ADF&PCD New York 2018 has been hailed a huge success by the leading beauty brands and top decision makers who attended the Altman Building & Metropolitan Pavilion last week. This year also saw an increase in Independent beauty brands, showcasing the increasing demand for more sophisticated and innovative packaging and the need to compete with the larger brands. 

Attendees at the event, who included Estée Lauder, Coty, Glossier, Cortarde, Milk Cosmetics, Olika, Johnson & Johnson and L Brands, were able to get hands on with the latest packaging innovations and solutions, network with other likeminded professionals and learn from two days of interactive educational content.

Show attendee, Jane Shub, Creative Designer at Wash with Joe, commented on her visit: “It has a real boutique trade show feel, which makes it a very nice experience. It opened my eyes to an array of new technologies that I would have never considered!” 

The Pentawards Conference, which was being hosted in the Americas for the first time at the show, gave visitors unique access to an array of cross-industry innovation from some of the world’s leading packaging designers and international brands. The conference focused on the latest trends and industry developments, whilst also looking at how to get inspiration from and target new markets. Brands passing on their expertise and best practices included world renowned design agencies and brands like Pearlfisher, forceMAJEURE, PepsiCo and Heineken to name a few.

New for 2018 was the launch of the ‘ICON Party’, which saw the most influential decision makers from global perfume and cosmetics brands gather to discuss the state of the industry. It provided the perfect platform for attendees to share their knowledge and do business, whilst also allowing the ‘Indie’ brands in attendance to address the needs of smaller quantity buyers. 

New York Fashion Week took place just after the show. To mark this, ADF&PCD New York 2018 collaborated with fashion designer Dexter Cheston, to host a mini fashion show. On day one 10 models, featuring Dexter’s latest collection, took to the aisles to help guide attendees to the Innovation Awards and then to the ICON launch party.

Also new for 2018 were the show’s ‘Eco Tours’, which provided special trails for visitors with a particular interest in sustainable packaging. Attendees were taken to the suppliers who are having the biggest impact in the field of sustainable packaging, these included Actega Rhenacoat, Albea and Quadpack.

The show welcomed back The Innovation Awards, which are designed to recognise companies that are pushing boundaries in terms of innovation. There were seven categories being contested, with the winners being announced live on the showfloor. Dove/Unilever were crowned champions of Personal Care, whilst Montebello took the Industrial and Technical Application title. Skincare was won by Olika, Makeup by Estee Lauder, Haircare by L'Oréal, Fragrance by Tiffany & Co, and Tula came out on top in the Indie Beauty group. 

ADF&PCD New York played host to an exciting ‘Lunch and Learn’ session, titled ‘Indie Brand Packaging Sets the Stakes High’. This fully booked, interactive discussion saw speakers including Antonia Burrell, Skinergies, DexterDexterDexter and Peclers Paris talk about the challenges they faced when launching and how they marketed their solutions to solve the unique problems identified by consumers.

With content in mind, ADF&PCD New York also ran an exclusive two-day educational seminar programme. Sustainability was the major focus for 2018, with the talks packed with visitors wanting to know more about being sustainable and the difficulties that come with it.

Finally, with innovation at the heart of the show and over 130 world leading suppliers on display, the aisles were buzzing. Boasting international names, including Coster USA, Emerson, Lindal Group Holding, Parcome, Seram US and Zhejiang Changxing Hanghua Glass, there were plenty of deals being made and business being discussed.

Returning exhibitor, Ashley Woods, Marketing Representative at Plastipack, commented: “This is a great event with a host of diverse exhibitors. Every time we exhibit here we always walk away with plenty of new leads and opportunities. I am pleased to say the 2018 show was no exception.”

First time exhibitor, Jan Coffman, Sales Manager at Aerofoil Technology, agreed: “This was our first time at the show and we have found it to be both productive and worthwhile. We have already booked a stand for 2019, which sums up how we think this year gone.”

Alli McEntyre-Gaharan, Event Director of the ADF&PCD Portfolio, concludes: “What a show! The new features we launched were huge successes, the quantity and quality of visitors were better than ever and the level of innovation on show from our suppliers was outstanding.

“Talking to the many brands walking the show, they were clearly eager to learn. They told me they were using ADF & PCD as an opportunity to find some solutions to their most pressing challenges – such as how to fast-track their speed to market.

“It’s fantastic that our show is playing such an important role and really inspires our team as we start putting plans in place for our fourth edition next year. Stay tuned!”

ADF&PCD New York 2018 is North and South America’s only dedicated event for the aerosol, dispensing, perfume and cosmetic packaging and design community will return on September 17-18, 2019. For further information, contact the show team on +44 (0)20 3196 4425 and [email protected].