DuPont names judges for 2015 Awards for Packaging Innovation

Other members of the 2015 judging panel include: Roza Altin, packaging development director at Yildiz Holding in Turkey; Hung Le, vice-president of global innovation engagement at MeadWestvaco in the US; Paul Pezzoli, vice-president of global packaging innovation and technology at Kellogg Company; Pat Reynolds, vice-president and editor of Packaging World; Jane Skelton, head of print and packaging at UK supermarket Sainsbury; Nandlal Tiwari, head of packaging development at GlaxoSmithKline in Singapore; George Wofford, vice-president of core research and development at the US’s Sealed Air; and Romulo Zamberlan, head of packaging development at Natura in Brazil.

Nominations for the 2015 DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation close on February 2, with entry forms and guidelines available at packagingawards.dupont.com.

Brand owners, retailers, packaging designers, converters and technology providers from around the world are encouraged to enter new packaging that has been commercialized since January 1, 2013.  There is no fee for entry and DuPont materials do not need to be in the packaging structure.

Winners will be honored at a ceremony on May 14. 

The judges will spend three days together in March reviewing and debating entries from around the world. In advance of this session, each judge prepares and presents an in-depth review of a group of entries based on excellence in one or all of these areas: technological advancement, responsible packaging and enhanced user experience.

‘One of the unique things about the DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation is that judges represent such a variety of industry knowledge and expertise and perspective,’ said Luttenberger. ‘A great judging panel helps build credibility for the award, and year over year, DuPont manages to build a fresh panel who deliberate on what is truly innovative. As a result, you earn a DuPont Award, you don’t just win it.

‘The judging process is robust and the face-to-face opportunity gives us a chance to not only interact, but to touch, feel and experience the packaging as the consumer would. That’s imperative to the process.’

DuPont Packaging has already appointed an advisory panel with the intent of keeping its Awards for Packaging Innovation ‘relevant’, with Luttenberger also assisting in its work. Members of the advisory panel will meet virtually a few times a year to discuss the various program elements.

Yasmin Siddiqi, global packaging relationship manager at DuPont Packaging, said: ‘This panel is instrumental in keeping the industry’s longest running, independently judged awards program competitive and relevant.

‘The judges represent different parts of the value chain and different geographies so they can bring a broad and diverse perspective that enables them to thoroughly assess which ones are game-changing packaging innovations.’