your business to a new level. Increase your productivity & profitability and stop the chaos ? well, most of it?