European Office Products Awards (EOPA) 2020

The European Office Product Awards 2020

The winners of the 19th European Office Products Awards (EOPA) were announced at a special presentation dinner on 9 March 2020.

The winners were announced during an evening of outstanding food and drink, some great ‘stand-up’ entertainment courtesy of OPI’s own Steve Hilleard, and a warm and uplifting industry toast by Bruneau’s CEO Nicolas Potier. 

EOPA 2020 winners are: 

• Product of the Year: COLOP – e-mark
  (Highly commended: ACCO Brands – GBC Foton 30 Automatic Office Laminator)
• Wholesaler of the Year: PBS Holding
• Marketing Campaign of the Year: Fellowes Brands: Meet Emma – Our Work Colleague of the Future
• Sustainability Award: Vendor: Bi-silque; Reseller: Commercial
• Video of the Year: BIC – Gel-ocity Quick Dry
• Initiative of the Year: Integra Business Solutions – i-merge: A Platform to Bring Businesses Together
  (Highly commended: International Paper – Reikan)
• Vendor of the Year: Fellowes Brands
  (Highly commended: International Paper)
• Reseller of the Year (revenues under €100 million): Lomax
• Reseller of the Year (revenues over €100 million): Böttcher
• Young Executive of the Year: Esmeralda González, Fellowes Brands
• Professional of the Year: Cédrik Longin, CEP Office Solutions
• Industry Achievement: Jonathan Smith, Avery

OPI would like to thank the following companies for generously sponsoring this year’s EOPA: Bi-silque, Corwell, Greenspeed, Newell Brands and Staples Solutions.

Read a full review of this year’s Partnership and EOPA in the April issue of OPI.  

Thank you to our sponsors:

The European Office Products Awards 2020

 Now in their 19th year, the European Office Products Awards are firmly established as the ultimate accolade for businesses operating in Europe. Recognising commercial performance, innovation and professionalism, these awards give you a unique platform to promote your company’s achievements and ensure it stands out from the competition.

The full shortlist for 2020:

Thank you to our sponsors:

Categories
Awards are presented in the following categories:

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD  – NEW AWARD!

sponsored by
Judges will be looking at overall corporate sustainability performance and a genuine commitment to sustainable business practices. Whatever the size of your organisation, if your company has developed an effective and comprehensive programme you are eligible to enter. Judges will consider:

• Evidence of a strategic focus on sustainability
• How does your sustainability programme go beyond best practice?
• How the programme is communicated and implemented
• Methods used to monitor and measure the impact of your sustainability programme
• How your commitment to sustainability benefits your business and the wider community

Product of the Year
We are simply looking for great products!
This category is open to any product sold via the European business supplies sector. This could be a traditional office or technology product or one from the increasingly important adjacent categories such as Jan/San, breakroom, industrial or education. The judges are looking for:

• Evidence of commercial success
• Innovation
• Quality of product design and functionality
• Benefits for the consumer and the reseller

This category is open to products launched within the last two years.

Video of the Year
As video content becomes increasingly vital, companies that produce interesting, creative and informative videos to showcase their products, services or company while engaging the customer are reaping the rewards. Judges will be looking at how the video captures the viewers’ attention, brings the subject to life and conveys a message. Results will also be considered, either in terms of sales generated, customer engagement or enhancement of brand awareness.

Marketing Campaign of the Year  sponsored by
This category is open to any organisation that can clearly show the success of a specific marketing campaign. Judges will consider:

• Objectives of the campaign
• Understanding the target audience
• Marketing activity, innovative methods used, originality and creativity
• The return on investment generated

Campaigns that have not started, or are too new to have measureable results, will not be considered.

Initiative of the Year
Introduced last year, this award recognises any new initiative that has been implemented and has had a positive impact on your organisation. This could be:

• A charitable or local community initiative
• New online or e-commerce solutions
• Pioneering technology
• Creation of new revenue opportunities

The panel will want to see why the initiative was introduced and how it has delivered the desired outcomes.

