FESPA GLOBAL AWARDS 2023 NOW OPEN

Aussie and Kiwi sign and display printers looking to benchmark themselves against their peers around the rest of the world can now enter the 2023 Fespa Awards.

There are 17 print categories, plus Young Star, People’s Choice, Best in Show and Judges’ Awards, and a Sustainability Award.

Winners will announced at next year’s Fespa Global in Munich, which is being held at the end of May.

This year Fespa has added a new category to zone in on sustainably produced applications. This award will be judged across all categories against environmental considerations, including a reduction in the use of materials, energy and labour throughout production; whether the product can be reused or recycled; if notable attention has been paid to lifecycle analysis; and whether the entry is economically viable.

Graeme Richardson-Locke, Fespa’s head of associations and technical lead, said, “As the demand for sustainable production and strong environmental credentials is rising in the industries we represent, printers and sign-makers are having to rethink their production practices, reduce waste and reuse/recycle materials. As a result of this, we are seeing more and more products with a focus on sustainable production come to market.

"Sustainability has been at the top of the agenda for Fespa for quite some time now and, by introducing the Sustainability Award, we want to highlight the incredible talent of companies who are driving change in this area.”

The Fespa Awards will welcome entries into the following 17 categories:

• Display and POP on Paper and Board
• Packaging on Paper and Board
• Display and POP on Plastic
• Packaging on Plastics
• Posters
• Serigraphies and Fine Art
• Decals and Printed Labels
• Wrapping
• Creative Special Effects – Paper Board and Plastics
• Special Effects on T-shirts, Garments and Other Textiles
• Printed Garments
• Roll-to-Roll Printed Textiles
• Glass, Ceramic, Metal and Wood Products
• Direct Printing on Three Dimensional Products
• Non-Printed Signage
• Functional Printing – Fascias, Dials, Name plates
• Printeriors

The final category is the Young Star Award, which can be entered by those aged 16 to 25 working as a vocational trainee or student in digital or screen printing and design. Entrants can enter this award by submitting work in any of the print related categories. There will not be a cost to enter the Young Star category, and the prize for the winner is €1,000.

In addition to the Sustainability Award, there are three further Awards that all entrants are automatically considered for. The People’s Choice Award is voted for by Fespa’s online community across all categories, voting for this award will be open from 13 February. The Best in Show Award and the Judges Award for Innovation are chosen by the Fespa Awards judges.

For printers and sign-makers looking to enter the 2023 Awards, entries must be submitted by Wednesday 25 January. The shortlisted entries will be announced on Monday 13 March and will be displayed at Fespa Global Print Expo 2023, which takes place from 23 to 26 May at Messe Munich, Germany.

Entry is €100 per entry for members or €150 per entry for non-members.