Kiss Lajos retained his title at Fespa 2015 Global Expo, held in Cologne, from 18 to 22 May 2015.

Marco Dittl from Germany and Jeremy Gayet from France took second and third place, respectively.

The competition final, sponsored by 3M and Mutoh, took place after the completion of the European heat, also held at the show. Regional heats are also held at other Fespa shows, in Brazil, South Africa and Turkey (for Eurasia, which produced the first Russian competitor).

A total of 36 wrappers battled it out over the week with 12 going through to the final. A feature of this year’s event was moving the challenge on from wrapping cars, which the competitors do every day, to other objects, such as a spaceship model and a flask.

Lajos thanked Fespa, the sponsors and the judges.

“I'm very happy to have defended my title from last year – it was a super event. I have made a lot of new friends and I liked the new creative tasks this year’s competition presented.

“It is good for the competitors to create something unique and it is always great to compete with such highly skilled wrappers. I look forward to the next competition.”

Organiser and Fespa head of events and new media Duncan MacOwan said: “It was really well received. We had over 250 people around the booth at one point watching some of the rounds.

"It was more international than it has ever been and we had quite a diverse group of wrappers. The thing I really like about it is it brings people together from all over the world. There’s a really good sense of community among the wrappers, you can see even if there’s a language barrier, all the competitors share knowledge and have a laugh together.”

Head judge and owner of Suntint in Denmark, Ole Solskin Ravn, said: “World Wrap Masters has set a new standard for wrapping – a friendly, developing tournament.”

Commercial marketing manager at Mutoh Nick Decock said: “Mutoh was pleased to be a sponsor of the Fespa World Wrap Masters. The competition also represented an opportunity for Mutoh to reach a key audience for our sign & display products, both experienced wrap experts and beginners.”

Business development manager commercial solutions division, 3M Jerome Surchamp said: “The World Wrap Masters is a great opportunity for 3M to partner with this community of wrappers who are essential for converting the performance of our films into unique wraps for consumer cars and commercial fleets.”

Over the five-day show, visitors to Fespa 2015 were also able to try wrapping car doors against the clock and could speak with the Wrap Masters judges for tips and guidance on wrapping.

To see where the Wrap Masters competition will go next, visit: www.wrap-masters.com.