Packaging Première and PCD Milan 2023: an edition to remember

The event was attended by over 7850 visitors, who were able to discover the latest innovations from over 300 exhibitors – from Italy, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Bulgaria, Finland, China and Greece – and follow the rich programme of 18 conferences that dealt with topics such as artificial intelligence and the Metaverse, sustainability in cosmetics from a packaging and formulation point of view, the olfactory experience, and the world of quality delivery in food & gifting, to name but a few. During the three days there were important speakers, experts in the sector such as Evelio Mattos, Diana Verde Nieto, Jacques Heintz, Eva Lagarde, Riccardo Taverna, Rossella Muroni, Marco Piccolo Reynaldi and top national and international brands such as Beautystreams, Nashi Argan, Banfi, Coty, Acetaia Giusti, Comfort Zone, Cantine San Marzano, Impersive, Martesana, Panino Giusto, Cosaporto, Culti Milano and more.

“We are particularly proud of this edition of Packaging Première and PCD Milan, which saw an important turnout of visitors, interested not only in discovering the latest news and trends in the sector but also in finding a constant source of creative inspiration, confirming the event’s leading role within the Italian market,” said Pier Paolo Ponchia, Founder and Director of Packaging Première.

The Art Gallery, a prologue to the exhibition itinerary and realised in collaboration with ILLUSTRI FESTIVAL, the festival of Italian illustration, featured the works of ten artists – Davide Bonazzi, Johnatan Calugi, Camilla Falsini, Luca Font, Elisa Macellari, Gloria Pizzilli, Irene Rinaldi, Lucio Schiavon, Van Orton, Cinzia Zenocchini – selected by Francesco Poroli, Artistic Director of ILLUSTRI and author of the coordinated image of Packaging Première and PCD Milan 2023. The eighty illustrations took visitors on an experience of art and creativity, elements that could be found in the packaging of the products exhibited at the event. As well as being admired, the works could also be purchased.

Innovation and sustainability, the main themes of the edition, were also applied to the way in which information on exhibitors and their products could be found: by easily approaching their smart badge to a dedicated reader they could receive the required information by e-mail. Signs and signs usually made of forex, a plastic material consisting of PVC, were made of sustainable corrugated cardboard and all paper used for invitations and catalogues was FSC certified.

Thanks to the cooperation with Montecolino – a leading European manufacturer of flooring, upholstery and textile materials for industrial and residential use – the carpeting used for the event was collected at the end of the event and taken to a logistics centre close to the pavilions, pressed into bales and sorted in equally close centres for plastic processing.

In order to reduce the use of plastic bottles during the event, Packaging Première – in collaboration with P&P Promotion, Valtenna, Fontanagrafica, Carlo Gasperini and Oropress – created limited edition water bottles, part of the Water Bottle project, customised with an illustration by Francesco Poroli. The water bottles could be purchased during the event and filled at the various free water dispensers inside the pavilion, set up together with Corvasce.

Great success for the special Avant Garde initiative, which directly involved the exhibitors, inviting them to realise products or services worthy in terms of innovation, sustainability, technological development, digitalisation, design and ability to raise brand value. More than 20 projects were exhibited, including James Cropper for Maison Perrier-Jouët (COLOURFORM, a new featherweight sustainable packaging solution designed for gift packaging), INCA with a sustainable beauty proposal for Collistar (an eco-designed packaging lipstick composed of a carbon black polypropylene base and cap, completed by a rechargeable aluminium mechanism) and Robilant for myCordenons – Fedrigoni Group with the myPower Kit project (which redefines the concept of the catalogue, overcoming the classic and heavy “big book” with bundles of papers and colours, to become an agile, smart, light and always functional tool).

Packaging Première and PCD Milan was supported by: Camera Buyer Italia, Corvasce, Efarm Group, Etinastro, Gugliermetto Experience, Integra Fragrances, Lucifero Illuminazione, San Marzano Wines, Cosaporto, Martesana, Panino Giusto, Birrificio 620 Passi, D’Auria, Gruppo Cordenons, Artegraf, Carlo Gasperini, Luxury Print Technology, Vimer, Fontana Grafica, Macropix, Oropress, P&P Promotion, Valtenna.