Paris Packaging Week celebrates 25 Years with record attendance

On 5 and 6 February 2026, hall 1 of Paris Expo Porte de Versailles welcomed a record breaking 14,442 visitors for the 25th edition of Paris Packaging Week. This represented a 15% increase compared with the previous edition. The event brought together 20,462 participants, with 915 exhibitors, 213 speakers and professionals from 87 nationalities, confirming its strong international reach.

This anniversary edition stands out as one of the most significant in the history of Paris Packaging Week. Over two days, decision makers, brands, designers and suppliers from the beauty, luxury, premium drinks and aerosol sectors came together to address the profound transformations shaping packaging today, at the intersection of regulatory changes, industrial realities and evolving consumer uses.

‘This 25th anniversary edition marks a turning point. It reflects the maturity of the sector and the community’s ability to mobilise around practical, real world challenges,’ said Noura Moussa, marketing director of the Paris Packaging Week.

With participants from 87 nationalities, Paris Packaging Week once again demonstrated its international influence. On the exhibitor side, the show achieved a strong balance between French companies, European players and businesses based outside Europe, highlighting the event’s attractiveness across the global packaging ecosystem.

One of the highlights of this edition was the launch of the Innovation Awards Gala, held on 4 February at the Pavillon Vendôme. The evening brought together more than 320 professionals and rewarded 34 innovations across the PCD, ADF, PLD and Packaging Première universes. Designed as a celebration and networking moment, this new opening event gathered the full packaging community in one place. It clearly reaffirmed Paris Packaging Week’s ambition to showcase innovation and expertise across the entire value chain.

Another strong signal was the Refill & Reuse Zone, which featured 10 exhibitors and illustrated the transition from concept to operational models. Hyléance Beauté presented Pure Twist, a refillable solid deodorant tube that limits discarded plastic to just 2 mg. Naturinov, meanwhile, deployed with Zerooo a full loop reuse model, from deposit to redistribution, applied to cosmetic containers.

A flagship moment of the show, the Pentawards Festival offered an immersion into the best of international packaging design. It showcased the Top 100 award winning packaging designs and featured talks from major brands such as The Lego Group, Google, Diageo and Samsung Electronics, delivering an inspiring and forward-looking perspective on brand design.

With 58 hours of conferences, Paris Packaging Week 2026 established itself as a strategic thinking platform for the industry. Among the standout speakers, Kelly Massol, Founder and CEO of Les Secrets de Loly, shared her experience of the challenges young brands face when accessing suitable packaging solutions.

Other industry leaders, including Vitalie Taittinger for Champagne Taittinger, Kilian Hennessy for Kilian Paris and Jacques Playe for L’Oréal, also shared their insights into the sector’s ongoing transformation.

Paris Packaging Week 2026 placed the new generation at the heart of its programme, through several competitions and educational projects developed in close collaboration with industry stakeholders.

Organised with the Conseil National de l’Emballage, the Emballé 5.0 Competition brought together 40 projects focused on the eco design of packaging solutions adapted to seniors. The projects were showcased at the show and submitted to a public vote.

The Esepac Résonances Competition rewarded the project Taille ta crème, a solid tinted cream designed to be shaped or sharpened. Designed as a 100% monomaterial product, it offers precise control over coverage, merging skincare and makeup.

Projects from the IUT of Évreux, developed in direct connection with the PPWR 2030 regulation, highlighted in particular a ‘reduce first’ mascara with reduced mass and increased capacity, as well as anniversary creations combining design and environmental performance.

Finally, the premium fragrance challenge led by ESI Reims demonstrated a near professional level of execution. It integrated design, engineering, sensory storytelling and circularity, from creative concept through to industrial cost estimation.

Visitors also had the opportunity to discover, as a preview at the show, the second edition of the Perspectives 2026 trend report, entitled Cool & Conscious. This publication brings together contributions from designers, scientists, engineers and executives, addressing themes such as the psychology of desire, minimalism and the impact of reuse on consumer perception.

‘Packaging is no longer just an object. It is becoming a social experience,’ said Wendy Annonay, vice president packaging development and operations at Huda Beauty, whose contribution focuses on the influence of Gen Z culture.

Building on this record breaking edition, Paris Packaging Week confirms its role as an international barometer and a leading platform for the packaging industry. ‘This 25th anniversary edition will remain a benchmark. It opens a new chapter,’ concluded Josh Brooks, director of the show, before inviting the entire community to meet again on 3 and 4 February 2027 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles for the next edition of Paris Packaging Week.

Picture credits: Timo-Leo I; Sam Pinto.