Congratulations to the card, wrap and stationery companies that picked up awards in last night’s inaugural Gift Awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel.
Among the prizewinners were:
Shroot with its Greens & Greetings (greeting cards and plant pots in one) in the Cards & Wrap category.
Merry and Bright Village Advent Calendar DIY Craft Kit, from Two for Joy in the Festive Occasions category.
SUCSEED notebooks from VENT for Change in the Stationery category.
Willsow’s The Plantable Children’s Book won a number of awards, including The Judges’ Choice.
Find the full list of winners at www.giftoftheyear.co.uk/2022-category
“Having won several awards for our sustainability we decided this year to pitch ourselves against everyone entering the Stationery Awards, not just the eco-friendly and ethical categories. We are delighted to see that we can win against the best and still be socially, ethically and environmentally responsible,” said Evan Lewis, founder of VENT for Change.
The black tie awards event was attended by suppliers and retailers, and celebrated 22 category winners from Gift of the Year, as well as the finalists for The Greats.
Sarah Ward, CEO Of the Giftware Association, said: “The two award programmes have seen both gift product excellence and retail prowess recognised and rewarded, and I can safely say that all the finalists here have made our whole industry proud. I am excited to see how the awards now shape the future of the finalists and winners, as they deserve every success coming their way. After such a tough few years, these awards have shown how resilient and creative our industry is.â€
She continued: “Awards like Gift of the Year and The Greats are vital for the health and prosperity of our industry, and there is no doubt that we are stronger together. By connecting both sides of the industry in such a meaningful way we provide added value to all those who enter and host a fantastic opportunity for those who attend to network, connect, and celebrate.â€
The competition, which celebrates all that is new to the giftware world, has grown significantly over the past 45 years since it began, and this year showed no sign of it slowing down, with the awards containing more entries than ever before, Spring Fair hosting the live judging, and the huge, combined awards event.
Willsow’s overall win with its plantable children’s book reflects the sustainable focus of businesses as whole in this year’s competition. In fact, most of the category winners have a clear sustainable policy that informs all aspects of their production. It will be interesting to see how this develops in the next few years.
The Gift of the Year winners will each receive logos and point of sale, which they can use to promote their fantastic wins, and boost their profiles to grab buyers’ attention.
