Packaging Improvements & Empack 2026 brings collectively over 100 trade leaders from 70+ international manufacturers and organisations throughout 4 phases to showcase the concepts, innovation, and experience shaping the way forward for packaging.
Packaging Improvements & Empack 2026, going down on 11 & 12 February at Birmingham’s NEC, has unveiled its full convention programme, that includes 4 devoted phases that discover the tendencies, challenges, and alternatives shaping the way forward for packaging.
Throughout the Design & Innovation, Provide Chain, Round Financial system, and Discovery Theatre Phases, attendees will hear from over 100 audio system representing greater than 70 international manufacturers and organisations, together with Diageo, Nestlé, Unilever, Amazon, BCMPA, Materials ConneXion, Sheffield Hallam College, PackUK, WRAP, RECOUP, and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. The occasion guarantees to carry collectively an unparalleled combine of experience spanning packaging design, sustainability, co-packing, automation, AI, and future expertise improvement throughout the complete worth chain.
“The agenda is designed to ignite curiosity and spark concepts throughout the packaging trade,” mentioned Casey McHugh, Convention & Neighborhood Supervisor – UK & World at Easyfairs. “It’s a journey by means of innovation, creativity, and collaboration, the place each session highlights the tendencies, challenges, and alternatives shaping the way forward for packaging.”
Highlights on Wednesday, 11 February embrace The Massive Design Query: Is Sustainability Halting Design and Packaging Innovation? at 11:30–12:15, with moderator Niamh Cartwright, Co-Director, Northern Design Pageant, and panellists Kevin McAulay, Consumer Director, Solar Branding; Mat Lon, Chief Artistic Officer, Lyon & Lyon; Tom Stone, Senior Packaging Improvement Controller, Bakkavor; and Louiza Cookson-Rabouhi, Managing Innovation Designer, Magnetic. At 13:15–13:45, Paul Horton, Principal – Packaging, Graphics at Diageo and Will Harvey, Senior World Digital Innovation Supervisor at Diageo, demonstrates how AI and human creativity are combining to craft personalised luxurious beverage experiences.
Later within the afternoon, from 15:00–15:30, college students collaborating with Deliveroo and Gail’s will showcase progressive options for on-the-go meals packaging, with insights from Peter Macqueen, Affiliate Head, Sheffield Artistic Industries Institute; Azucena Gomez, Lecturer, Sheffield Hallam; Eleanor Garnier, Senior Coverage Advisor, Deliveroo; Josephine Cooper, Packaging Technologist, The No7 Magnificence Firm; and Emma Burgess, Enterprise Improvement Supervisor, Kite Packaging.
On the Provide Chain Stage, Alexia Williams, Technical Lead at Rolls-Royce, leads a panel on inspiring the subsequent technology of packaging engineers at 11:30–12:15, joined by representatives from Sheffield Hallam College, UCAS and DNV, in addition to Navishka Kobbekaduwa who’s an Apprentice and Packaging Technician at Suntory Packaging & Meals GB & I. Rob Outram, Venture Director at Smithers, presents a market outlook from 12:30–13:00, highlighting tendencies in supplies, circularity, and expertise.
Later within the day, the UK Automation Discussion board will host a panel devoted to the manufacturing facility of the long run, robotics as an engine for packaging agility. This panel might be moderated by Mike Wilson, Chief Automation Officer on the MTC, and can characteristic Martin Miller, Head of Engineering, Provide Chains at Greggs, Dr. Seemal Asif who’s Senior Lecturer, Cranfield College, Rosie Davies, Managing Director, Recco Automation, and Richard Little, Managing Director at Jenton.
The Round Financial system Stage sees Esther Carter, Chief Technique Officer, PackUK, ship an replace on the Prolonged Producer Duty scheme at 11:15–11:45, RECOUP will look host a session with Alison Bramfitt, Head of Packaging at Nestlé and Jamie Riley, Head of Sustainability at Robinson Packaging designing packaging that basically will get recycled. Following that, “Speaking Garbage Stay!” are again at 14:45–15:30, the place podcast hosts James Piper and Robbie Staniforth focus on authorized and sensible challenges in recyclable packaging collaboration.
