Using printing technology to support creativity and industry standards to evaluate design – The first stop of the the 5th Greater Bay Area Printing Technology & Creative Capability Awards Campus Tour has kicked off!

On the afternoon of October 23, the launch ceremony for the "Entering the Campus" segment of the 21st Zhongnan Star Awards · 41st Guangdong Star Art Design Competition and the Brand Self-Proposed Category—the 5th Printing Technology and Creative Capability Awards—was held in the Academic Lecture Hall of Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering (Haizhu Campus).

This year's awards are positioned around a synergistic closed loop integrating "brand briefs × university design × printing processes," thereby linking genuine brand needs, university academic design resources, and printing capacity.

As a featured category, the Guangzhou Restaurant self-designed theme group of this year's Grand Prize is integrated into the framework of the 21st Zhongnan Star Awards and the 41st Guangdong Star Art Design Competition. The Grand Prize Organizing Committee has introduced the Guangzhou Restaurant theme requirements and judging criteria; submissions will be solicited simultaneously, with independent judging and independent award allocation.

01 Collaborating with multiple parties to create a platform for young design talent

At the launch ceremony, guests from industry associations, universities, brand owners, and printing technology institutions gathered together. Attendees included Xu Qingnai, President of the Hong Kong Printing Industry Investment Association; Feng Wenqing, President of the Hong Kong Printing Industry Chamber of Commerce; Li Weiqiang, Executive Vice President of the Hong Kong Printing Industry Investment Association; Peng Anqi from the Printing Technology Research Center (APTEC); Liu Xingyu, President of the Guangzhou Packaging and Printing Industry Association; Li Xiangrong, former Director of the Guangdong Packaging Technology Association Design Committee; Zhu Zhiwei, Secretary-General of Guangdong Packaging Technology Association; Shang Hua, former Dean of the He Xiangning School of Art and Design; Xiong Qiang, Vice Dean of the He Xiangning School of Art and Design; He Linsui, President of the He Xiangning Culture Promotion Association; as well as representatives from Guangzhou Restaurant Group, Guangdong INNOPACKING Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Pai Design Information Technology Co., Ltd., and other organizations. Faculty and student representatives from seven universities—including Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Guangzhou Business School, and Guangdong Baiyun University—also participated in the event.

Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering Xiong Qiang, Vice Dean of the He Xiangning School of Art and Design, stated that bringing the competition into campuses will promote the integration of design education with industrial practice; Guangdong Packaging Technology Association Zhu Zhiwei, Secretary-General, noted that design should align with industrial needs and achieve a creative transformation of brand culture; Guangdong Packaging Technology Association Li Xiangrong, former Director of the Design Committee, reviewed the history of the Zhongnan Star Award and the Guangdong Star initiative in identifying young talent; Li Weiqiang, Executive Vice President of the Hong Kong Printing Industry Investment Association, emphasized that this year's competition is not a traditional evaluation focused on "which design looks best, which is most creative, or which has the most medals," but rather a customer-centric event based on genuine needs and measured by practical implementation; young designers should become "five-knowledge" designers—those who understand product positioning, consumer scenarios, manufacturing processes and costs, AI tools, and market competition—so that their works can reach the shelves through a closed loop of "design → prototyping → mass production → market."

02 Use authentic prompts as the driving force to ensure that design truly "comes to life"

Chen Kaijun, Media Director of the Brand Marketing Department at Guangzhou Restaurant Group Food Marketing Management Co., Ltd., on behalf of the brand, officially launched the special theme for this year's competition: "Guangfu Food Etiquette · One Box, One City."

The prompt encourages young designers to employ youthful, new China-fashion, and new Chinese-style visual languages to create new packaging for Lingnan pastry that is "outdoor-ready and socially shareable," transforming time-honored souvenir items into "Guangzhou gifts" that young people are willing to purchase for themselves and enjoy sharing.

At the launch ceremony, guests including Li Xiangrong, He Linsui, Shang Hua, Xiong Qiang, Wang Bingbing, Xu Qingnai, and Feng Wenqing took the stage together to activate the installation, officially marking the commencement of this year's competition.

The Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering launch ceremony serves as the first stop in the competition's "Bringing the Competition to Campuses" series of activities.

Next, the event will progressively reach six universities: Guangdong University of Technology, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Guangzhou Business College, and Guangdong Baiyun University, bringing the Guangzhou Restaurant brand challenges, printing processes, and industry standards directly to students.

