FROM THE EDITOR

Packing 'Em All In

By Ron Romanik

With over 200 images of award-winning packages, the 2007 Awards Annual is bursting at the seams with innovative package design structures and technically perfect package printing. We like to think of this issue as a celebration of the best of the best that the package design community has brought to market in the most recent past.

The organizations represented here define the best in their categories with knowledgeable and perceptive judges that can identify the packages that exemplify a leading innovation, technology, design, or printing excellence. We offer these organizations an opportunity to showcase the best in their segment in concert with the Showcase of Packaging Innovations at Pack Expo Las Vegas this October.

The Kent cigarette boxes on the front cover are a great example of several innovative solutions coming together to create a truly outstanding package. This package by MeadWestvaco won the top Innovation Award in the Paperboard Packaging Council's 64th annual awards program (page 14). At airport duty-free shops, this luxurious and sturdy box draws attention with an interactive light display. Pressing the red button causes a preprogrammed sequence lighting up the words Inspired From Within.

For more package design inspirations and solutions, check out our semi-monthly Package Design eSolutions newsletter at www.packagedesignmag.com/esolutions. We hope that you find technologies and design ideas there to help you design the award-winning packages that will grace these pages next fall.

Ron Romanik
Editor-in-Chief
rromanik@lyonsmediainc.com