Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026 brings together over 100 industry leaders from 70+ global brands and organisations across four stages to showcase the ideas, innovation, and expertise shaping the future of packaging.
Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026, taking place on 11 & 12 February at Birmingham’s NEC, has unveiled its full conference programme, featuring four dedicated stages that explore the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of packaging.
Across the Design & Innovation, Supply Chain, Circular Economy, and Discovery Theatre Stages, attendees will hear from over 100 speakers representing more than 70 global brands and organisations, including Diageo, Nestlé, Unilever, Amazon, BCMPA, Material ConneXion, Sheffield Hallam University, PackUK, WRAP, RECOUP, and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. The event promises to bring together an unparalleled mix of expertise spanning packaging design, sustainability, co-packing, automation, AI, and future talent development across the full value chain.
“The agenda is designed to ignite curiosity and spark ideas across the packaging industry,” said Casey McHugh, Conference & Community Manager – UK & Global at Easyfairs. “It’s a journey through innovation, creativity, and collaboration, where every session highlights the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of packaging.”
Highlights on Wednesday, 11 February include The Big Design Question: Is Sustainability Halting Design and Packaging Innovation? at 11:30–12:15, with moderator Niamh Cartwright, Co-Director, Northern Design Festival, and panellists Kevin McAulay, Client Director, Sun Branding; Mat Lon, Chief Creative Officer, Lyon & Lyon; Tom Stone, Senior Packaging Development 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 Global Digital Innovation Manager at Diageo, demonstrates how AI and human creativity are combining to craft personalised luxury beverage experiences.
Later in the afternoon, from 15:00–15:30, students collaborating with Deliveroo and Gail’s will showcase innovative solutions for on-the-go food packaging, with insights from Peter Macqueen, Associate Head, Sheffield Creative Industries Institute; Azucena Gomez, Lecturer, Sheffield Hallam; Eleanor Garnier, Senior Policy Advisor, Deliveroo; Josephine Cooper, Packaging Technologist, The No7 Beauty Company; and Emma Burgess, Business Development Manager, Kite Packaging.
On the Supply Chain Stage, Alexia Williams, Technical Lead at Rolls-Royce, leads a panel on inspiring the next generation of packaging engineers at 11:30–12:15, joined by representatives from Sheffield Hallam University, UCAS and DNV, as well as Navishka Kobbekaduwa who is an Apprentice and Packaging Technician at Suntory Packaging & Food GB & I. Rob Outram, Project Director at Smithers, presents a market outlook from 12:30–13:00, highlighting trends in materials, circularity, and technology.
Later in the day, the UK Automation Forum will host a panel dedicated to the factory of the future, looking at robotics as an engine for packaging agility. This panel will be moderated by Mike Wilson, Chief Automation Officer at the MTC, and will feature Martin Miller, Head of Engineering, Supply Chains at Greggs, Dr. Seemal Asif who is Senior Lecturer, Cranfield University, Rosie Davies, Managing Director, Recco Automation, and Richard Little, Managing Director at Jenton.
The Circular Economy Stage sees Esther Carter, Chief Strategy Officer, PackUK, deliver an update on the Extended Producer Responsibility 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 looking at designing packaging that really gets recycled. Following that, “Talking Rubbish Live!” are back at 14:45–15:30, where podcast hosts James Piper and Robbie Staniforth discuss legal and practical challenges in recyclable packaging collaboration.
The first day ends as usual with The Big Debate, chaired by Martin Kersh, Co-CEO at the Packaging Federation where the topic will be: ‘AI will do far more to improve packaging waste management than the government’s packaging reforms.’
Thursday 12 February continues the conversation on inclusivity, innovation, and sustainability. At 10:30–11:15, Chloe Williams, Co-Chapter Lead, WIN: Women in Innovation, joins Sarah Leech, Head of Packaging & Design, Homecare, Unilever, Boma Krigsman, Senior Marketing Manager at Thirst Craft, and Kelly Dawson, Co-Founder & Strategy Partner, Studio Every, to explore empathy-driven packaging design (Design & Innovation Stage).
The Design & Innovation Stage will also feature a keynote from Jude Pullen, Creative Technologist who has worked with clients such as the NHS, Dyson, LEGO, and IKEA as he discusses how to stay creative when regulations, markets and money push back. The last panel on the Design & Innovation stage will be dedicated to the next generation of consumer, with Haleon, Boundless Brand Design and GS1 all discussing how to create consumer first packaging that resonates with new audiences.
On the Supply Chain Stage, McKinsey partner Andrea Gandolfi will discuss balancing compliance, performance, and cost-efficiency at 10:45–11:15, while later sessions at 11:30–12:15 showcase AI-driven recycling insights with Amy Hooper, Innovation Manager, Biffa; Anthony Horsnby, Partnership Manager, Sherborne Recycling; Yaseed Chaumoo, Managing Director, Deepnest – Greyparrot AI; and Claudia Rasori, Packaging Technologist, Ocado Retail. The Supply Chain stage will end with a session on how Amazon Freight are driving sustainable logistics through low-carbon freight solutions.
The Circular Economy Stage will feature The Future of Sustainable Packaging: Presented by Material ConneXion at 10:30–11:00, and hosted by Dr. Andrew Dent, EVP of Materials Research, Material ConneXion, followed by a panel on Deposit Return Schemes at 11:30–12:15, with Julian Hunt, Director, UK Deposit Management LTD; Sarah Horner, Director UK & Ireland, Reloop; and Ciarán Hope, Chief Operations Officer, Re-turn, examining lessons from pioneering countries. PackUK will host a panel on day 2 around the topic of ‘An industry view what PackUK and packaging Extended Producer Responsibility have meant to business’. The day closes with a WRAP-led session on the UK’s emerging prefill reusable packaging system at 14:30–15:15, moderated by Lowelle Bryan, Senior Reuse Specialist, WRAP, with panellists Julien Tremblin, General Manager, TerraCycle Europe, Michael Archer, Customer Collaboration R&D, CHEP and Catherine Conway, Director and Policy 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 learning from failure is essential for driving innovation in packaging. On the Supply Chain Stage, Daniel Paterson, Director of Government Affairs – Electrify Industry, Make UK, and representatives from UK in a Changing Europe, Logistics UK and the BDO, kick things off at 10:30–11:15 on 11 February with Navigating the Tariff Tide, examining the impact of US trade barriers on UK manufacturing and packaging supply chains. Meanwhile, also on the Design & Innovation Stage, Martin Shaw, Market Unit Manager, Elopak, and Lewis Barnes, Head of Packaging R&D – Europe, Tropicana, present From Supply Chain to Consumers: Packaging Solutions Built to Deliver Value at 11:30–12:00 on 12 February, showing how packaging can balance business objectives, consumer needs, and sustainability goals.
Across two days, Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026 offers attendees the chance to see the next chapter of packaging unfold, connecting design, technology, sustainability, and the supply chain.
Register now to secure your free ticket to Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026, where global brands, innovators, and thought leaders come together to shape the future of packaging.
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