Competitions . . . ???
Out of context: Reply #11
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- gramme0
Competitions are worth paying to enter because in order for any modicum of value or respect to be attached to the prospect of publication in these annuals, they have to first bring in accomplished industry heavyweights as judges. Otherwise, no one will take the competition seriously, which means little to no visibility for designers who enter work (the only reason—besides trophy-lust for some—that people enter competitions in the first place). These judges usually own their own studios or agencies, and have to be put on a plane or in a car and take a chunk of time away from their client work. It makes sense for them to be compensated for their time.
It's not like a publication such as Print, Graphis, CA, or Coupe merely drags their in-house magazine designers away from their desks to pick a few projects they like.
Then there are simply logistical costs of receiving and organizing entries, which for some of these annuals number deep into the thousands. The whole shebang takes considerable effort from a number of people.