03 Handing Over the Torch to Print Enterprises: Putting Creativity to the Test on Real-World Production Lines

Unlike design competitions, the 5th Greater Bay Area Printing Technology & Creative Capability Awards features a second stage—Print Company Creative Production—targeting printing companies, packaging companies, and design firms across the Greater Bay Area and nationwide. This stage is divided into Section A (Standard Documentation Group), Section B (Design Implementation Group), and Section C (Free Creative Group).

Works in Section A shall comply with the competition's standardization documents and the ISO 12647 and ISO 20654 specifications; the CTV (Colour Tone Value) color value method, led by the Printing Technology Research Center (APTEC), shall be adopted as the basis for evaluation; works validated under CTV may receive additional points and may participate in the selection process for the "CTV Technical Award."

CTV is calculated based on the LAB chromaticity value derived from spectral data; it addresses the application limitations of traditional gray balance and density control and represents the first Bay Area standard in the printing field in China, covering all scenarios of offset, flexographic, gravure, and digital printing.

Its introduction means that an award-winning design will not remain merely a rendering: it will be taken over by a printing company to complete the final artwork, proofing, and actual production, using the same set of color standards and process specifications to verify the design's fidelity on the actual production line.

04 Awards and Schedule

Brand Theme Track – Phase I

Guangzhou Restaurant:

Winning entries are eligible to receive both the Guangdong Star Provincial Certificate and the Creative Relay Award Certificate for the themed category.

Brand Theme Track – Phase II (Printing Enterprises)

Sections A and B will each establish gold, silver, and bronze awards for the two printing processes—Kashi printing and digital inkjet printing—resulting in a total of 18 awards for printing enterprises; additionally, one CTV Technical Grand Prize will be awarded; and Section C will establish one gold, one silver, and one bronze award each for Free Creative Design.

In terms of timeline, submissions for the brand-themed design competition will close at 24:00 on November 20,2026; the competition entries will be reviewed and the award results will be announced in December 2026;

From January to February 2027, complete the manuscript and submit it to the Brand-Themed Track – Printing Enterprise Category under Physical Prototyping;

The award ceremony and exhibition of winning works will be held in March 2027, with the event scheduled to take place at the main venue of the South China International Printing Exhibition.

The South China International Printing Industry Exhibition (Printing South China, South China International Printing Exhibition) is jointly organized by Yashi Exhibition Service Co., Ltd. and China Foreign Trade Center Group Co., Ltd. With over three decades of deep industry expertise, it is held annually in March at the China Import and Export Commodity Fair Hall in Guangzhou.

This year's Grand Prize program is deeply integrated with the South China International Printing Exhibition: award-winning works based on brand themes and creative production outcomes from printing enterprises will be showcased collectively at the exhibition's main venue, bringing the ideas of young designers directly into the reach of industry buyers and professional visitors and completing the final leg of the journey from the exhibition stage to the market.

05 Submission Methods and Contact Information

1. Upload works from the Visual Creative Design Group:

https://www.packdesigner.com/gallery/cn/activity/bayArea5(Login is required at the PC terminal).

2. Registration and submission via the Zhongnan Star Award · Guangdong Star system:

https://www.packdesigner.com/gallery/cn/zhongnan_starThe same account can submit multiple entries without the need for repeated registration.

3. Competition Contact: Hu Tao; Contact number: 13078425145

06 Other Brand Themes Opened Simultaneously

In addition to Guangzhou Restaurant, this year's Grand Prize also features two brand-themed prompts—Wugu Mofang and Kangaroo Mommy—providing students with a broader range of creative options:

Wugu Mofang: Centered on Mother's Day as its core theme and leveraging its strengths in healthy dietary products, the company plans to create exclusive gift sets that combine emotional expression with distinctive brand identity; the overall aesthetic will embody a Chinese festive atmosphere, modern elegance, and a warm sense of artisanal craftsmanship.

Kangaroo Mommy: Focusing on the creative packaging design for the Kangaroo Mommy Youth Care and Skin Soothing skincare line, the campaign aims to create a youthful, minimalist, gentle, healthy, and interactive visual packaging system that aligns with the aesthetic preferences of young people. The design primarily adopts a modern, youth-oriented style while integrating the brand's identity and emotional connection.

For specific design requirements, please visit the official competition page:

https://www.packdesigner.com/gallery/cn/activity/bayArea5

From a rendering image to a product placed on a retail shelf, the journey involves finalizing the design, creating proof sheets, coordinating colors, and moving through the production line. The Fifth Printing Technology and Creative Capability Awards aims to transform this gap into a shared journey that young designers and printing companies can walk together.