The packaging industry is evolving faster than ever, and Packaging Innovations and Empack 2026 arrives at precisely the right moment, writes Sema Tezel Basbug, Head of Marketing at Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026. With regulatory deadlines approaching, sustainability pressures intensifying, and emerging technologies redefining what is possible, professionals across the sector are seeking clarity, confidence, and practical solutions. As the United Kingdom’s largest event serving the entire packaging journey, the show has evolved to meet this demand, bringing together the people, technologies, and ideas shaping the future of production, fulfilment, and delivery.
At the heart of this year’s event is a renewed commitment to connection across the supply chain. Extending far beyond two days at Birmingham NEC, the show supports ongoing collaboration and knowledge-sharing that reflects the realities of modern packaging operations. From production and processing to warehousing, logistics, and end-of-line automation, the focus is firmly on helping businesses operate more efficiently, resiliently, and intelligently in an increasingly complex environment.
Empack sits at the centre of this ambition, powering the future of packaging lines. Over two days, visitors can experience packaging technology in action through live demonstrations of machinery, robotics, automation, and processing systems designed to transform operational performance. Whether responsible for operations, engineering, or supply chain strategy, attendees gain direct access to suppliers and solutions that improve throughput, reduce costs, and future-proof production. CPD-accredited sessions provide structured learning on automation, robotics, AI, and smart manufacturing, while guided Empack tours offer a curated route through live machinery and end-of-line systems, connecting production with fulfilment and distribution.
This operational focus is mirrored in the businesses shaping the sector today. Recently, our team visited Prism eLogistics and IPS, two organisations delivering scale, precision, and adaptability across modern supply chains. Prism has built a high-performing operation spanning shrink sleeving, fulfilment, e-commerce, and contract packing, supporting both global brands and fast-growing challengers. At IPS, the United Kingdom’s largest co-packer and a first-time exhibitor, the scale and efficiency of the operation stood out, underpinned by deep technical expertise and CEO Andrew Dawson’s vision for innovation and long-term growth. These visits offered a clear view of how production, packing, and logistics come together in practice, and how operational excellence drives competitive advantage.
The scale of Packaging Innovations and Empack 2026 reflects its role as a true industry marketplace, welcoming more than 7,400 visitors, 450 suppliers, 80 speakers, and over 3,000 brands. Across the show floor, solutions span contract packing, fulfilment, warehousing, logistics, automation, and materials, enabling businesses to discover partners capable of supporting everything from low-volume launches to high-speed, high-volume production.
That breadth is brought to life by exhibitors across automation, logistics, and innovation. RARUK Automation, Stand U150, showcases the PE10 Robotiq Palletising Solution for Universal Robots cobots, designed to automate repetitive palletising tasks while improving safety and flexibility. Inter Pack, Stand H154, presents a fully recyclable cardboard pallet measuring 1200 by 800, offering a lightweight, high-strength alternative designed for automated handling and simplified end-of-life recycling. Sheard Packaging’s Mobile Innovation Centre, Stand A80, brings design, testing, and problem-solving directly to the show floor, enabling real-time collaboration through an onboard lab and live sampling. Alongside these are exhibitors including Charles Kendall, Sealed Air, AEGG Paclahion, Boplan, Denholm, Paramount Global, Wessex Packaging, and Loadhog.
Big-name brands attending represent the breadth of the UK market, including Premier Foods, Bakkavor, Mars Wrigley, Costa, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, John Lewis, NEXT, Amazon, Unilever, and PZ Cussons. Visitors span sectors such as retail, FMCG, food and drink, personal care, cosmetics, skincare, suncare, online retail, restaurants, and food services. Roles range from supply chain and procurement leaders to operations directors, packaging development specialists, sourcing professionals, and business development teams. Across the event, attendees can explore contract manufacturing, co-packing, filling services, e-commerce fulfilment, warehousing, labelling, logistics, and distribution, identifying partners best suited to streamline operations, scale efficiently, and bring products from idea to shelf.
Supporting the next generation of talent remains an important part of this ecosystem. Start-ups take centre stage through the Start-up Zone, Discovery Theatre, and the Pitch the Co-Packers competition, offering emerging innovators a platform to showcase new thinking. Alongside this, initiatives such as the Future Trailblazers programme, the Northern Design Festival partnership, the Expert Trail, and the development of student pathways ensure education, mentorship, and career progression are embedded within the event, reinforcing a sense of continuity across the industry.
Across all of these developments, the mission is simple. Packaging Innovations and Empack 2026 aims to be the most connected, collaborative, and operationally relevant packaging event in the United Kingdom. Packaging is more than materials and machinery. It is systems, people, and progress working together. Your packaging journey matters, and in 2026, this event will help shape its next chapter.
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