Easyfairs today announces its acquisition of Pentawards, the most prestigious worldwide competition exclusively dedicated to packaging design in all its forms.

Created in January 2007, Pentawards’ primary mission is to increase awareness of packaging design and those who create it. Its 55 categories are open to all those across the globe who are associated with the creation or marketing of packaging, and are judged by an international jury consisting of 12 highly reputed designers and packaging design directors from major companies.

Trophies are awarded each year in a different city in Europe, Asia or America during an official ceremony that welcomes hundreds of designers from around the world. The tenth annual Pentawards ceremony took place on 23 September at Shanghai’s Hyatt on the Bund, with previous ceremonies being staged in London, Tokyo, Barcelona, Paris, New York, Brussels and Monaco.

Pentawards will be operated by Easyfairs UK & Global office, part of Global Top 20 exhibition company Artexis Easyfairs. It complements Easyfairs’ existing global portfolio of packaging events that run across Europe and North America, including Packaging Innovations, Luxury Packaging, Label&Print, Empack, ADF (Aerosol Dispensing Forum) and PCD (Packaging of Perfumery, Cosmetics & Design).

Matt Benyon, Managing Director of Easyfairs UK & Global, commented: “We are delighted by this latest acquisition, which cements us as the leading organiser for packaging events globally. The Pentawards are a prestigious and well-recognised concept with a respected heritage, which enhances our global presence and ensures a foothold in the Awards marketplace.”

Founders Jean Jacques and Brigitte Evrard will remain involved with the awards, to help direct the strategy and integration. Brigitte said: “We have been very proud to bring the Pentawards to the global packaging industry to celebrate the media of packaging, which is often the unsung hero in the media mix. It’s been an exciting ten years so far, and we are delighted to continue our involvement by working closely with Easyfairs, which is clearly as committed to quality and the packaging marketplace as we are!”

The most beautiful packaging designs of the decade, selected from the winners of the last ten years, were on display at the ALL4PACK show in Paris last week in the Exposition 10/10 showcase, which received a great deal of attention at the show. The 100 creations, across 10 categories, selected for this exhibition came from 22 different countries, including more unexpected sources such as Kazakhstan, Cyprus and Armenia. The show also saw the launch of the anniversary edition of Pentawards winners – TASCHEN, The Packaging Design Book 4 – which demonstrates the stars of the 2015 and 2016 competitions.

Entries for the next Pentawards are open from 20 February to 7 April; the ceremony will take place in Barcelona on 23 September 2017.

This acquisition is the latest in a series of global acquisitions by Easyfairs, which includes Oriex Communication, organisers of the ADF and PCD events earlier this year. It also has ambitious plans for global growth through launches and further acquisitions in the near future.