Hazen Paper Ignites Passion from Fans with Dave Matthews Band “Firedancer” Hologram, Winning IOTA’s Prestigious “Best Packaging Product” 2025 Award.

HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS – Hazen Paper was awarded “Best Packaging Product” by the International Optical Technologies Association (IOTA). IOTA was founded in 1993 as a leading organization representing holography and optical technologies across many sectors; including packaging, banknote, and authentication. Hazen Paper’s holographic design team was tasked with creating a custom hologram for the Dave Matthews Band’s summer 2025 tour posters. These posters are highly sought after as a collectible, signifying attendance at one of the world-renowned performances Dave Matthews is known for. The finished product, unique prints per each concert location, display dazzling and otherworldly print designs in combination with Hazen’s holographic backdrop.

Originated in Hazen’s vertically facility in Holyoke, MA, Hazen’s team of holographic designers brought to life the Dave Matthews “Firedancer” by placing many staggered logos across the poster that are revealed at varying angles of light refraction. This technique creates a sense of movement and vibrance that compliments the print art beautifully. The Firedancer appears sitting on top of Hazen’s Free-Form Lens® which amplifies the movement and flow, resembling flames. The custom holograms were created in Hazen’s holographic laser lab, then micro-embossed and transfer-metallized onto smooth,12-point WestRock SBS using Hazen’s environmentally friendly Envirofoil® and HoloJet® process. The holography is created with an optical structure that is imparted on the surface of the paper (underneath the printed graphics) with an ultra-thin polymer layer that is less than 2 microns in thickness. Envirofoil is a non-plastic paper that is recyclable as paper.

Founded in 1925, Hazen Paper Company is an innovative paper converter specializing in holographic origination, film coating, foil and paper lamination, metallizing, gravure printing, specialty coating and rotary embossing to create specialty materials for worldwide use in retail display and POP, luxury, beauty, entertainment and media packaging, bookbinding, scratch-off lottery and other security-related tickets, tags and cards, and fine art applications. Family owned, run by a multidisciplinary management team, Hazen is committed to sustainability, using hydropower produced by the Connecticut River, with certification to supply converted paper and paperboards that are FSC, SFI and PEFC certified.

Hazen was recognized with a 2023 “Gold Leaf” award by the Foil and Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) for the 2023 Super Bowl Stadium Program Best Use of Holographics. Hazen also received “Product of the Year” honors in 2018, 2019, and 2020 from AIMCAL, the Association of International Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators. Hazen received the “Next Century Award” in 2020 from the Associated Industries of Massachusetts for unique contributions to the Massachusetts economy and the well-being of its residents. For more information, visit www.hazen.com or call 413-538-8204.

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