Submissions are open for the second annual Steve Fairfield Memorial Award for Flexible Packaging Innovation. The award, sponsored by Skjodt-Barrett Foods, annually honors a top innovator in flexible packaging. BNP Media will present the award at its 2026 Global Pouch Forum event, taking place May 27-29, 2026, in Clearwater Beach, Fla. The inaugural 2025 Steve Fairfield Memorial Award winner was Steve Gosling.

In addition to presenting an overview of the winning innovation at the 2026 Global Pouch Forum, the 2026 award recipient will be the focus of a feature article in the August 2026 issue of Packaging Strategies, and possibly in an associated sister BNP Media publication, including Beverage Industry, Dairy Foods, The National Provisioner or Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, where applicable.

Flexible packaging is an innovation leader across the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry. Flexible packaging formats have the ability to provide significant cost savings related to warehousing and distribution. Advancements in flexible packaging design also permit strong branding opportunities. Convenience is also a key supporting benefit of flexible packaging, with a wide variety of packaging customizations allowing for seamless end-user interactions. Each of these areas of the industry are hot spots for innovation across flexible packaging today.

However, these days, sustainability is one of the top reasons why CPG brand owners adopt flexible packaging for their product lines. Sustainability—including the ability to commercially compost and/or recycle the package—is a primary focus for flexible packaging innovation across the supply chain today. Recent developments have aligned flexible packaging as a go-to option for CPG companies seeking to align their packaging choices with the sustainability requirements established by extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs in various U.S. states and overseas. EPR legislation, which imposes fees based on the end-of-life plan for all CPG packaging, continues to expand across the global industry as the next step in building a truly circular economy (for more on EPR legislation, see the Extended Producer Responsibility page on the Packaging Strategies website).

Flexible packaging—particularly vacuum-sealed skin types—is widely used across meat, poultry, and seafood processing. Flexible pouch packaging, typically with a resealable convenience feature for the end-user, has seen very strong adoption rates for several areas of meat, including meat snacks and value-added products.

One area of opportunity for meat and poultry processors is replacing existing rigid packaging formats with flexible pouches to enhance market appeal, along with the associated savings in transportation and warehousing.

Seafood processors began canning tuna in 1904. Then, 96 years later, in Aug. 2000, StarKist released its first tuna products in a vacuum-sealed, retort pouches. This category-disrupting move revitalized StarKist tuna sales, including the expansion into snacking dayparts—an important move as consumers began to understand the importance of protein in the diet, often snacking throughout the day. Today, StarKist offers over 40 varieties of ready-to-eat tuna sold in single-serve pouches.

Pouch packaging can offer a variety of benefits, including improved merchandising opportunities at retail. Synear Foods USA recently reformulated its Shrimp Supreme Dumplings to improve the product’s flavor profile. The company used this product relaunch as an opportunity to introduce new flexible pouch packaging designed to align better with retailer merchandising. As noted by Judy Zhu, CEO of Synear Foods USA, “…the new, space-saving pouch will be a game-changer for retailers looking to maximize their shelf space.” This new flexible pouch packaging replaces a tray-based format. The pouch features a transparent window at the bottom to provide product visibility, allowing shoppers to see the large, handcrafted dumplings inside.

All innovations related to flexible packaging, for food and/or non-food products, are eligible for the Steve Fairfield Memorial Award for Flexible Packaging Innovation. Submissions by flexible packaging converters, suppliers, and CPG brand owners are welcome. To qualify for consideration, nominations must meet the following criteria:

• Must include new packaging materials and/or features that advance the industry (released for commercial application between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2025)
• Must include a meaningful level of innovation, such as expanding the use of flexible packaging, improving sustainability, extending shelf life, improving end-user functionality or convenience and/or improving operational efficiency
• Only flexible packaging formats, including pouches, bags, film, pillow packs, sachets, etc., will be considered
• Recipient must be able to attend the 2026 Global Pouch Forum to present on the innovation
• Recipient must be willing to participate in an interview for a feature article on the innovation in August 2026 issue of Packaging Strategies, as well as possibly an associated sister BNP Media publication, including Beverage Industry, Dairy Foods, The National Provisioner or Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, where applicable

Nominations for the 2026 Steve Fairfield Memorial Award for Flexible Packaging Innovation will remain open through Jan. 31, 2026.

To nominate an innovation for the 2026 Steve Fairfield Memorial Award for Flexible Packaging Innovation, visit the submission page on the Packaging Strategies website.

For more information about Global Pouch Forum and to register for the event, visit www.packagingstrategies.com/global-pouch-forum.