Over 350 people attended the WorldStar Awards Presentations and Gala Dinner, the most important global packaging competition in the world, organized by World Packaging Organization (WPO) and hosted by WPO member, SYBA Obalovy Institut – Czech Packaging Institute. The ceremony happened as part of WPO program in Prague, that also included the 1st Board Meeting of 2019, Executive meeting and Working Groups meetings.
During the ceremony, 97 winners from a total of 219 awarded packages, were present, representing 27 countries. Besides the normal WorldStar categories – Beverages, Electronics, Food, Health and Personal Care, Household, Labeling and Decoration, Luxury, Medical and Pharmaceutical, Other, Packaging Materials and Components, Point of Sale and Transit – the winners of the Special Award categories were announced, those being the President’s Award, Sustainability, Marketing and Packaging that Saves Food.
Gold winners present during the evening to collect their awards were Smileysys, Italy for their Drop and Taste – a pack that has 30% plastic reduction, perfectly resealable, no food waste, logistics optimization and user friendly – a winner for Packaging that Saves Food. The Gold Sustainability Award winner went to the Jospak Oy Tray, Finland for packaging that combines the best functionalities of board and plastics, 85% less plastic, but still preserving the food fresh, the tray is also fully recyclable. And the Marketing Gold Award went to Constantia Flexibles International, Austria for the Cat Milk in Aluminum Portion-Packs, a trendy single portion pack, 4 variations, extended shelf life, easy opening, easy dispensing, clean, hygienic, visually appealing – the perfect and convenient pet snack.
The Gold winner for President’s Award was International Dispensing Corp. China for IDC aseptic bag-in-dispenser beverage packaging for food service and the Silver one Starlite Printers (Far East) Pte Ltd., Singapore for 2018 CNY Gift Pack.
Three winners were awarded the Lifetime Achievement in Packaging Award and all were present at the awards ceremony. This award was established with the aim of acknowledging and rewarding excellence in all aspects of packaging science, technology, design and application across every country around the world. The judges, from all over the world and a minimum of one from each continent, elected: Gill Loubser (South Africa), said, “Naturally, having spent the last 40 years writing about the packaging industry, I’m delighted and extremely gratified to be recognized in this way. But I must also comment that I am, in fact, being honored for doing something that I have loved doing! I have enjoyed the most rewarding career as a packaging and print journalist, editor and publisher. There is a maxim: ‘Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life’ and I can vouch for its veracity. I have enormously enjoyed meeting praiseworthy people throughout South Africa and all parts of the globe in my quest for relevant articles, and many have become personal friends; and I remain immensely fascinated by the ever-changing, ever-developing technologies at play in these dynamic industries.”
For the winner Shahid Sheikh OBE (UK), “Words cannot truly express the joy this award brings to me, I am extremely honored, humbled and grateful to be recognized by the WPO for all of our life’s achievements made to date. This award is dedicated to my late parents and to my mentor and elder brother Mr Khalid Sheikh who sadly passed away in 2014, without whom none of our achievements would have been possible”.
Keith Chessell (Australia), when asked about the importance of the Lifetime Achievment Award, reported: “I was greatly humbled and honored to be acknowledge by the WPO in receiving this Award. The recognition by this key Global packaging team has been a great encouragement in the role I’ve played in recent years in developing the sustainable packaging design in the Australian scene. In my 50+ years working with the packaging industry from within the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) food and beverage industry has provided the opportunity to work with nearly all forms of packaging materials. The innovation, development and change that has occurred within the packaging and food industry has meant there has never been a dull moment and always so much to learn. What has been a highlight has been the opportunity to work with and for many different people, both in food manufacture and packaging companies. I’m very thankful and appreciative for the many knowledgeable and skilled individuals in the industry who have so willingly shared their ideas, technical expertise and knowledge in the designing packaging and resolving packaging/production issues – learning on the job”.
During the ceremony, Pierre Pienaar, WPO President, added, “These prestigious awards will celebrate and preserve in perpetuity the collective achievements of these great innovators”
