Brief A: Gift Pack for Gin
Sponsored by The Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association
The Starpack Students competition, established in 1964, challenge students to submit solutions to problems set by brand-leading FMCG companies, design agencies and manufacturers, and win recognition of their excellence.
The expectation and key criterion for judging success is for students to really challenge conventional thinking and break the rules with off-the-wall creativity.
Why enter?
Winners of our sponsored briefs get cash prizes and some sponsors offer fantastic opportunities for work placements with leading packaging companies.
Who can enter?
The competition is open to students studying a wide range of HE courses, from those with a graphics emphasis to courses concerned with structural/product design, as well as materials/technology courses,
Entering the competition provides an excellent opportunity for students to showcase their great ideas and solutions directly to an industry which is looking for rising stars.
Brief B: Let the Fun Be Gin
Sponsored by Logoplaste
Brief C: Packaging to Help Reduce Consumer Food Waste
Sponsored by Klöckner Pentaplast
Brief D: Social at Home
Sponsored by Graphic Packaging
Brief E: Win Tickets to 'Cardboard' Masters Festival X Doritos and Pepsi
Sponsored by Smurfit Kappa
Brief F: Sustainable Aluminium Personal Grooming Product & Brand
Sponsored by Alupro
Brief A Judges
Administration Manager, MPMA
Debbie has worked in the metal packaging industry for over 35 years and manages administration, accounts, enquiries, communications and events for the Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association.
LinkedIn: debbie-clements-b071ba7
Manager, Steel Packaging Recycling, Tata Steel
Nicola Jones is Tata Steel in Europe’s Manager of Packaging Recycling. Having joined the company when it was British Steel in 1999, Nicola has spent the majority of her career working within the Packaging Recycling Department of the UK’s only remaining tinplating works in Trostre, South Wales. Nicola works with the packaging industry to raise the profile of sustainable steel packaging and its recycling credentials.
Website: www.tatasteeleurope.com
LinkedIn: nicola-jones-2ab8b417
Twitter: @N1cola_Jones
Director & Chief Executive, Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association
Robert joined the Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association as Director and CEO in June 2019. He has a wealth of industry experience having spent three years as chief executive of British Metals Recycling Association; 14 years as a senior R&D manager at Ardagh Group; and nearly twenty years at Crown Corporate Technology working across a range of scientific research and operational roles. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining.
LinkedIn: robert-fell
Founder & Managing Director, Twelve Communications Ltd.
Graham has worked with the Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association (MPMA) for some thirty years and in 1996 founded Twelve PR, an award winning communications agency which works across education, environmental and waste sectors. In addition to MPMA, Twelve’s clients include Canned Food UK, Cawleys Waste Management, Tata Steel, Roberts Metal Packaging, and William Say & Co.
LinkedIn: grahamcsmith
Designer – Product, Packaging & Graphic, Crown Aerosols & Promotional Packaging
Educated in Cape town, South Africa, Corrina lectured Graphic Design at CPUT (Cape Peninsula University of Technology) which she truly loved. Corrina also successfully ran her own freelance design business and contracted to agencies and design studios before moving to the UK in 2002. Having majored in Packaging Design at college, Corrina was fortunate enough to be recruited by CROWN to work in their design facility where she has been for 16 years. Design is in her blood and her love for the diversity of packaging is what inspires her daily.
LinkedIn: corrinakorrubel
Brief B Judges
R&D Manager, Logoplaste Innovation Lab UK
Chris has been working within the plastics industry for over 28 years and is currently the R&D Lead for Logoplaste Innovation Lab UK – a world leading independent division of the Logoplaste Group, exclusively dedicated to the research and development of sustainable rigid plastic packaging
Having studied Polymer Engineering and Manufacturing Chris joined Logoplaste 21 years ago. He has industry experience working in Plastics processing and Project Management and has led operational manufacturing start up teams through-out Europe. Chris actively works with both Logoplaste customers and independents advising and developing packaging from its concept stage through to industrialization.
Chris sits on the British Plastics Sustainability; and Horners Polymer committees and is a member of the UK Institute of Materials. As a Starpack Award sponsor over the last 10 years Chris works closely with schools and students promoting training and packaging best practices.
Project Manager, Logoplaste Innovation Lab UK
Darren has been working within the plastics industry for over 33 years and is currently working alongside Chris Clarke & John George for Logoplaste Innovation Lab UK – a world leading independent division of the Logoplaste Group, exclusively dedicated to the research and development of sustainable rigid plastic packaging
After studying as a Toolmaking and Advanced Machine setter primarily around injection tool and machine design, Darren joined Logoplaste 21 years ago, he has industry experience working in Plastics injection, Blow moulding processing and Project Management and has led operations as a Production and Development Manager. Darren’s actively works as part of a 3 person Uk team supporting both Logoplaste customers and independents advising and developing packaging from its concept stage through to industrialization.
Darren has been involved in the Starpack Award sponsor over the last 4 years and has been the Starpack leader for the past 3 years.
Project Manager, Logoplaste Innovation Lab UK
John has been working within the plastics industry for over 25 years and is currently working alongside Chris Clarke & Darren Wingrove for Logoplaste Innovation Lab UK – a world leading independent division of the Logoplaste Group, exclusively dedicated to the research and development of sustainable rigid plastic packaging.
John was originally trained as a Mechanical Engineer in the cable manufacturing industry, later specialising in extrusion and polymer compounding research and development he also gained extensive experience within the bio polymers sector before beginning his career in the Rigid Packaging industry. He has also lived and worked in Australia and the USA having been employed by industry leading blue-chip companies in the OEM, beverage and packaging sectors before joining Logoplaste 5 years ago. Due to his diverse career he has attained extensive industry experience working in the fields of injection and blow moulding, NPD implementation and Project Management.
