This is no small expansion for Paris Packaging Week! The event that brings together the PCD, ADF, PLD and Packaging Première trade shows is moving into Hall 1 of the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre with an available surface area of 44,000 m2, compared to 28,000 m2 in Hall until last year. “In the end, we’re going to use 41,000 m2, which is more than we had initially planned,” Josh Brooks, event director, told Premium Beauty News.
New exhibitors, new exhibition spaces
On January 27 and 28, 2025, the show will host 840 packaging solution suppliers, compared to 650 last year. With more than 500 exhibitors, the PCD area, dedicated to suppliers to the perfume and cosmetics market, remains the main driving force behind the event’s growth. ADF, the area dedicated to aerosol suppliers, will host some 140 exhibitors, while PLD (packaging solutions for premium drinks) and Packaging Première (packaging solutions for fashion, delicatessen, watches, jewellery, confectionery) will each host around 100 exhibitors.
“Having a larger hall gave us the opportunity to add exhibition spaces, such as the Full Service Zone, which will host around fifty companies dedicated to formulation, manufacturing, packaging. For the first time, a Korean collective stand under the aegis of the Korea International Beauty Industry Trade Association will participate in Paris Packaging Week,” added Josh Brooks.
Another new feature is the Discovery Zone, which will host around twenty startups presenting sustainability solutions, innovative and alternative materials, or digital solutions. A demonstration zone for refill terminals, organized by Re(Set), will allow for full-scale testing of the consumer experience around these newcomers in retails.
Focus on design
To further broaden the appeal of the show beyond packaging experts, a strong focus will be placed on design and trend topics. The Pentawards Festival, a village of design agencies, will host eight stands and a conference during which international design leaders and major clients (Nestlé, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Colgate-Palmolive, Unilever, Microsoft, Diageo) will explore how design choices can shape consumer behaviour.
Paris Packaging Week will also feature a gallery of the 100 best designs of 2024 from around the world (as judged by over 50 industry experts from brands like Estée Lauder, Microsoft), as well as an exclusive conference by Mathieu Lehanneur, the designer of the Olympic flame.
Based on the same logic, the PCD, PLD and ADF Awards Gallery will be placed at the heart of the event to better showcase participants, winners and innovations.
Four conference spaces
The conference will feature four key stages: the Circular Economy Stage, sponsored by Dow, will address key sustainability and regulatory challenges in the packaging industry; the Future Innovation Forum will explore the cutting-edge technologies and materials shaping the future of packaging; the Pentawards Festival Stage will focus on design, branding, and consumer trends; the Global Aerosol & Dispensing Summit, presented in partnership with the European Aerosol Federation (FEA), will address sustainability and innovation in the aerosol sector.
Innovation contests for students
The winners of three student contests will be announced during Paris Packaging Week: ESEPAC x Merci Handy, where second-year master’s students in packaging engineering, enrolled in the school’s “Digiprint’” program were challenged to propose innovative solutions enabling users to wash their hands without using water, while maintaining the sense of pleasure and simplicity that embodies the Merci Handy brand; Emballé 5.0, a contest organised by France’s Conseil National de l’Emballage (CNE), which challenged students from multiple universities and schools, including ENSAIA Nancy, Institut Agro Dijon, and PEC IUT Reims to tackle three key issues: the fight against waste, packaging reuse and luxury product packaging; and finally, the ESI Reims School x Brockmans Gin contest, where students were challenged to design eco-responsible packaging solutions for luxury spirits.
“We are heading towards a very nice event, bigger but above all richer. Of course we will occupy a new hall, but above all we should expect a new experience. I am quite enthusiastic about the idea of giving more space to design and opening Paris Packaging Week to new profiles,” concludes Josh Brooks.
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