Keywords: North, American, Office, Products, Awards, NAOPA, 2011

NAOPA 2011

Show of the year

On 27 June, in the ballroom of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, an audience of almost 2,000 attendees gathered to watch the presentation of the second NAOPA. The increased number of entrants and strong shortlists demonstrate how the evening is becoming cemented into the office products calendar.

This year’s winners were decided by a judging panel comprising more than 40 well-respected industry professionals and SP Richards executives, which met in Orlando, Florida on 28 March. The award categories had been compressed into six product categories, as well as an Overall Product of the Year Award, which went to Hewlett-Packard for its HP Envy eAll-in-One Printer with HP ePrint.

The awards dinner itself followed true Vegas style. A brace of showgirls accompanied Steve Hilleard on stage and were on hand to help award presenters dish out trophies. Entertainment from the famed singing sensation On the Rocks got the audience in the mood to celebrate. 

Read on to find out what made each product an award winner. 

Entrance for the NAOPA 2012 is now open. For more information visit www.opi.net/NAOPA2012

Best product - Cleaning and breakroom

Winner: Kimberly-Clark Professional with the Kleenex Slimfold Towel System

This product is designed to fit into tight places inside or outside the washroom without sacrificing hand-drying performance. The one-at-a-time dispensing reduces waste and at a compact 14 inches high and 2.75 inches deep, it dispenses a regular-sized towel that folds five times instead of two for the same drying ability in a compact size.

In the judges’ opinion, the Kleenex Slimfold Towel System is a very saleable product, as many smaller offices face the challenge of how to fit a towel dispenser in a small space. It also provides the lucrative opportunity for a dealer to continue to sell consumables, which is where the real money is made.

Best product - Furniture

Winner: Mayline Group with the TransAction Conference Table

Mayline’s aim is to develop innovative designs that provide good features and quality, but at pricing that small- to mid-sized businesses can afford. To meet this aim, TransAction conference tables are sleek on the outside, but very smart inside. The table’s base and surface have a high-end appearance, but inside it contains critical technology-support features.

The judges believed that this was far and away the best furniture product they had seen for a while, and it received an almost unanimous vote. Few people, nowadays, have a meeting without laptops and cables present but there is still a need to have an attractive conference table; this product presents a neat solution. Dealers felt that they could sell this product, and that it is good value for money.

Best product - Core office products

Winner: Fiskars Brands with Cuts+More Scissors

When designing this product, Fiskars wanted to meet everyday needs. Consumer research found that general-purpose scissors are the most used tool by end-users, followed closely by the general-purpose knife. The company decided to combine these elements and developed a multipurpose tool that’s functional.

In terms of branding, the one orange-handled, stainless steel blade is a reference to Fiskars’ heritage. In short, the judges believed that Fiskars is an excellent example of a company taking a core office product and really improving it through innovation. They were extremely impressed by the product’s simplicity, coupled with its versatility, which were demonstrated in the excellent product video.

Overall product of the year:

Best product - technology product

Winner: Hewlett-Packard with the HP Envy eAll-in-One Printer with HP ePrint

HP believes that nowadays customers want to print anytime, anywhere. In the past they needed a direct connection between a PC and a printer, as well as the software. However, with HP ePrint, the location of devices that can access a web-connected HP printer is limitless. The HP ePrint has been designed to transform the mobile printing experience.

This product blew the judges away. It is deemed to be the future of technology. On a practical level, the judges believe the HP ePrint to be very saleable, as it can be used in a small office, for remote working and for hot desking. 

As a product that the judges believe will represent the industry in the future, it received a unanimous vote in its category.

Best product - Environmentally friendly product of the year 

Winner: Deflecto with the Enviromat Chairmat

This product has an extremely high environmental claim: it’s made from 100% post-consumer waste water bottles. As well as this it is 100% recyclable and made using no petroleum-based virgin resources. The judges were extremely impressed by the high environmentally friendly factors that this product displays.

The Enviromat Chairmat still has all the features that a chairmat needs, such as a textured surface that resists scuffs and a harder rolling surface to ease chair movements. However, when this is added to such high environmental credentials the product became the clear winner in this category.

Best product - Product innovation of the year

Winner: Newline Products with the IdeaMax R5-600 Interactive Whiteboard

IdeaMax combines state-of-the-art finger-touch technology with a durable porcelain steel surface for a scratch-resistant, dry-erase friendly interactive whiteboard solution. It lets users view and interact with their computer software and is compatible with existing PC multimedia setups.

While the IdeaMax whiteboard is not the first of its kind on the market, when seen in action the judges believed that it is very sophisticated. It is particularly suited for the lucrative back-to-school market, and employs great technology through real innovation to make it a standout product.