8 SPRING//SUMMER 2018 NEWS Register at www.stationerymatters.news to receive our biweekly industry e-newsletter Launching Thirty Under 30 Awards 2018 Following the success of the inaugural awards at the Manchester Stationery Show in October 2017, Stationery Matters is excited to announce the launch of this year’s Thirty Under 30 Awards.The new initiative seeks to find and support the crème de la crème of young professionals working in the stationery industry today.The Class of 2017, which featured in the AW17 issue of this magazine, covered roles as diverse as shop assistants, marketing executives and start-up founders. Flick to page 61 of this issue to find out how the judges’ Star Choices of 2017 bring spirit and dedication to their working day.Visitors to the London Stationery Show in April can look at a ‘Class of 2017’ display and pick up an application form to enter the 2018 Awards. Pilot celebrates centenary with Mika collaboration In 2018, Pilot will be exactly 100 years old.Two Japanese naval engineers founded the company in 1918 after becoming frustrated that their fountain pen nibs quickly rusted in the sea air. And so they developed a high-quality product to overcome the problem. This innovative mindset has stayed with the company ever since, resulting in many pioneering products and international expansion. To celebrate the company’s milestone and to usher in the next 100 years in a fitting style, Pilot and pop star Mika joined together to create a colourful and zany new limited-edition collection. Pilot asked Mika to redesign three of its most iconic and bestselling ranges, theV5 Hi-Tecpoint liquid ink rollerball, the G-2 retractable gel pen and the FriXion erasable pen.The pens feature an eclectic mixture of colourful, weird and playful barrel designs inspired from pop culture themes, Pilot’s maritime origins, and candy stores.The pens have extra exclusivity in being only available during Pilot’s centenary year, 2018. Stuart Barker, marketing manager for Pilot Pen UK, comments: “We are very excited to have Mika on board to help us celebrate our 100 years birthday in a unique way for the writing instrument market.The pens look amazing and I’m sure will be extremely sought-after by both fans of Mika and those looking for a twist on the usual barrel designs of our top-selling products.” www.pilot-100years.eu Pentema brings Japanese style to the UK Award-winning Japanese brand Meister by POINT has appointed Suffolk-based Pentema as its exclusive UK distributor.The new distribution partnership is based on a long-standing relationship between the companies that spans 30 years. Pentema’s sister company Brochure Holders International Ltd has for decades exported its POS products. Following a visit to its clients in Osaka, Pentema fell in love with the company’s pens and now imports them to the UK, where the appetite for Japanese stationery seems insatiable. Second-generation owner Kaz Ishikawa commented: “We are delighted to be working with Pentema Ltd to bring Meister by POINT to the UK, finally! The appreciation of Japanese products in the UK is phenomenal, so it is a very positive step for the brand expansion.” Mr Ishikawa designs much of the range himself and created the ‘Pen in Ruler’, which won the ‘Design Excellence Award’ at the 25th Annual Japanese Stationery Awards. As well as the ‘Pen in Ruler,’ Pentema Ltd is bringing other new items to the UK market from the Meister by POINT range, notably the carbon fibre ‘Shake Pen’, brilliant in its simplicity: shake the pen to reveal the nib, then shake again to retract the nib.   “The Meister philosophy is to bring an element of fun and excitement to professional writing tools,” explains Adam Button, marketing manager at Pentema Ltd.“It’s about quality pens and pencils that inspire you to pick them up.” The company is also importing to the UK more traditional writing instruments in the Meister by POINT range. The Japanese company is currently working on a new high-end writing instrument, due for release in the autumn. www.pentema.co.uk