John actively works as part of a 3 person UK team supporting both Logoplaste customers and independents advising and developing packaging from its concept stage through to industrialization.
John has also judged the Starpack Awards over the last 3 years supporting Darren Wingrove and Chris Clarke.
Brief C Judges
Director of Product Line Management - Global Trays, Food Packaging, Klöckner Pentaplast
Ben Elkington
Director of Product Line Management - Global Trays, Food Packaging, Klöckner Pentaplast
Ben studied his Bachelor of Engineering degree in Materials Science and Engineering at Brunel University in West London in before specialising with at Masters degree in Polymer Technology from De Montfort University in Leicester. Ben is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (FIMMM). Ben joined KP (LINPAC) in 2010 as Innovation Manager, based at the Featherstone site in West Yorkshire. His current role includes developing and delivering product plans for the kp tray portfolio. Ben lives with his wife on the outskirts of Leeds and his hobbies include model making and following rugby.
LinkedIn: ben-elkington-a224802
Marketing Communications Director, Food Packaging, Klöckner Pentaplast
Roxy comes from a retail packaging background, having worked with M&S, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Coles in Australia to project manage their packaging artwork across a number of food and home categories. Then moved from retail to LINPAC Packaging (later acquired by kp) in 2016 as Retail Marketing Manager UK to integrate the retail relationships directly into the plastics packaging space. Since then Roxy has worked in a number of roles within the business in Marketing and Communications within division and at group corporate level.
LinkedIn: roxy-walker-55587628
Twitter: @RoxyWalkerUK
Brief D Judges
An industrial design student at Loughborough University currently on placement as a conceptual designer for Graphic Packaging International with a keen interest in fresh, innovative and exciting packaging design.
Kate Jackson joined Graphic Packaging International as a graduate designer 6 years ago as part of their conceptual design team. She is now an innovation lead creating conceptual designs for customer presentations, trend forecasting reports and overseeing print finish trials and new packaging innovations. In addition to her main role, she has been involved with Starpack since 2016 setting the brief for Graphic packaging International as well as judging the entries from students.
Student Designer, Graphic Packaging International
LinkedIn: eleanor-blacklock-46744814b
Twitter: @GraphicPkg_Intl
Innovation Lead, Convenience, Graphic Packaging International
LinkedIn: katejackson3
Twitter: @GraphicPkg_Intl
Conceptual Designer, Graphic Packaging International
After graduating from Industrial Design and Technology at Loughborough University in 2018 Liam started working at Graphic Packaging International as a Conceptual Packaging Designer. His role mainly focuses on conceptual designs right at the beginning of a packaging project; helping the client with initial packaging concepts that will then be taken on to structural design.
LinkedIn: liamcooke
Twitter: @GraphicPkg_Intl
Brief E Judges
I joined Smurfit Kappa, Display UK after graduating from Loughborough University in 2019. In 2018 I won the Gold and Sponsor Prize for the Smurfit Kappa brief at the Student Starpack competition which ultimately led to my employment at Smurfit Kappa Display UK. Since my employment I have spent a year with our structural design department, technically designing our range of display products. Currently I am working with our in-house agency, Colours using my technical knowledge to creatively design point of sale. I love working in POS due to its fast paced nature and exposure to large FMCG brands.
Senior Account Manager, Smurfit Kappa, Display UK
Louise Everett is a temporary 3D POS display specialist with 10 years experience working with major blue chip FMCG brands across the UK and Europe. She works with businesses to help them build their brand presence in store with innovative, impactful and cost effective display solutions. Louise has a proven track record in delivering complex campaigns with expertise in both prefilled and flat-packed displays as well as display harmonisation.
LinkedIn: louiseeverett
Senior Creative Designer, Smurfit Kappa, Display UK
With 34 years of design experience across packaging, transit and display industries Matthew has been fortunate enough to earn over 30 design awards up to European Gold. He has 7 registered designs and has worked in the display sector for 25 years. He believes working in design is a fantastic and rewarding job.
Graduate Designer, Smurfit Kappa, Display UK
LinkedIn: meganjackson129
Brief F Judges
A champion of metal packaging with a strong commercial and marketing background gained across the Food, Beverage, Aerosols and Promotional Packaging businesses of Crown Holdings. He has lived and worked in Spain, France and Switzerland. Now back in the UK he has a global role leading Innovation, Digital Optimisation and Intellectual Property for Crown.
Commerical Director, i2r Packaging Solutions Limited
With over 30 years experience in the packaging industry, Jon West is a joint founder and Commercial Director of i2r Packaging Solutions where he’s successfully developed industry award winning products through innovation and opened new markets across the world delivering significant sales growth. As a market leader, i2r supplies a comprehensive range of aluminium foil containers used extensively throughout the global food industry. The company is now part of the Italian based Laminazione Sottile Group, one of Europe’s primary manufacturers of rolled aluminium products. Prior to establishing i2r in 2007, he was previously Group Technical & Development Director at other European packaging businesses where he used his background in mechanical engineering to drive the design and implementation of new product development.
LinkedIn: i2r Packaging Solutions Limited
Twitter: @i2rpackaging
Director - Technology Services - Innovation & IP - CROWN Technology
LinkedIn: matthew-twiss
Twitter: @twiss_matt
Sustainability & Public Affairs Manager, Alupro
Tom Giddings is the sustainability and public affairs manager at Alupro, the trade organisation working to maximise the recycling rate of aluminium packaging in the UK. He works to support Alupro’s membership, representing the circular value chain of aluminium, by representing them to government and providing technical support on sustainability and designing for recyclability. Previously Tom worked at the global cardboard packaging giant DS Smith for over 5 years as the global sustainability manager, working on responsible sourcing, carbon management and reporting and recyclability.
LinkedIn: tom-giddings
