Biggest-ever supplier line-up set for Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026

With over 450 suppliers already confirmed, Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026 at Birmingham’s NEC reflects the UK packaging sector’s immense growth and continues to expand.

Event organisers Easyfairs today confirmed that over 450 exhibitors are set to pack Birmingham’s NEC in February for Packaging Innovations and Empack 2026, the UK’s premier packaging and processing event. The two-day showcase will bring together the full spectrum of the packaging community - from brand owners and designers to sustainability managers, procurement specialists, and innovation leaders - offering a unique opportunity to explore the latest materials, technologies, and solutions shaping the industry's future.

Visitors will discover the latest in packaging design, sustainability, labelling, flexible packaging, co-packing, automation, and print, while hearing from experts on policy, accessibility, and innovation. Curated zones, live machinery demonstrations, and hands-on experiences highlight cutting-edge materials and technologies across the packaging journey. Attendees can engage with leading suppliers, including Amcor, Mondi, Sonoco, Kite Packaging, Allpack, Adpack, and Saica, and connect with over 3,000 brands, including the likes of Coca-Cola, Unilever, Nestlé, P&G, Tesco, Aldi, GSK, Boots, Diageo, and Bakkavor, to benchmark innovation and spark fresh collaboration.

Chris Newhouse, Head of Sales – UK Packaging Portfolio at Easyfairs, said: Whether you are a brand owner seeking packaging that stands out on the shelf, a designer searching for fresh inspiration, or a sustainability lead looking for practical solutions, Packaging Innovations and Empack 2026 provides direct access to the people, products, and knowledge driving the sector forward. The show is in the midst of a period of significant growth, reflecting how packaging has captured the mainstream public’s attention. Whether for consumers or brands, there is increasing demand for all industry players to optimise every stage of the packaging journey and unlock its full potential.

Confirmed exhibitors at Packaging Innovations include leading specialists such as Thrace Group, Saica Flex, Elopak, Amcor, and Swisspack Europe, whose refillable FORMIL spout pouch for Lidl won last year’s Innovation Gallery. Sheard Packaging, the show’s official Innovation Partner, will showcase its sustainable corrugated solutions, including transit boxes and retail-ready packs, as well as custom-printed display and e-commerce solutions.

Bedford-based Carlton Packaging will demonstrate its smarter e-commerce and fulfilment solutions, including Rapilock Pro, Rapireturn, and the Xtaper automatic dispenser for biodegradable paper tape. Coveris’ flexible pouches, sleeves, and film laminates sit alongside Zeus Packaging Group’s end-to-end packaging, labelling, and automation solutions for food, beverage, e-commerce, industrial, and healthcare sectors, while Reflex Group and Autojon – Simply Cartons highlight labels, cartons, sleeves, and constructional packaging innovation.

Foodservice Packaging Association members will showcase sustainable and functional solutions, including Huhtamaki’s paper cups, fibre lids, fluted and folding cartons, hot and chilled food containers, bakery and ovenable trays, confectionery hampers, and e-commerce packs. FPA Manufacturer of the Year, GO-PAK UK, Futamura’s NatureFlex™ films and compostable sachets, and e-Green’s VeriGreen® cups, made from 100% used plant oil, further underline the sector’s focus on eco-friendly innovation. Policap, Herald Quality Disposables, Good2Go Global LLP, and others strengthen the FPA's presence.

In the Smart Packaging Zone, visitors can see how web-to-print workflows, label verification, tamper-proof holograms, serialised QR codes, and AI-driven packaging solutions are transforming operations. The Innovation Inn returns to Packaging Innovations & Empack 2025, bringing Infigo, HYBRID Software, and CERM together to demonstrate the power of connected, automated workflows—served with a side of craft beer and collaboration. World leader label verification, Jenton Dimaco, Leonhard Kurz with its ValiGate® serialised QR codes and TRUSTSEAL® holograms, and one.five, a frontrunner in AI-powered modern packaging solutions, will all demonstrate how intelligence, innovation, and insight deliver smarter, safer, and more sustainable packaging.

BCMPA members IPS will mark their debut at the show alongside Complete Co-packing Services, exhibiting their end-to-end co-packing, warehousing, and fulfilment capabilities, covering everything from mixing, filling, and after-packing to shrink sleeving, pasteurisation, and chilled storage. Charles Kendall, Poppypac, and Wepack will showcase solutions for product packing, e-commerce order management, and complete supply chain optimisation. For Prism eLogistics, this will focus heavily on the support and services it offers brands of all size, from start-ups disrupting the market with functional beverages sold direct-to-consumer through TikTok shop, to those scaling up and using its sleeving, resleeving, and fulfilment services to place thousands of cans onto supermarket shelves.

At Empack, the UK’s foremost event for packaging machinery and processing technology, Trioworld UK, Hazel 4D, and Sealed Air will demonstrate live machinery, robotics, and processing innovations. Trioworld will showcase sustainable stretch films, Hazel 4D will highlight consultancy, machinery, and packaging optimisation, and Sealed Air will present CRYOVAC® rotary vacuum systems, fresh from celebrating over 4,000 installations for reliable food packaging.

Completing the line-up, Wessex Packaging, Protega, Advanced Labelling Systems, Sovereign Labelling Machines, and Yorkshire Packaging Systems round out a high-profile showcase, offering visitors two days of cutting-edge solutions, emerging trends, and opportunities to connect with the leaders shaping the future of packaging.

Join over 7,400 visitors, explore more than 450 suppliers, and hear from 80 expert speakers at Packaging Innovations and Empack 2026. Over two days, attendees can experience the entire packaging supply chain unfold in real time - from design inspiration to finished product.

Register now to secure your place at the UK’s flagship packaging and processing event.