What are the FEA
Cibum is proud to organize and HELEXPO is delighted to host the first edition of the annual Food Experts’ Awards, the FEA 2023. An International Awards program focused entirely on achievements done in the Food And Beverage sector.
Designed to recognize and honor truly remarkable companies, organizations and professionals who bring about achievements, dedication, outstanding work and excellence in fields like innovation, quality, food safety, development, management and succeeding in meeting high business, technology and food science objectives and goals.
Through the Food Experts’ Awards, we are seeking to identify, elevate, reward and accelerate the growth of innovative companies who show the greatest potential for a positive impact in transforming and evolving our agrifood chain and food sector, aligned to one or more of the 6 pylons of the FEA: better design, better technology, better production, better nutrition, better environment and better life. FEA are organized by cibum, the food experts’ website and hosted by Detrop/HELEXPO, one of the most significant Food and Beverage exhibition in Southern Europe.
The evaluation team consists exclusively of food industry professionals, that share our vision, believe in innovation and are well selected, highly experienced, respected and qualified in the Food Sector. FEA methodology is planned to deliver results objectively and impartially. The procedure is thoroughly reviewed and audited by an independent auditing organization.
The FEA way
Step 1 Nomination
The first step is the nomination process. It is driven in three ways: self nomination, third-party nomination and cibum nomination.
Step 2 Nomination acceptance
A FEA 2023 nominee has to accept their nomination (needed in third-party and cibum derived nominations) and enter the initial screening stage.
Step 3 Registration
If all OK after the nomination team initial screening the nominees will be asked to register via the FEA Registration form.
Step 4 Enter FEA official candidate list
When the registration procedure is completed the nominee enters the FEA official candidate list and a tailor made questionnaire is handed to him.
Step 5 Proposal Submission
The candidates proposal is submitted and the opportunity to provide us with any additional supporting evidence is given at this phase. Procedures, policies, charts, worksheets, presentations, media packs, brochures and product samples are also welcome at this stage.
Step 6 Proposal Evaluation
Each candidate’s proposal, at this stage will be carefully screened by the FEA Administrative Committee, solely on merit, in order to be assigned to 2 independent FEA Evaluators. The evaluation is carried out on specific criteria and the time period for each proposal assessment is a week. Each candidate scoring over 70 out of 100 in the evaluation is a FEA WINNER. Candidates scoring over 80 are FEA Silver WINNER and over 90 FEA Gold WINNERS.
Step 7 FEA Winners Announcement
The FEA Winners will be announced in the FEA WINNERS ceremony held in the 18th of February 2023 in the 31st Detrop/HELEXPO International Food Exhibition 2023 in Thessaloniki GREECE.
Step 8 FEA Winners receive Trophy and Communication Pack
All FEA Winners are welcome to complimentary marketing material, the FEA Winners Communication Pack, that will make a valuable addition to the FEA Winners PR portfolio for making their achievements go public and making a story worth telling! Additionally, with over 550.000 users, cibum remains the perfect platform for businesses looking to promote their brand across a specialized readership, and each winner in the FEA has the chance to utilize cibum and the Detrop/HELEXPO communication channel to share their news with a highly engaged audience for a years time, till FEA next edition, the FEA 2024.
If you wish to participate in the FEA 2023 or if you feel like proposing a company or an organization who you believe is deserves a place on the FEA initial list this year, please use the FEA Nomination Form to submit a nomination respectively.
The FEA mission
Food technology, suistainability and innovation will play a critical role in the future of our food. To address the unprecedented challenges facing our agrifood systems, we need to find new, actionable and inclusive solutions in terms of product design, production methods, recource and business management.
Through the Food Experts’ Awards, we are seeking to identify, elevate, reward and accelerate the growth of innovative companies who show the greatest potential for a positive impact in transforming our agrifood systems, aligned to one of 6 pylons of the FEA: better design, better technology, better production, better nutrition, better environment and better life. The FEA intend to provide the nominees, the finalists and the award winners publicity, networking with other entities, motivation to pioneer technological and managerial breakthroughs and help to power a sustainable future for our food.
In other words, FEA are here to:
- Reward food science driven innovation, technological applications, food safety culture, customer focused initiatives, sustainable approaches, etc.
- Promote future food, innovative companies and start - ups
- Highlight business ethics and new social implications
- Communicate award-winning products, services and companies to the general public
- Inspire and mobilize food sector companies and entrepreneurs for continuous improvement for their products and services
5 reasons to run for a FEA
The Food Experts’ Awards, called FEA, are the food and drink industry’s innovation and excellence prize. Food sector professionals evaluate the nominations in order to encourage and reward hard and innovative work.
