Entries are now open for the 2024 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards for Australia and New Zealand, with an industry-first award – Packing Technologist of the Year – joining the accolades.
Coordinated by the AIP, the 2024 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards recognise companies and individuals making a significant difference in their field in Australia and New Zealand across 15 categories.
AIP executive director Nerida Kelton is excited to announce the new award. In an Industry-first, a new category will be added to the PIDA Awards for a Packaging Technologist of the Year. The unique category will be open to all AIP Members in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.
“The Packaging Technologist of the Year Award recognises and acknowledges the outstanding achievements and contributions of an individual currently working within the packaging industry across Australia, New Zealand and Asia,” Felton said.
The judges will look for packaging technologists, engineers, specialists, and designers who have demonstrated advanced technical packaging skills and competencies through projects, initiatives and unique packaging designs.
The individual must be an AIP member, have worked in the industry for at least five years, and be in a technical packaging role and have proven results within their business through their packaging designs.
“The judges will also want to hear about the packaging education the individual has undertaken, the education and training undertaken to elevate their core competencies in the fundamentals of packaging and future goals for advancing their training and knowledge. The judges will look for examples of projects led and driven by the individual and supporting documentation from the business.” Felton said.
2024 PIDA categories include:
The Design Innovation of the Year company awards will recognise organisations that have designed innovative packaging within each of these six manufacturing categories:
- Food
- Beverage
- Health, Beauty & Wellness
- Domestic & Household
- Labelling & Decoration
- Outside of the Box
There are four special awards available:
- Sustainable Packaging Design
- Save Food Packaging Design
- Accessible & Inclusive Packaging Design
- Marketing
Three awards acknowledge those who have made specific contributions to the packaging industry.
- Young Packaging Professional of the Year
- Industry Packaging Professional of the Year
- Packaging Technologist of the Year (NEW)
The two scholarships available include:
- ABA Diploma in Packaging Scholarship
- ABA Certificate in Packaging Scholarship
The PIDA Awards is the exclusive award program for Australian and New Zealand entries into the prestigious World Packaging Awards, coordinated by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO).
For the last four years, PIDA Awards winners have been among the top three winners in the WorldStar Packaging Awards.
Felton added, “The AIP encourages everyone to take time and recognise the hard-working industry contributors who deserve recognition. All too often, we forget about the people making a significant difference in their fields, and the PIDA Awards is the only awards program in the ANZ region that recognises individuals and companies.
“The entries could come from any area in the business, including sustainability, procurement, research, sales, marketing and more. If every company entered one person for a PIDA award, it would be a tremendous outcome for the industry.”
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