The Pentawards, the world’s leading and most prestigious packaging design competition, has announced that its hotly anticipated Gala Ceremony will be held at 8 Northumberland Avenue, London on 12th September.

The Gala returns to London for the first time since 2015, with 8 Northumberland Avenue the latest iconic venue being used to host the event, following New York’s Guggenheim Museum in 2018. Previous cities which have hosted the Ceremony include Monaco, Shanghai, Paris, Barcelona and Tokyo, reaffirming the competition’s international influence.

Adam Ryan, Head of Pentawards, comments: “We are absolutely thrilled to be back in London. With so many iconic venues around the world, it is always difficult to decide where to go next, but London’s design scene does have a very special draw for many within the industry. I can’t wait to see the very best designers in the world all under one roof, putting the global spotlight on packaging design.”

The format for the Gala is new for 2019, with the competition organiser introducing a three-course seated meal, which will lead on to an afterparty, hosted at the same venue. The capacity has also been increased from 300 to 400, meaning more of the industry’s most creative minds are able to attend, reconnect with contacts and forge new relationships.

The main reason for the event is so that the world’s best designers can gather in one place to receive the top award in packaging design – a Pentaward. In 2019, Pentawards will bestow one Diamond, five Platinum, 58 Gold, 118 Silver and 113 Bronze awards. It will also recognise some talent beyond this, with special awards for Agency of the Year, Brand of the Year and the NXT-GEN award, which is given to the best student entry.

With over 40 nationalities present in 2018, it is truly a competition on a global scale. Plus, this year the Gala will coincide with Packaging Innovations and Luxury Packaging London – the UK’s most exclusive packaging event. Pentawards will be hosting its own conference programme with Microsoft, Fortnum & Mason, Mars Wrigley, Design Bridge and Stranger & Stranger, Smith &+Village & Harvey Nichols all taking to the stage.

Ryan concludes: “By partnering with Packaging Innovations and Luxury Packaging London, we are able to put the competition in front of thousands more packaging professionals, raising awareness of Pentawards and the global recognition it provides to winners. I would encourage anyone attending the Gala to head to Olympia beforehand to see some of the world’s most cutting edge packaging technologies and products.”

The early bird rate for Gala Ceremony tickets ends on 2nd August. Anyone looking to attend the event, should visit the website or contact the show team on +44 (0)203 196 4424.

8 Northumberland Avenue—the venue for The Pentwards Gala Ceremony.