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Packaging Innovations & Empack reportedly attracted over 8,000 visitors this year, breaking the previous year’s record numbers
The 21st edition of Packaging Innovations & Empack has reportedly attracted 8,021 unique visitors this year, an 8% increase on the previous year’s record numbers.
The annual UK exhibition sees the packaging and associated industries come together to explore new solutions, discover future trends, and connect with like-minded professionals.
This year’s exhibition also featured over 500 exhibitors, a step up on last year’s figures of just over 450.
Packaging Innovations & Empack 2027 will expand into Halls 6-9 of the NEC Birmingham next year, in response to what the event's organiser, Easyfairs, described as “record-breaking growth” and “overwhelming acclaim." The 2027 event will take place on the 24th and 25th of February 2027.
Easyfairs has reported that attendees from over 3,000 brands attended this year, with thousands of products being demonstrated including a number of world-firsts and debuts of new packaging and machinery solutions.
Sustainability and circularity were central themes, with new solutions including Prevented Ocean Plastic’s first-ever food-safe recycled polypropylene, Castle Colour’s plastic-free FibreGuard board, and Westpak Group’s GrabLok linerless tamper-evident closure being presented.
In response to ongoing challenges in small-format packaging, Futamura, Repaq, and GK Sondermaschinenbau also showcased a new fully compostable sachet solution for condiments, sauces, and personal care products.
The event also featured four dedicated stages for expert speakers, with over 120 professionals hosting talks examining the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of packaging.
Industry leaders including Pack UK, Exchange for Change, Nestlé, Recoup, GS1 UK, WRAP, Terracycle, Biffa, McKinsey, and Material Connexion all hosted talks, with insights on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the upcoming UK deposit return scheme, and the importance of system-wide coordination to make recyclability and circularity a reality.
The exhibition also presented ten new show features for 2026 including a showcase from Material ConneXion about “the materials of tomorrow,” the first-ever UK exhibition appearance of the ‘Museum of Failure’, and a dedicated Automation and Robotics Zone.
The trade show also included an Innovation Gallery highlighting how innovation, collaboration, and strategic planning are shaping the next chapter of UK packaging.
Josh Brooks, divisional director of the Packaging Portfolio for Easyfairs, says: “From breakthrough innovations and live machinery demonstrations to expert-led insights and high-value networking, Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026 united the brands, suppliers, and ideas shaping the future of packaging.
“Packed conference sessions, standing-room-only talks, and a vibrant show floor highlighted how the industry is driving sustainability, advancing technology, and rethinking design, and proving that packaging does not follow the market, it sets the pace.”
