2020 Awards – Superb response!

In this rather extraordinary year the cartonboard and carton industry has been busier than ever. As an essential provider of packaging for the supply of daily consumer goods, and with office staff largely confined to their homes, they had their work cut out. Nonetheless, participation in the European Carton Excellence Award and Pro Carton’s two student competitions has been encouragingly high. Business leaders, designers, marketers and the media know how important it is to drive innovation, particularly now. Just how seriously they take this is reflected by the level of entries we saw this year. Pro Carton adjusted quickly to the new situation in March. The first phase of the submission process for the European Carton Excellence Award was completely digital. The Pro Carton Young Designers Award and the Pro Carton Student Video Award were adapted to the new forms of distanced, digital teaching and the deadlines were extended to allow a bit more time for all the potential contestants. European Carton Excellence Award More than ever before, the European Carton Excellence Award entries seemed to focus on sustainability. It has meanwhile become commonplace that new developments in the carton sector are permanently surpassing previous limits. The desire for recyclable and renewable packaging is constantly growing. "The entries were excellent, perfectly thought-out and brilliantly matched to consumer needs," reported Satkar Gidda, Chairman of the jury. "As expected, the number of entries in the 'Save the Planet' category increased significantly, as consumers are becoming increasingly aware of sustainability issues”. The digital challenge for the work of the jury was mastered without any problems. After the initial digital phase, all jurors were sent physical samples of the shortlisted packs so they were able to hold the actual packs in their hands for the final evaluation and decision making, so that the quality of the judging again complied with the highest standards this year. Pro Carton Young Designers Award The appeal of our Award for student designers continues to grow. The record number of entries from the previous year was yet again exceeded by almost 100 entries - to reach more than 550! Thus, the #pcyda20 has again proven itself as the most important European competition for packaging design. It is particularly pleasing that the number of participating universities and design schools has also increased significantly - from 70 to 85! The long-standing Europe-wide partnerships with the educational institutions has proven to be outstanding. If desired, Pro Carton will not only provide them with advice and support, but also supply them with complimentary cartonboard for their designs. The #pcyda20 has become the moment of truth for many a budding designer. The enthusiasm of the students, and the many great submissions, once again made it especially difficult for the jury to make their decisions. In addition to the five prestigious European prizes, the jury was also asked to select the winners of ten national prizes: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK being joined by Netherlands, Romania and Turkey this year. Pro Carton Student Video Award Completely new this year was the Pro Carton Student Video Award which recognises the importance that moving images play in communications these days. Pro Carton asked film and marketing students throughout Europe to apply their creativity to sustainable packaging. The videos were to present one or more of the advantages of cartonboard and cartons in an interesting and informative manner. The students could participate as a team of up to 4 people or as individuals. Although such teamwork was particularly difficult in the face of the pandemic, the success of the new award was more than convincing. Submissions came in from 13 countries across Europe with many universities committing to participate when normality returns next year. Join the voting! The shortlists of the European Carton Excellence Award as well as of the #pcyda20 will be published on the website at the beginning of August and promoted on our social media platforms too! The best concepts will then be decided online in a public vote – appealing both to industry insiders as well as consumers. You are cordially invited to encourage your colleagues and friends to share their favourites and vote for them. Virtual E-vent & Awards ceremony Due to the cancellation of the ECMA Congress, the Pro Carton Award Gala had to be rescheduled. But every cloud has a silver lining as the 2020 Carton E-vent & Awards, which takes place online on October 7, 2020, will be open to a much wider audience – in fact, to everyone interested in design and packaging! See you on 7th October!