Winning a FEA and recieving it on the special FEA WINNERS Ceremony held in Detrop/HELEXPO is a clear opportunity for you as a business to create and communicate a sucess story. Here are the basic five reasons to run for a FEA:
On top of all of the above, all candidates not leaded to a WINNERS status remain anonymous, ensuring that your company faces no undesired publicity risk along the way.
The FEA Administrative Commission
The Administrative Commission initiated the Food Experts’ Awards and has the responsibility to organize and make the whole awards process come true. It forms, trains and supports the Nomination Team and the Evaluators Team. Responsible to select the FEA categories, set the criteria and monitor the process.
Eleni Tsagka
Journalist, Cibum CoFounder / Chief Editor
Nikos Gdontelis
Biologist – Food Scientist, Cibum CoFounder / Administrator
Christina Kopsini
Journalist, Cibum Editor
Dora Vlachou
Journalist, Cibum Editor
Irene Lazarou
Food Scientist, FEA Ambassador Cyprus
Evangelos Paliouras
Food Technologist, FEA Ambassador
The FEA Nomination Team
The Nomination Team supports nominees in the initial phase, conducts the first screening of nominations and creates the shortlist moved on to registration, submission and evaluation. The Nomination Team can assist companies and organizations with answering any queries that you have regarding a nomination, or the process involved in taking part in one of our award program. Please get in touch with us via email or over the phone if you have any questions – we can point you in the right direction. We are happy to help!
Lena Voukouvala
FEA Nomination Executive
Lena Vasilakopoulou
FEA Candidates Support Executive
The FEA Evaluators
The FEA proposals submitted by the candidates, are assessed by the esteemed FEA Evaluators. They are all food professionals, that share our vision, believe in innovation and are well selected, being highly experienced, respected and qualified in the Food Sector.
Christina Panou
FEA Evaluator
Quality, Food Safety, Environment and Health and Safety Director @ GOODYS / EVEREST
Harry Zafeiropoulos
FEA Evaluator
Quality, Food Safety, Environment, Health and Safety Director @ Gefsinus SA
Dimitris Svidridis
FEA Evaluator
Quality and Food Safety Manager @ Luncheon Meat SA (Thrakis Gefsis)
Katerina Koudouna
FEA Evaluator
Food Labeling and Legal Compliance @ Eurofins Athens Analysis Laboratories SA
Pantelis Stathopoulos
FEA Evaluator
Quality, Food Safety, Environmental and Health and Safety Manager @ Gefsinus SA
Lazaros Koutsoulas
FEA Evaluator
Quality, Food Safety, Environment, Sustainability Coordinator @ Astir Palace Odysseus Resort and Spa
FEA Winners Communication Pack
An honor at the FEA, is a recognision for your ideas, hard work and performance given by an independent committee of food experts. This deserves to be communicated in the most efficient way. The FEA WINNERS are entitled to a great communication pack:
- The logo of FEA 2023 referring to the specific award category and a license to use on company brochures, in media creations, on your website/social media, etc.
- Your FEA WINNERS banner – a .gif file with your company’s logo and the FEA 2023 logo alternating
- Your FEA WINNERS certificate in print
- Your FEA trophy (for Gold and Silver Winners)
- Pictures of the moment the FEA trophy is handed to you in the FEA Ceremony
- Your logo in the ceremony masterbanner in Detrop/ HELEXPO
- Your company will be listed in the final FEA WINNERS list published on the FEA website and all FEA communication collaborators
- Your FEA WINNER Press Release Text (150words)
- A publicity week on cibum (company presentation article, winner product/service article, company’s banner in cibum weeks wrap (newsletter) and the FEA WINNERS .gif top right position in home page)
- Reference to the FEA WINNERS in a special edition of cibum newsletter sent to over 1000 subscribers
- Publicity through FEA Press Release
- Publicity via Detrop/HELEXPO Communication Channel
Additionally, with over 600.000 users, cibum remains the perfect platform for businesses looking to promote their brand across a specialized readership, and each winner in the FEA has the chance to utilize cibum to share their news with our highly engaged audience for a years time, till FEA next edition 2024.
If you wish to participate in the Food Experts’ Awards 2023 or if you would like to propose a company, an organization or individual who you feel is deserving of a place on the FEA initial list this year, please use our registration form or our nomination form to submit a nomination respectively.