The primary day ends as traditional with The Massive Debate, chaired by Martin Kersh, Co-CEO on the Packaging Federation the place the subject might be: ‘AI will do way more to enhance packaging waste administration than the federal government’s packaging reforms.’
Thursday 12 February continues the dialog on inclusivity, innovation, and sustainability. At 10:30–11:15, Chloe Williams, Co-Chapter Lead, WIN: Ladies in Innovation, joins Sarah Leech, Head of Packaging & Design, Homecare, Unilever, Boma Krigsman, Senior Advertising and marketing Supervisor at Thirst Craft, and Kelly Dawson, Co-Founder & Technique Accomplice, Studio Each, to discover empathy-driven packaging design (Design & Innovation Stage).
The Design & Innovation Stage will even characteristic a keynote from Jude Pullen, Artistic Technologist who has labored with purchasers such because the NHS, Dyson, LEGO, and IKEA as he discusses how one can keep artistic when rules, markets and cash push again. The final panel on the Design & Innovation stage might be devoted to the subsequent technology of shopper, with Haleon, Boundless Model Design and GS1 all discussing how one can create shopper first packaging that resonates with new audiences.
On the Provide Chain Stage, McKinsey associate Andrea Gandolfi will focus on balancing compliance, efficiency, and cost-efficiency at 10:45–11:15, whereas later periods at 11:30–12:15 showcase AI-driven recycling insights with Amy Hooper, Innovation Supervisor, Biffa; Anthony Horsnby, Partnership Supervisor, Sherborne Recycling; Yaseed Chaumoo, Managing Director, Deepnest – Greyparrot AI; and Claudia Rasori, Packaging Technologist, Ocado Retail. The Provide Chain stage will finish with a session on how Amazon Freight are driving sustainable logistics by means of low-carbon freight options.
The Round Financial system Stage will characteristic The Way forward for Sustainable Packaging: Offered by Materials ConneXion at 10:30–11:00, and hosted by Dr. Andrew Dent, EVP of Supplies Analysis, Materials ConneXion, adopted by a panel on Deposit Return Schemes at 11:30–12:15, with Julian Hunt, Director, UK Deposit Administration LTD; Sarah Horner, Director UK & Eire, Reloop; and Ciarán Hope, Chief Operations Officer, Re-turn, inspecting classes from pioneering nations. PackUK will host a panel on day 2 across the subject of ‘An trade view what PackUK and packaging Prolonged Producer Duty have meant to enterprise’. The day closes with a WRAP-led session on the UK’s rising prefill reusable packaging system at 14:30–15:15, moderated by Lowelle Bryan, Senior Reuse Specialist, WRAP, with panellists Julien Tremblin, Common Supervisor, TerraCycle Europe, Michael Archer, Buyer Collaboration R&D, CHEP and Catherine Conway, Director and Coverage Lead at Go Unpackaged.
Elsewhere on the agenda, on the Design & Innovation Stage, Dr Samuel West, founder and curator of the Museum of Failure, delivers a thought-provoking session at 12:30 pm on 11 February, demonstrating why studying from failure is important for driving innovation in packaging. On the Provide Chain Stage, Daniel Paterson, Director of Authorities Affairs – Electrify Trade, Make UK, and representatives from UK in a Altering Europe, Logistics UK and the BDO, kick issues off at 10:30–11:15 on 11 February with Navigating the Tariff Tide, inspecting the impression of US commerce limitations on UK manufacturing and packaging provide chains. In the meantime, additionally on the Design & Innovation Stage, Martin Shaw, Market Unit Supervisor, Elopak, and Lewis Barnes, Head of Packaging R&D – Europe, Tropicana, current From Provide Chain to Shoppers: Packaging Options Constructed to Ship Worth at 11:30–12:00 on 12 February, exhibiting how packaging can steadiness enterprise targets, shopper wants, and sustainability objectives.
Throughout two days, Packaging Improvements & Empack 2026 provides attendees the possibility to see the subsequent chapter of packaging unfold, connecting design, expertise, sustainability, and the availability chain.
Register now to safe your free ticket to Packaging Improvements & Empack 2026, the place international manufacturers, innovators, and thought leaders come collectively to form the way forward for packaging.
The publish Packaging Improvements & Empack 2026 unveils unrivalled convention agenda first appeared on Warehouse & Logistics Information.
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