Opening night ceremony for innovative Canadian packaging helps kick off a three-day advanced manufacturing tradeshow in early June.

What’s as good as seeing award-winning-packaging? Celebrating the winners, which is what the PAC Packaging Consortium will be doing on day one of PackEx Toronto during the PAC Canadian Leadership Awards Gala the evening of June 4. Best of Show, Gold and Silver winners will be announced at a gala evening that that starts at 5PM in the Cohen Room located within the Toronto Congress Centre that includes reception, dinner and awards presentation. The category winners have already been announced following the submission deadline of March 31.

The awards are across three groups of Brand Marketing, Package Innovation and Sustainability. The awards’ purpose is to “celebrate craftsmanship in brand package design and innovation with a vision to showcase the power of packaging. We are passionate, holistic industry leaders and our ambition is to create a coveted awards celebration. We demand excellence.”

Shown above is 44˚N gin, a new brand, food and beverage category winner from brand owner Comte de Grasse Distillery, Grasse, France, that was entered by Brooklyn, NY-based forceMajeure Design in partnership with Chic Agency.

According to the designer, “we set out to capture the luminous depth of the Mediterranean sea and the windswept aroma of the French Riviera into a modern luxury design.”

Packaging Digest also learned that the striking blue glass bottles are sourced from Stölzle Glass Group; it’s no surprise to find that the glass maker also supplies bottles to the perfume market.

And giftable carton design perfectly complements the bottle’s look, demonstrating that handsome secondary packaging remains a primary concern in the premium spirits market.

The bottle has also earned acclaim in a land far removed from our northern neighbor: the bottle and packaging design were selected among submissions from 200+ companies worldwide as winner of the Marking Visual Award — a global packaging design competition. The awards were presented during the Food & Beverage Innovation Forum at Hangzhou International Expo Center in China on April 23rd.

Another example in the same category is from Montreal-based Coolway (which Packaging Digest learned was formerly known as Coolwhey Inc.) that was entered by branding agency/designer Bo Branding & Design Agency Ltd. The packaging is designed and manufactured by Stanpac, which is headquartered in Smithville, Ontario.

The gluten/peanut-free, healthier-for-you “proudly Canadian” desserts are available in 12 varieties, all of which boast 28g of protein and 50% less sugar and 280-390 calories per pint.

Whether you attend or not, you can visit the Awards website or go directly to the image gallery to view the winners.

In addition to the awards, the Toronto Congress Centre hosts PackEx Toronto, which is the packaging centerpiece of a five-in-one comprehensive Advanced Manufacturing event from Tuesday through Thursday June 4-6 that also includes the co-located ATX (automation technology), Design & Manufacturing, Plast-Ex (plastics) and Powder & Bulk Solids.

Over the three days attendees can conduct vetting of potential winning packaging for their own company by walking the aisles and attending educational sessions. The five-in-one trade show is expected to draw 5,500 industry professionals and more than 426 suppliers for three days of education, networking and solution-sourcing.

For more information, visit the PackEx Toronto Map Your Show site that offers an updated list of products, exhibitors, sessions and more.