MILAN, Italy – From incorporating sustainability into products right from the design phase, thanks to ecodesign and the utilization of reusable or recyclable materials, to obtaining environmental certifications. From increasingly intuitive user interfaces to digital services on online portals and in the cloud.
These are just some of the distinguishing features of the 26 solutions that, due to their ability to bring change in their respective sectors, were selected by a jury of independent international experts from 157 nominations from Italy and abroad to receive the Smart Label – Host Innovation Award 2023, promoted by HostMilano and Fiera Milano in collaboration with POLI.design and under the patronage of ADI – Association for Industrial Design.
In particular, five applications were awarded the Innovation Smart Label, which identifies products with high innovation content featuring a breakthrough in established trends. Six Green Smart Label awards were assigned to submissions with distinctive eco-sustainability features.
Finally, fifteen products were awarded the traditional Smart Label, dedicated to products with particularly unique innovative content. The full list of award-winning companies and products can be found on the HostMilano website.
More than an award: Smart Label is a space for cutting-edge innovation at Host 23
The winners’ announcement ceremony, which will be held as part of the event on Friday, 13 October at 5 p.m. with access through Hall 6/10, will provide an additional opportunity to delve into the most innovative experiences in professional hospitality, highlighted and promoted by the initiative also through the publication of an INDEX. But there’s more.
Host 2023 will also celebrate the companies’ commitment to more responsible, digital and ecofriendly innovation in a dedicated space: the SMART Products area. Smart Label goes beyond an Award to become an integral part of an event that has always been devoted to anticipating innovation in its target sectors, both in the exhibition path and in the rich schedule of events.
This is also confirmed by the numbers: the jurors’ scoring showed that 40% of the applications focused on the technological aspect, HostMilano’s historic strength, while more than 23% focused on sustainability. 11% presented an innovative user interface, while 9% proposed efficient energy-saving solutions. Innovative materials were also well represented.
A synergy with the added value of the event also exists in terms of sectors: 45% of the nominations are for food equipment, followed by furniture and tableware (23.5%) and coffee-tea and bars, coffee machines and vending machines (22.5%).
The protagonists’ voices at Host 23
Companies have shown a growing ability to interpret innovation in an increasingly broad and comprehensive sense, also placing concept, design, app and software alongside products with nearly 90% of total applications.
“We applied ecodesign to make a durable, waste-reducing, and versatile material available in different tableware products,” explains Laurence Arthaud, Export Developer at Jean Dubost, which was awarded the Green Smart Label with the Laguiole SENSE collection.
A Green recognition also went to Rational for its iCombi Pro: “Rational’s technology is aimed at energy savings, and all iCombi Pro models are certified to the new Energy Star 3.0 standard,” says Enrico Ferri, CEO Rational Italy.
The Innovation Smart Label was awarded, among others, to Portugal’s Jordão with Futuro 2 Dual Temperature Display. Joana Jordão Lobo, R&D&I Director states: “The innovative display with dual temperature and heat recovery is an example of the impact we want to have in terms of sustainability and responsibility.”
The Innovation Award was also won by the Wacaco Company for its Minipresso NS2: “A coffee machine that combines ease of use, durable materials, and thoughtful aesthetics for a consistently perfect espresso” says Cédric Gobber, Digital Marketing Manager.
Smart Labels for innovation in a broad sense include Kromo – Ali Group for its QK Flight Conveyor Range: “Innovative fuel-saving and energy recovery systems on belt dishwashers are the result of a vision of sustainability and a focus on operating costs,” says Rafaelle Allot, Marketing Manager.
Also, a winner of the same awards is Simonelli Group with the Victoria Arduino Eagle Tempo: “Eagle Tempo was created to respect the pace of chains, hotels, restaurants, roasters, bakeries, and pastry shops that put quality coffee alongside their products by choosing the design and performance of a recognized brand,” said the CEO, Marco Feliziani.
