ADF&PCD and PLD Paris 2020, the dedicated event for the dispensing, perfume, luxury drinks & cosmetic packaging community, completed its most successful edition. The numbers? 650 exhibitors and 10,000+ attendees over two days. In addition, 90% of exhibitors reserved stand space for ADF&PCD and PLD Paris 2021 before the show had closed its doors.
The event brought together the most innovative packaging suppliers, including 141 new exhibitors, with the most influential packaging designers, buyers and specifiers in an environment.
INTERNATIONAL REACH
The event also extended its international reach, with attendees from 84 countries. As the spiritual home of the global perfume, cosmetics and luxury products market and a world leader in wine and spirits, France accounted for around 70% of attendees. The top-represented countries outside of France were the UK, Italy, Germany and Spain, accounting for 16% of attendees. The event also hosted a Korean Pavilion for the first time.
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE…RETHINK?
Debates around the circular economy took unexpected turns. Some advocated incremental refinements to the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ mantra. Suggestions included placing greater emphasis on bioplastics, carbon offsetting, the switch to chemical recycling of plastics, as well as focus on factors such as lightweighting and mono-material design. Others instead put forward solutions in reinventing how the sector can address the waste issue.
In addition, the beauty sector looks seriously at decarbonisation. The process of removing carbon from the air and capturing it in products and, potentially, packaging.
CONSUMERS JUDGE
Brands have often been spurred into action by consumer demands. Consumers will soon judge the sustainability of packaging in a similar way to the sustainability of ingredients.
EVOLVING DESIGN SENSIBILITIES
Jon Davies of design agency Butterfly Cannon suggests the cultural dial has swung to ‘countersignalling’. In practical terms, this favours inclusivity over exclusivity, non-binary over binary and minimalism over ostentation. Consumer tastes moved from conspicuous consumption to fun and, again, sustainability. Across the exhibition halls we could see these trends, as well as in many of the winning entries for this year’s ADF&PCD Awards.
WELCOMING PCD
Elsewhere, PLD Talks emphasised the crossovers between the premium spirits and fragrances markets. Each one is a mix of humble ingredients, which through the application of arts and science become much more than the sum of their parts.
Dates for ADF&PCD and PLD Paris 2021 have been confirmed as 20-21 January 2021.
“ADF&PCD and PLD Paris 2020 hosted 650 exhibitors and 10,000 attendees”