Dear AIVA Community,

I’ve been meeting a lot with Davey Award winners and jurors lately to hear what they’re going through right now. Budgets are getting even smaller, AI has restructured everything, and it seems like the pressure has never been higher. But here’s what struck me: small shops aren’t caught off guard by this. They’ve always operated under pressure.

That’s the small shop superpower. Limited resources might look like a constraint from the outside, but for small teams and independent creators, they’re a launchpad for creativity. That truth inspired this season’s theme:

Small Shops. No Limits.

If you’re doing more with less, this is your moment to show the industry that the biggest ideas don’t require the biggest budgets.

I can’t wait to see your limitless creativity this season!

Best,
Josh

Josh Campbell
General Manager
Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts  |  AIVA.org