The World Packaging Organisation (WPO) will be holding their first Board Meeting of 2019 on May 15 for one week in Prague, Czech Republic. The programme is being organised by WPO local member, Obaloy Institut Syba s.r.o. “It will be an intense week of work including Working Group meetings (Education, Marketing, Sustainability and Food Safety), a Press Conference and the WorldStar Award ceremony,” says WPO President, Pierre Pienaar.
As part of the programme, WPO members will also have the chance of visiting the facilities of Thimm Vsetaty, part of Thimm The Highpack Group. Its portfolio includes corrugated packaging, high-quality promotional displays and packaging systems combining a range of materials and print products for further industrial processing. The company’s product offerings are further enhanced by a wide range of associated packaging services covering the entire supply chain. A local brewery, Pilsner Urquell, will also be visited by WPO members. The brewery is known for producing the first golden ‘pilsner’ lager beer in 1842.
On the night of May 15, the 190 winners of WorldStar Packaging Awards will be announced at a gala ceremony. There were 319 packaging projects judged from 35 countries. The number of winners, by category, was: Beverages 45 (out of 74 entries); Electronics 5 (7 entries); Food 38 (56 entries); Health & Personal Care 11 (32 entries); Household 9 (13 entries); Labelling & Decoration 3 (5 entries); Luxury 5 (out of 10), Medical & Pharmaceutical 11 (out of 13 entries); Other 22 (29 entries), Packaging Materials & Components 14 (31 entries); Point of Sale 9 (out of 14) and Transit 18 (out of 35). Special mention is made regarding Japan for taking the highest number of WorldStars – 26 in total, closely followed by Turkey taking 22 and China 21. The ceremony will also award the winners in the Special Categories of Sustainability, Marketing, Packaging that Saves Food, President´s Award and Lifetime Achievement.
