The World Wrap Masters will run across the four days of this year's Fespa Digital show, which will take place in Amsterdam from 8 to 11 March.
The competition begins on the 8 and 9 March with the Fespa European Wrap Masters competition, which will see wrappers battle it out to take the last remaining spot in the World Wrap Masters Series Final.
The final will then take place on 10 and 11 March where the winner of the final leg of the European Wrap Masters will join winners from South Africa, Mexico, Denmark, Eurasia, Brazil, Ireland and France, who have already qualified for the final.
Fespa head of new media and events Duncan MacOwan said: “The European Wrap Masters and the World Wrap Masters Series Final is one of our most engaging and popular features in terms of the crowds it draws, particularly in the competition rounds, so we’re really looking forward to it this year.
“We’ve developed it quite a lot since 2013 when we used to just wrap cars. We've thought a lot about the layout of it, what we wrap, how we wrap it, the materials and what we’re trying to show in terms of inspiring people.”
The series finalists will wrap Audi A1 Sportback vehicles as well as more challenging items including clogs and an as-yet unconfirmed superhero-related item.
“Clogs are a fairly hackneyed Amsterdam theme but it makes sense to an international person coming to Amsterdam and the shape is very challenging to wrap,” said MacOwan.
“It’s got a similar shape to a wing mirror, which is one of the trickier things to wrap, but the clog also has a point on it at the toe end.”
Visitors to the Wrap Hub will have the opportunity to network with professional wrappers as well as discuss the technical aspects of wrapping. Free wrap workshops will also run at midday on each day of the show.
Delivered by returning head judge Ole Solskin and fellow judge Justin Pate of The Wrap Institute, the workshops will cover cutting tips – knives and knifeless tape, wrapping with chrome, cold pre-stretch and triangles and material considerations.
“We've always had people having informal conversations around the fringes of the event and sharing tips and tricks and now we will also have these formal workshops,” said MacOwan.
“Outside the event these free workshops could cost somebody attending all four around €1,000 (£763) so for people who are already in the business or looking to get into it, those sessions alone are worth their weight in gold.”
Solskin and Pate will scrutinise every inch of the wrapped designs along with Kiss Lajos - World Wrap Master 2014 and 2015 - and John Duever, president of Vinyl Images from the US.
The winner of the World Wrap Masters Series Final on 11 March will receive €2,500 (£1,900) while second and third place will receive €1,250 and €750 respectively. All competitors will receive gift bags supplied by the competition partners.
MacOwan said there are around ten spaces left for the qualifying round of the competition. Those interested in competing for the last qualifying places in the series final can register for the European Wrap Masters at www.wrapmasters.fespa.com. The entrance fee is €150.
Last week Fespa announced that Fespa Digital, European Sign Expo and Fespa Textile 2016 have all sold out. For more information, and to register to attend Fespa, visit: www.fespadigital.com.
