Nine awards at the 1st Annual Cork Gala
The Portuguese Cork Association (APCOR) promoted, on October 8th, the First Annual Cork Gala. This unique event in Portugal, which took place in the Palácio do Freixo, Porto; awarded nine awards to personalities and/or entities which, in the past years, have contributed for the promotion, development and growth of the cork sector and industry.
APCOR selected seven Award categories, distinguishing different areas of knowledge. The awards went to:
- Innovation Award – Nelo M.A.R. Kayaks, for the use of cork in the interior of the famous racing kayaks;
- Forest Award – Associação de Produtores Florestais do Concelho de Coruche e Limítrofes (Association of Forestry Producers of Coruche), for the work developed in the montado, and mainly for the forest certification process;
- Knowledge Award – Instituto Superior de Agronomia, for the investigation and research in the area of the cork oak and cork, with the publication of international books on the subject;
- Information Award – Mike Salisbury and Paul Morrison, director and producer of the BBC documentary, “Cork – Forest in a Bottle”, shown in Portugal by SIC;
- Revelation Award – Mercedes-Benz, for the use of cork in the interior of the model F-700;
- Cork Stopper Award – Herdade do Esporão, for the use of cork in its wines, fact which contributes to the recognition of cork in the national and international panorama;
- Merit Award – Architect Siza Vieira and Architect Souto de Moura, for the use of cork in their work, namely the Portuguese Pavilion in Expo Hannover, 2000, and in Quinta do Portal, in the Douro.
The jury of the Gala consisted of the president of APCOR, António Rios de Amorim, Helena Pereira, Vice-Dean of Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, and researcher in the forest area, and Armando Sevinate Pinto, current aide to the do President of the Republic, ex-minister of agriculture and booster Filcork – Associação Interprofissional da Fileira da Cortiça (Interprofessional Association of the Cork Industry).
For Apcor’s president “this was a moment of pride and prestige, given that it was a unique moment to praise the best that has been done in the cork sector.” “It was an initiative that raised cork to the highest standards of quality and which aimed also to be an incentive to entities external to the sector and in the most diverse areas to continue to promote cork, to investigate and inform about this unparalleled product.”
For the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, as well as for the Minister of Economy, Innovation and Development, present in the session “the cork sector shows values of innovation and competitiveness which have distinguished it in the national and international economical setting, being that the realization of the Annual Cork Gala represents an act of celebration and an excellent example of the union of the sector, embodied by APCOR.”
The affluence to the event was remarkable, given that between APCOR associates and external guests – of which we highlight the two Ministers mentioned as well as the Deputy Secretary of State of Forests and Rural Development, and the Deputy Secretary of state of Industry and Development – almost 190 people were present.
The event counted with the support of four entities which were associated to APCOR: Companhia de Seguros Fidelidade-Mundial S.A./Império Bonança – Companhia de Seguros S.A., PT Prime – Soluções Empresariais de Telecomunicações e Sistemas, S.A. and Aon Portugal – Corretores de Seguros S.A.
Notes to the editor:
APCOR – Portuguese Cork Association
APCOR’s mission is to represent and promote the Portuguese Cork Industry, with more than 250 members, representing around 80 percent of the total national cork production and 85 percent of all cork exports. APCOR is also responsible for promotional activities, with added value to cork, on both a national and international scale, providing, in addition, an extensive Information Resource Centre on cork.
For more information, please contact:
Joaquim Lima
Director
Tel. 227 474 040
Tel. 918 101 882
E-mail: realcork@apcor.pt
