The Pentawards team has been out and about across China and the US, connecting with our global packaging design community. Discover the highlights from an incredible week

Last week, the team split up to connect with our global community in New York and Shenzhen - meeting incredible agencies, visiting iconic designers, and soaking up the energy of these vibrant cities.

See what went down below.

Pentawards in China

Adam, Jen and Chloe had the pleasure of connecting with our Chinese community last week. Spending time across Shenzhen and Hong Kong, they met with incredible studios and organisations including Really Design, Linyun, WOW Design and the Shenzhen Graphic Design Association - whose impressive programme of 50 events a year is helping drive a thriving creative scene.

Rich in history yet forward-thinking in execution, Chinese design revealed a unique balance - blending tradition and heritage with a modern, creative edge.

From agency visits to soaking up inspiration at the M+ Museum in Hong Kong and across Shenzhen’s OCT district, great design was everywhere.

They also visited our sponsors Nuon for a factory tour, seeing firsthand how they are integrating red light technology into beauty packaging to create entirely new user experiences. 

The trip ended with our first-ever Pentawards Meets in China, held at the impressive Akimbo by ODC. The evening featured talks from Lu Chen (Senior Design Director at Xiaomi ), Hoon Lee (Design Director – International Personal Care at Kimberly-Clark ), and a fireside chat with Gianluca Crudele (Design Director at Design Bridge & Partners Hong Kong ).

Alongside the talks, guests could also immerse themselves in a display of award-winning packaging from last year's competition.

Thank you to sponsors - OCD, Nuon, K Laser, KURZ Hong Kong

And to our drinks sponsors - Wiseman, Yellow Code, MEIJIAN

See all of the pics from the event here .

Pentawards in NYC

Anna and Louisa spent the week in New York connecting with our US community and immersing themselves in the city’s creative energy.

They hosted our Prints, Pizza & Pints evening alongside the incredible Vault49 team, bringing the community together for a hands-on graffiti workshop. Guests spray painted over iconic Pentawards winners using custom stencils - resulting in a colourful, messy, and very fun evening.

The trip also included a visit to the PepsiCo Design & Innovation Center , where they took part in a cake topper painting workshop, as well as a stop by new partners AROS Group to see their impressive work in luxury packaging.

They also attended two brilliant events hosted by Red Setter, featuring inspiring insights into how to grow your brand reputation from leading agencies including Red Antler, Base Design, Ragged Edge and TAVERN . It was also an amazing chance to meet iconic designers in our community, visit their studios, and deliver a trophy in person to Center!

See all of the pics from the event here .

A week full of meaningful connections, creative and cultural exchange and plenty of inspiration - we’re already looking forward to the next one!