The search has begun for the world’s leading pioneers and innovators in the label and package printing industry.
Marking 15 years of Label Industry Global Awards, this year sees four major prizes up for grabs, as the awards honour those organisations and individuals who have excelled in the label and package printing sector through innovation and best practice.
In acknowledgement of this, and new for 2018, the R Stanton Avery Pioneer Award, sponsored by Avery Dennison, honours the contribution an individual has made which has really impacted the label and package printing sector, whether their pioneering work has spanned two years or two decades.
Bestowed in memory of Stan Avery’s pioneering spirit and values, the award makes a significant update to the previously named R Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award, in order to better reflect the industry as it is today – one embracing innovation and tackling major environmental challenges such as label waste.
Previous winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award include Professor Tan of PEIAC; Tomas Rink of Ritrama; Helmut Schreiner of Schreiner Group; Suzanne Zaccone of GSI Technologies;and Neil McDonough of FlexCon.
Mike Fairley, chair of the judges, says: “The Label Industry Global Awards are the highest accolade within the label and package printing industry. Along with the judging panel I never cease to be impressed with the high standard of entries from an innovative sector that’s positively brimming with talent and enthusiasm. I am much looking forward to meeting this year’s judging panel finalists and winners at Labelexpo and to celebrating their successes.
The Award for Innovation, sponsored by Flint Group Narrow Web, goes to companies based on size: one award for those with more than 300 employees and another for those with less than 300 employees. Entries must aim for the development of a specific innovation by a supplier or converter in 2017, either for a new business process or technology.
Herma won the 2017 Award (companies over 300 employees) for its superTack (63Vst) innovation, the world’s first resin-free adhesive for labels that require an extremely strong initial tack. AIM, the trade association for the automatic identification industry, won the second innovation category Award (companies with less than 300 employees) for its 2D color barcode – Ultracode – process that enables the automatic capture of data by any digital color camera or smartphone.
The Award for Sustainability acknowledges a new sustainable product or process introduced by a company during 2017. Ebeam Technologies took last year’s award for its development of a compact electron beam curing system for narrow web presses which now makes low-energy, photo-initiator-free curing accessible for label and package printing production.
Farley says, “All entries go through a rigorous judging process and the bar is set extremely high, so these Awards have led many previous winners to find new clients and opportunities and inspired others in the sector to succeed. We look forward to recognising even more trailblazing organisations and their employees as part of our 15th annual Label Industry Global Awards celebration in 2018.
“As a reflection of the sector’s ever more innovative use of technology to create fantastic products, we are delighted to introduce the Pioneer Award this year, and we urge all sectors of the package printing industry to submit their nominations as soon as possible.”
Submissions for this free to entry competition close May 18. Organisers will announce the winners, along with the winner of the R Stanton Avery Pioneer Award, during Labelexpo Americas, held in Chicago, at a gala evening event on 25 September.
Click here to get an entry form
