A record-breaking year: Paris Packaging Week 2025 draws 12,588 visitors

Paris Packaging Week 2025 has set a new benchmark, welcoming an unprecedented 12,588 visitors — a 27% increase from last year — marking the highest attendance in the event's 24-year history.

Over two dynamic days, visitors from 106 countries explored groundbreaking innovations presented by more than 880 exhibitors, solidifying Paris Packaging Week’s position as the leading event packaging innovation and design in luxury, drinks, beauty, and the aerosol market. Including those working on stands, a total of 17,969 people attended the event last Tuesday and Wednesday.

Josh Brooks, Event Director and Divisional Director, said: The remarkable surge in visitor numbers highlights how essential Paris Packaging Week has become for brands and decision-makers seeking tailored packaging solutions and forward-thinking responses to the industry's evolving challenges.

Alongside the business-driven aspects of the event, it was wonderful to see so many special experiences and moments across Paris Packaging Week – from live art and music to start-ups and celebrations, inspiring galleries and fresh ideas from young packaging innovators. There was a real energy at the show and, more than ever, a sense that the future of packaging was being created before our eyes.

The excitement was echoed by many attendees, such as Frederic Dreux, R&D Packaging Director at Unilever, who shared, "The first impression when I came in was ‘WOW’! The show has gone to the next level, and it’s always nice and important to get together at this unmissable event." Alexia Jaloux, Packaging Project Manager at Havana Club - Pernod Ricard, also highlighted the growing significance of the event, saying, “It’s my third time coming to this show. It’s bigger and even more interesting. It’s the best year so far and the app is so useful and easy to use!”

Insightful conferences and expert dialogues

Over 190 industry experts delivered more than 30 hours of engaging sessions, providing fresh perspectives on the packaging industry's hottest topics—from sustainability and the circular economy to AI, innovative design, and regulatory challenges.

Among the 129 conferences held, sessions that drew the largest audiences included:

• PPWR and the 3Rs: What Consequences for Packaging? – Industry leaders, regulatory experts, and CSR specialists explored how to strategically integrate the principles of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle into packaging development.
• Keynote: Breitling – 140 Years of Pioneering Spirit – Édouard d’Arbaumont, Managing Director for Southern Europe at Breitling, shared insights into how the watchmaking giant continues to drive growth and innovation.
• Keynote: Mathieu Lehanneur – The Designer on Fire – The renowned designer of the Olympic flame and cauldron captivated the audience with his visionary approach to design, innovation, and creativity in today’s luxury market.
• The ADF, PCD & PLD Innovation Awards – The prestigious award ceremonies attracted packed rooms, where attendees witnessed the unveiling of the packaging industry’s most groundbreaking solutions across cosmetics, premium drinks, aerosols, and dispensing systems.

New audiences in design and marketing

The addition of the Pentawards Festival this year, a new area organised by the world’s biggest brand design community and competition, brought a number of exciting new elements to the show – including a gallery of the 100 best packaging designs of the past year, live art by the artist Craig Black, a village of packaging design agencies and a speaker line-up featuring top brands including Unilever, Carrefour, Nestle, Diageo and more.

Josh Brooks said: A particular feature of this year’s event was the presence of a greater number of people from the marketing and design community than ever before. This is a community that our exhibitors across ADF, PCD, PLD and Packaging Première have been asking to meet and it was fantastic to see so many of them at the show, bringing a new perspective.

Young talents driving innovation

Paris Packaging Week 2025 also celebrated the next generation of packaging innovators through several exciting initiatives:

• Emballé 5.0 x Conseil National de l’Emballage (CNE) contest – Students from top institutions presented projects addressing key themes such as waste reduction, packaging reuse in e-commerce, and eco-friendly luxury packaging. Winning projects included:
  • ROLL AND WASH (IUT PEC Évreux): A smart dishwashing liquid dispenser that reduces product usage by 50%.
  • POPTIMAL (CEPE Angoulême): A recyclable airless food cream package that enhances conservation and reduces waste.
  • LOCK BOX (FS PACK Cognac): A reusable, secure, and traceable solution for e-commerce lockers.
• ESEPAC School x Merci Handy contest – Students designed innovative, water-free handwashing solutions. The winning project, Distribulle, is a playful, refillable box containing 24 hand gel bubbles that blends convenience with sustainability.
• ESI Reims School x Brockmans Gin | B Corp™ contest –In collaboration with PLD, students developed eco-responsible packaging solutions for luxury spirits. The winning projects were:
  • Secondary Packaging: "Protagonista" – Selected for the thoughtful design approach behind the packaging, its strong alignment with brand codes, and versatile shelf presence through impactful branding and staging.
  • POSM Material: "Brockmans Garden" – Chosen for its imaginative power, effectively capturing the brand's identity and translating the proprietary claim "Properly Improper" into a compelling display.
• Future Leaders panel discussion – Ten emerging young professionals shared insights into their roles within the packaging value chain, their ambitions to elevate the industry, and their visions for accelerating sustainability and innovation.

Perspectives 2025 - Trends Report

All participants will receive complimentary digital access to Perspectives 2025. This exclusive report, developed by industry experts and launched for the first time at Paris Packaging Week, explores key topics such as monomaterials, reuse, and lightweighting, offering invaluable insights into the trends shaping the packaging industry today and those set to influence its future.

Josh Brooks concludes: This year’s edition of Paris Packaging Week was a landmark in the history of this event in terms of size and impact. But more than that, it was fantastic to see the French and global packaging community bringing energy, optimism and innovation to Paris last week. Thanks to everyone who made it such a special event and we’re already looking forward to welcoming you again next year!

Paris Packaging Week will return on 5 and 6 February 2026, promising even more groundbreaking innovation, inspiration, and industry-shaping insights.