I had a strange experience on Friday. I was in a room full of print-related people and everyone was cheerful and happy. That hasn't happened in a long time.

This bout of unusual, and very welcome, cheer was brought about by PrintIT!, and the reason for the get-together was its fourth annual awards. From a personal point-of-view it was refreshing to discover that not all young people are of the feral, hoodie-wearing variety that's the norm in my neighbourhood. The young folk in attendance really were a breath of fresh air, and their enthusiasm for the project was palpable. A student from the London College of Communication even spoke about his print course being "ace" - what a tonic!

More than 60,000 students have taken part in PrintIT! since its inception, this is a truly impressive figure and testament to the sterling work of the team behind the project. I see that some 500 print businesses have been involved in the twinning aspect to the scheme, and having spoken to MPG Impressions chief executive Mike Milton (who picked up a special award for best industry twinner) about his firm's extremely positive experience I would urge other firms to get involved too. It's precisely this sort of grass roots activity that can make a real difference to outdated perceptions about the industry and the opportunities therein. It could even put a smile on your face.