Reseller of the Year   sponsored by
This award will be presented in two categories:

• Reseller with revenues under €100 million
• Reseller with revenues over €100 million

The panel will discuss:

• Sales performance
• Fill rates and delivery reliability
• Success in launching new service offerings, and development of new product categories
• Relationships with trade partners/vendors
• E-commerce and M-commerce capabilities
  

Vendor of the Year  sponsored by
The winner of this award could be a well-established vendor or a small player, the panel is simply looking for vendors that set themselves apart from the competition. The panel will consider:

• Sales performance and market share gains
• Innovative, high-quality products and service-driven solutions
• Efforts to diversify product or service offering
• Supply chain performance
• Ability to provide rich data and content
• Brand strength

Wholesaler of the Year
This award recognises a dynamic wholesaler which is responding to meet the needs of an ever-changing market. The recipient of this award could be an established name or an emerging company. Judges will consider:

• Customer satisfaction levels and fill rates
• Sales and profit growth
• Strength of vendor partnerships
• Enhancements to logistics infrastructure
• E-commerce and “delivery to consumer” capabilities
• Investments in breadth of product range and brand
• Service-driven solution offering for resellers

Young Executive of the Year
The business products industry needs young and dynamic individuals to ensure its continued success. This is your chance to reward a young executive who is making a real impact in their business and has the potential to shape the future of our industry.

Nominees should be under 36 years of age and can be working in any role within the business products industry.

Professional of the Year  sponsored by
We are looking for an exceptional individual who has consistently shown their ambition, dedication and effectiveness. The panel will consider:

• Professionalism and enthusiasm for the sector
• Leadership ability
• Direct contribution to the success of their business

Industry Achievement
This prestigious accolade acknowledges the achievements of someone truly unique who has had a significant impact on our industry. The winner will be recognised for:

• Their contribution and clear commitment to the industry
• Outstanding leadership and performance
• High level of respect and admiration from colleagues and peers

How to enter

• Complete an online entry form for each category you wish to enter
• The closing date for entries has been extended to 1 November 2019
• We accept entries from any business supplies organisation operating in Europe.
• To enter your company or product for an award, simply complete an entry form online
• You can enter as many categories as you wish and it is free to take part
• Only information provided on the entry form will be sent to the judges
• Should we require a product sample or additional information we will contact you in advance of the judging
• The shortlist will be announced on 6 December 2019
• Winners will be announced at the EOPA presentation dinner on the 9 March 2020, at the Hotel Okura in Amsterdam

Nominations
We accept nominations in all awards categories. If you think an outstanding company or individual deserves to be recognised please email your nominations to awards@opi.net
 

Judges
The EOPA will be judged by a panel of executives from all industry sectors:

• Dennis Albers, Head of Purchasing and Category Management, Quantore
• Raphael Carlioz, European Key Account Manager, Pilot Corporation of Europe
• Jolanda de Vries, European Key Account Manager, 3M
• László Fehér, Managing Director, Corwell
• Paul Gouka,Vice President EMAC & International Sales, ACCO Brands Europe
• Andrea Kenna, Senior Director Merchandising Europe, Office Depot
• Julia Ko, Group Category Director – Office, Lyreco
• Jeffrey-James Köhler, Key Account Director, Newell Brands International
• Aidan McDonough, CEO, Integra Business Solutions
• Debbie Nice, Merchandise Director, VOW Wholesale
• Marc Nijhof, Chief Customer Officer, ALSO International
• Franz Ratzenberger, Head of International Sales & Marketing, COLOP
• Matthias Schumacher, Director International Sales and Key Account Management, Consumer and Craftsmen Division, tesa
• Jonathan Smith, VP Sales Europe, Avery
• Michel van Beek, President EMEA/Asia Pacific, Fellowes
• André Vasconcelos, CEO, Bi-silque
• Scott Walker, Director of Merchandising, Spicers-Office Team Group
• Pieter Wolters, Director Vendor Management & Procurement, Staples Solutions
   
  

Awards Presentation Dinner
Monday 9 March 2020, Hotel Okura, Amsterdam
Award winners will be announced at the annual EOPA Presentation Dinner on Monday 9 March 2020.
Held at the Hotel Okura in Amsterdam, this special evening attracts leading executives from across the industry and is a unique networking event.

Schedule

• 19.00 – Drinks reception
• 20.00 – Call to dinner
• 21.30 – Industry toast
• 21.45 – Awards presentation
• 22.30 – Drinks in the bar

To book your tickets for the presentation dinner, or to find out more about this evening, please email awards@opi.net

Rooms at the Hotel Okura are available for dinner attendees at the special rate of €205 per night + city tax. To make a reservation please use the Group Code OPI2020 and book online at https://www.okura.nl/

You must click on ‘PROMO OR GROUP CODE’ (located under the arrival date). enter the group code OPI2020 and click “check availability” to receive the special rate.