Annual ceremony highlights 35 years of leadership in card manufacturing and honors industry trailblazers
ORLANDO, Fla.—May 15, 2025—The International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA), a global trade association dedicated to supporting the card manufacturing industry, proudly celebrated its 35th anniversary during the 2025 Élan Awards of Excellence on May 14.
Held during the 2025 Card Manufacturing & Personalization EXPO in Orlando, Florida, this year’s ceremony was especially meaningful as it marked three and a half decades of ICMA’s leadership in advancing the global card industry. From the earliest days of financial card manufacturing to the rise of ID, access control and gift and loyalty cards, ICMA has been at the forefront of connecting professionals and showcasing technological excellence.
“The Élan Awards shine a spotlight on the most compelling breakthroughs in physical card manufacturing, recognizing creativity, technical mastery and market impact,” said Jeffrey Barnhart, founder and executive director, ICMA. “This year’s finalists and winners represented the cutting edge of card technology and design.”
Celebrating the Best in Card Manufacturing
With 145 entries submitted across multiple categories, the 2025 Élan Awards highlighted innovation across all sectors of card production. Judging was conducted by Brian Summerhayes, Barnes International; David Tushie, Magellan Consulting and Dori Rombola, Infineon Technologies.
Élan Award Winners & Finalists
Best Personalization & Fulfilment Product, Service or Project
Winner: Placard Pty Ltd – Kit Zoo Cards for Hay Limited
Finalists:
CPI Card Group – Metal Debit Card Program for the United Heritage Credit Union
Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. – The Gift Box of Mastercard Pixiu Card for CITIC Bank
Supplier/Vendor – New Product, Service or Innovation
Winner: CompoSecure – EVC Marketing Card for EVC
Finalists:
Variuscard – Vzual Cardstudio 3D-Designer
Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. – Mystery boxes of the Co-branded Card on behalf of China CITIC Bank with “Diablo: Immortal” for China CITIC Bank
Loyalty, Promotional and Gift Cards
Winner: CompoSecure – QANTAS LIFETIME PLATINUM CARD for QANTAS
Finalists:
Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. – Starbucks Celebration Troupe Gift Card for Starbucks
Placard Pty Ltd. – Shell Fuel a Smile Gift Card for Viva Energy Australia
ID Cards
Winner: Canadian Bank Note Co. Ltd. – North Carolina Driver License for the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles
Finalist:
Giesecke+Devrient – Yukon Health Card for the Government of Yukon
Access Control Cards
Winner: Eastcompeace Technology Co., Ltd. – ZHTONG—Luminous Future Card for Zhuhai Zhuhai Tong Technology Co. Ltd.
Finalists:
Variuscard – CryptoStamp “Dragon” for Post Philately Austrie+Belgium+Luxembourg+Netherlands
Goldpac Limited – ABC e-CNY Visual Card for the Agricultural Bank of China
Unique Innovation
Winner: Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. for SPD Bank × Palace Museum Cultural Theme Card – Xiaobangchui Vase for Shanghai Pudong Development Bank
Finalists
CompsoSecure LLC for ROBINHOOD GOLD CARD for ROBINHOOD
Goldpac Limited for CCB MasterCard Enjoyment Credit Card for China Construction Bank
IDEMIA Secure Transactions for IDEMIA Starlight Card for Česká spořitelna
Goldpac Limited for CCB MasterCard Enjoyment Credit Card for China Construction Bank
Best Secure Payment Card
Winner: Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. – SPD Bank × Palace Museum Culture Theme Card – Yuhuchun Vase for Shanghai Pudong Development Bank
Finalists
Placard Pty Ltd. – Kit Zoo Cards for Hay Limited
Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. – Constellations Debit Card – Taurus of China CITIC Bank for China CITIC Bank
Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. – Year of the Snake Zodiac Platinum Debit Card – Elegant Edition for Ningbo Bank
Unique Innovation Prototype
Winner: Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. – Shimmer Card – Symphony of Heartbeats
Finalists
Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. – Bronze Card
Giesecke+Devrient – G+D’s Convego®Lab Lighting Card
Austria Card GmbH – N-BioCard
Metal Cards
Winner: CompoSecure – FAB ISLAMIC EMIRATI Card for FAB
Finalists
CompoSecure – JCB CLASS Card for JCB
IDEMIA Secure Transactions – ‘Feuille d’Émeraude’ metal card for Sumeria
Eco-Focused Cards
Winner: Giesecke+Devrient – NBE rPVC Visa Platinum Credit Card with metallic sticker for the National Bank of Egypt
Finalists
Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. – Agricultural Bank of China Transcendent Business Card for the Agricultural Bank of China
GIESECKE+DEVRIENT – Amazon – Zinia rPVC Visa Credit Card for OPENBANK
Best Regional Cards – North America, Europe and Asia Pacific
Winner (North America): CompoSecure – FAB ISLAMIC EMIRATI Card for FAB
Winner (Europe): Giesecke+Devrient – NATIONAL BANK OF EGYPT VISA PLATINUM CREDIT CARD for the NATIONAL BANK OF EGYPT
Winner (Asia Pacific): Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. for SPD Bank × Palace Museum Cultural Theme Card – Xiaobangchui Vase for Shanghai Pudong Development Bank
People’s Choice Award
Winner: Hengbao Co. Ltd for the Seven Years of Wisdom, Unite for the Future-ICBC Shanghai CIIE 7th Anniversary e-CNY Commemorative Hardware Wallet for the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited Shanghai Branch
Finalists
Eastcompeace Technology Co. Ltd for the CIB Panda Base Hehua Debit Card (Pink Edition) for Industrial Bank Co. Ltd
Giesecke+Devrient for the Credit Agricole EVC Dynamic CVV Card for Credit Agricole
“This event is about more than awards—it’s about recognizing the innovation and collaboration that drive our industry forward,” said Barnhart. “The Élan Awards represent the highest standard of excellence in the card manufacturing world.”
After the ceremony, attendees were invited to celebrate Caribbean-style, with vibrant calypso and reggae rhythms, island-inspired cuisine and tropical cocktails—a festive close to a milestone evening.
To learn more about ICMA and view the full list of winners and finalists, visit icma.com.
About ICMA
The International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA) is the leading global association for card manufacturers, personalizers, issuers and suppliers. Through its conferences, industry certifications and networking platforms, ICMA continues to promote innovation and excellence in the card industry.