FESPA’s long-standing Awards program returns in preparation to recognise industry leaders at the co-located FESPA Global Print Expo, European Sign Expo, and Personalisation Experience in Berlin, taking place in May 2025. The competition is now open for submissions from specialty print providers and sign-makers to showcase their most outstanding projects. This global awards program encourages innovation and excellence, providing a platform for print and sign-makers to highlight their latest and most significant achievements, forging a path to set new standards for the industry.
FESPA’s Head of Association and Technical Lead and one of the 2025 Awards judges, Graeme Richardson-Locke, comments: “Speaking on behalf of the judges, we all hope to be surprised by new levels of technical excellence and clear evidence that the entry has been created with the greatest care, reflecting the professional standards that we’ve seen over many years. For entries this year, we’re interested in seeing the use of appropriate and sustainable materials, reflecting the wider industry’s goal of reducing its environmental impact.”
The FESPA Awards will welcome entries to the following 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, Nameplates
- Printeriors
The final category, the Young Star Award, is open to individuals aged 16-25 who are vocational trainees or students in digital or screen printing and design. To enter, applicants can submit their work in any print-related category.
Regarding the Young Star Award, Richardson-Locke states: “We are always thrilled to review the entries for the Young Star category and impressed by the standard of work submitted. We see creative thinking and technical delivery to a standard that demonstrates that we have new talent coming up within the industry. This topic is really important to FESPA and its associations. It’s hard having to choose, but the accolade marks a significant achievement for the winner. We hold them to a high standard and don’t make winning easy!”
The People’s Choice Award will be open to voting from 6 January 2025, with the FESPA online community casting their votes across all categories. In contrast, the Best in Show Award and the Judges’ Award for Innovation are chosen by the panel of judges from FESPA, setting them apart as unique recognitions of excellence in the industry.
Printers and sign-makers have until Wednesday 12 December 2024 to submit their entries for the 2025 FESPA Awards. The shortlisted entries will be announced on 23 February 2025 and showcased from 6-9 May 2025 at Messe Berlin, Germany.
Entry fees are €100 for members and €150 for non-members, with early bird discounts available until 29 August 2024.
