Best of the Best in Global Card Industry Recognized During EXPO Ceremony
PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J.—May 18, 2022—The International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA), a global trade association for card manufacturers, personalizers, issuers and suppliers, announced the winners of the prestigious Élan Awards of Excellence, which celebrate the pinnacle of design innovation, security and technical achievements in the global card industry.
Jeffrey Barnhart, ICMA founder and executive director, revealed the winners during a ceremony at ICMA’s Card Manufacturing and Personalization EXPO in Tampa, Florida on May 17.
“The Élan Awards of Excellence distinguish ICMA card manufacturers, suppliers and personalization/fulfillment members before their peers and customers as industry leaders,” said Barnhart. “An Élan Award showcases a company’s expertise in the global card industry. Winning can also lead a company down multiple paths to success including new business opportunities and high-profile visibility.”
With entries from North America, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and other areas of the world, the Élan Awards of Excellence competition drives innovation within the global card industry.
The Élan Awards of Excellence winners are:
Best Supplier/Vendor New Product, Service or Innovation
- Winner (tie): SPS for the EVC All-In-One by Ellipse, SPS and ABCorp.
- Winner (tie): Linxens for the Dynamic Security Code for Ellipse
- Finalist: Linxens for the Jet-Black EMV Module
Best Personalization & Fulfillment (P&F) Product, Service or Project
- Winner: Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co., Ltd. for the China CITIC Bank American Express Game for Peace Irregular Shaped Card
- Finalist: Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. for the ICBC Customized Card (Adorable Baby) for the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
- Finalist: Placard Pty Ltd for CommBank Neo for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia
MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Loyalty, Promotional and Gift Cards
- Winner: Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. for the Starbucks Brand History Card
- Finalist: Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. for the Starbucks Cherry Blossom Gift Card
- Finalist: Goldpac Limited for the Starbucks 2022 Spring Season Stamped Marbled Star Gift Card for Starbucks (China) Company Limited
Best Secure Access ID Card
- Winner: Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited for the New York State Enhanced Identification Card for the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
- Finalist: Hengbao Co. Ltd. for the Wuyi Pass for the Jiangmen Wuyitong Smart Card Co. Ltd.
- Finalist: Thales for the Colorado Driver License for the Colorado Department of Revenue
Unique Innovation
- Winner: Goldpac Limited for the Bank of Guiyang Shuang Ying Men VIP Diamond Debit Card – Private Banking Card
- Finalist: IDEMIA for the Touch Card for Mastercard
- Finalist: Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. for the Bank of Communications American Express National Charm Credit Card (Water Goddess Edition)
Best Secure Payment Card
- Winner: Hengbao Co. Ltd. for the China Construction Bank Moon and Stars Platinum Card in the Sunlight Series
- Finalist: Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co., Ltd. for the ICBC Kirin Debit Card
- Finalist: Hengbao Co. Ltd. for the China Minsheng Bank Tianjin-Hebei Integrated Interconnection Private Bank Debit Card
- Finalist: CompoSecure LLC for the AMEX Platinum Art Card x Kehinde Wiley
Unique Innovation Prototype
- Winner: Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. for the Special-Shaped Chip Card
- Finalist: CompoSecure LLC for the PointCard Atlas
- Finalist: Giesecke+Devrient (China) Technologies Co. Ltd. for the Built-In Holographic Dynamic Nano-Texture Card
Feature: Metal Cards
- Winner: Thales for the Viseca Visa Platinum Metal Card
- Finalist: CompoSecure LLC for Sapphire Preferred for Chase
- Finalist: CPI Card Group for Latitude for Rize
Feature: Environmentally Friendly Cards
- Winner: CompoSecure LLC for Truist Wealth
- Finalist: Goldpac Limited for the Bank of Shanghai Low Carbon Living Card
- Finalist: Goldpac Limited for the Starbucks 2022 Christmas LAMY Member Star Pack for Starbucks (China) Company Limited
Feature: Biometric Cards
- Winner: IDEMIA for Rocker Touch
People’s Choice
- Winner: Hengbao Co. Ltd. for the China Construction Bank Moon and Stars Platinum Card in the Sunlight Series
- Finalist: IDEMIA for the Touch Card for Mastercard
- Finalist: CPI Card Group for Reflect for Wells Fargo
Judging encompassed three categories: card suppliers, personalization and fulfillment and card manufacturing. David Tushie, ICMA standards representative, Brian Summerhayes of Barnes International, and Mike Walsh of SICPA SecurInk served as this year’s judges.
The next Élan Awards competition will open in January 2023 and winners will be announced during ICMA’s 2023 Card Manufacturing and Personalization EXPO. The in-person EXPO will take place from May 15-18, 2023 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida.
To learn more about submitting an entry into next year’s competition, email info@icma.com.
To learn more about the benefits of ICMA membership, visit ICMA.com.
About ICMA
The International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA) is the leading global card association for card manufacturers and personalizers supported by suppliers and other industry participants. For more than 30 years, ICMA’s annual Card Manufacturing and Personalization EXPO has served as the world’s only transaction card-focused conference and exhibition. The association maintains several industry-leading training and education programs including the Advanced Card Education program, which is the global standard of recognition for advanced knowledge of the card manufacturing industry. ICMA officially participates in the International Standards Organization (ISO) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). For more information, visit ICMA.com.