Who's the best in packaging?

The UK Institute of Packaging has opened up the gates for entrants to its 2004 Starpack Awards in a bid to discover the best that packaging currently offers.

The Institute of Packaging has announced a deadline of 5 December for the receipt of entry forms. This is two months earlier than usual because next year's final awards ceremony will coincide with the TOTAL Packaging and Processing Exhibition being held at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham from 29 March - 1 April 2004.

"The TOTAL exhibition uniquely brings together Pakex, PPMA, Eurochem and Interphex and will host tens of thousands of visitors from all over Europe and beyond in 2004. This makes it the ideal showcase for packaging design excellence which is marked by the UK Starpack Awards,"​ said Institute of Packaging chief executive, John Webb-Jenkins at the formal launch of the 2004 Starpack programme.

But, according to the organisers, the earlier programme for the awards next year means that prospective Starpack winners need to ensure their completed entry forms arrive by 5 December at the latest - with the subsequent sample packs arriving at the IOP headquarters in Melton Mowbray during early January - if they are to be included in the intensive three day judging process.

The Institute of Packaging has also advised early booking of accommodation and dinner seats for packaging businesses wishing to attend what promises to be the highlight of the UK industry calendar at the Starpack Awards Dinner to be held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel on Tuesday 30 March.

"We expect 2004 will be another record-breaking year both in terms of the number of entries and the numbers attending the Awards Dinner,"​ said Rebecca Clark, IOP marketing manager.

For the 2004 Starpack Awards, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Technical Innovation Awards will be made in addition to ten special Sponsor Awards. The sponsor programme includes awards for Best in Creative Cartonboard Packaging (Food and Non-Food) sponsored by Pro Carton, Outstanding Colour Innovation in Plastics Packaging sponsored by PolyOne and The RPC special Designer/Design House of the Year Award - for a packaging design that, in the judges' opinion, has best served the needs of the packaging industry.

A new style entry form, which is colour coded according to the category of entry being made, is now available at the IOP website, www.iop.co.uk​. A separate form is required for every pack entered, the organisers say.

Alongside the prestige of taking one of the UK's top accolades in packaging excellence, winners from the UK's Starpack Awards are also automatically eligible to go on to global recognition through the Worldstar Awards - organised by the World Packaging Organisation -which will be judged later in 2004.