Easyfairs has announced that it has won a legal challenge to have Paris Packaging Week added to a list of events where the French government will support first-time French exhibitors with the cost of their stand booking.

The decree was updated on Tuesday (16 May), adding the June 2022 and January 2023 editions of Paris Packaging Week to the list of events included in the scheme, which is designed to help restart the French events industry and the wider economy after Covid.

Paris Packaging Week had initially been omitted from the scheme, which is applicable to events with more than 500 exhibitors; but a legal challenge by Easyfairs to modify the law led to the addition of the event to the legal text yesterday.

Under the scheme, French SMEs who did not exhibit at the last edition of Paris Packaging Week will be able to claim 50% of the cost of their stand booking from the government. In practice, this means that for the June 2022 edition, the aid is open to companies who did not exhibit at the January 2020 edition, including those that have already booked their stand. For the January 2023 edition, the aid is open for those companies who did not exhibit at the June 2022 edition.

SMEs are defined as companies with turnover of less than €50m, or total annual profit of less than €43m, and fewer than 250 employees. Under the scheme, companies can claim up to 50% of the cost of their stand, with a limit per company of €12,500 and a limit per event of €1.3m. According to the government, a total budget of €96.3m has been allocated to the scheme. Aid is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and it will be the responsibility of the exhibitor to make any claims under the scheme.

Josh Brooks, marketing and community director for Paris Packaging Week, said: “We are delighted to have won this challenge to have the decree modified and to support the community of French SMEs who exhibit at our event.

“While we are an international event, we know that many of our visitors come to the event looking specifically for French suppliers and the ‘Made in France’ stamp for their packaging. We hope that the addition of Paris Packaging Week in this government scheme will help drive business for a wider community of French suppliers and bring more innovation to the packaging market.”