The Phoenix Challenge College Competition honors 2015 winners

Some 53 students from nine different colleges across the United States participated in the 8th annual Phoenix Challenge College Competition. Each team showcased problem-solving skills and knowledge of graphic arts and flexography, presenting their months-long projects in professional business presentations to a host of seven judges.

The competition requires students to develop, create and present a full solution roadmap of research, design and printed/converted execution to a viable business-centric problem. The projects take form over an entire college semester and allow each student team to apply their business acumen, analysis, design creativity and flexography knowledge. It comes to a conclusion when each team presents their project during an all-day presentation and evaluation event.

This year's assignment was to assist a local public attraction with a rebranding, promotion, labeling or packaging project including the creation of 2-3 flexo printed products.

Nona Woolbright (instructor), Summer Long, Caroline Weaver, Jason Cagle, Becky Bunch, Kariahlyn Lindsey and Jon Kalshoven of Clemson University were named as the overall winners in the competition. The students from Clemson University chose to work with the Greenville Zoo to design and produce items for a children's scavenger hunt. The project was a huge success with a 45-minute sell out at the opening event and the zoo plans to recreate the products next year.

The products were produced on a narrow web press at the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics.

Other winners in the 8th Phoenix Challenge College Competition included the team of Colleen Twoney (instructor), Meredith Stewart, Mikayla Byars, Isabella Baldwin, Hannah Giorgi, Kristen Minischmidt and Taylor Fenster from California Polytechnic State University won the Graphics & Concept category.

Ryerson University’s team of Ian Baitz (instructor), Elina Shafigullina, Vanessa Blum, Kim Sipkens, Dennis Soler, Darren Brandt and Daniel Langsford took the Execution prize and Mark Rankin (instructor), Andrew Kniest, Caitlin Stauffer, Jordan Surber, Jen Tran, Lauren Hadley and Jack Wrisinger of Central Missouri State University took the Research accolade.

Bettlylyn Krafft, chairman of the Phoenix Challenge Foundation, said: ‘We are so proud of our competitors this year. All the judges commented on the superior knowledge and creativity of each of the teams. We are honored to call this group of students the future of the flexo industry.’

Major sponsors of the 2015 event included Harper Corporation of America, Anderson & Vreeland, Mark Andy, Esko, Sun Chemical, TEST-FFTA, All Printing Resources, ALC Group, 3M, Bryce Corporation and FFTA.