London Packaging Week 2025 welcomes record visitor growth

London Packaging Week 2025 sees 15% growth, bringing 5,752 visitors together to celebrate innovation, sustainability, and the future of packaging.

London Packaging Week 2025 has recorded a 15% growth in attendance, attracting 5,752 unique visitors to Excel London. Now in its 15th year, the event has firmly established itself as the place where the capital’s packaging and design communities come together to set the agenda for the year ahead.

With more than 90 speakers across multiple stages and 211 exhibitors packed into Halls S2 and S3, London Packaging Week offered an unrivalled programme covering the hottest themes, from circular economy and sustainable materials to inclusivity, design innovation, and regulatory change. Alongside the conference, the exhibition floor reflected the scale and diversity of the industry, with thousands of packs on display. Hundreds of brands from luxury, beauty, FMCG, food, and drinks showcased their latest innovations, materials, and technologies, offering hundreds of brands the opportunity to explore, experience, and connect with the full spectrum of the market in one place.

Josh Brooks, Divisional Director – Packaging at Easyfairs, said: There was something different in the air at London Packaging Week this year. A spark that turned a great event into something extraordinary. You could feel it in every corner of the show – the imagination on the stands, the calibre of the speakers, the flow of ideas between exhibitors and visitors. It wasn’t just busy; it was alive, a true reflection of the energy and ambition driving the packaging and design community in London right now.

Every aspect of the event felt elevated. The creativity on display, the quality of discussion, and the influence of those walking the halls. It all spoke to a show that has become a movement. This was London at its best: forward-thinking, collaborative, full of talent and momentum.

Key sessions on the UK Packaging Pact and the circular economy highlighted the need for systemic change in reuse, refill, and recycling, with panelists from Tesco, WWF, GoUnpackaged, and SUEZ sharing insight on scaling sustainable packaging solutions. Emma Bourne OBE from Defra and Jeremy Blake, CEO of PackUK, outlined how government and industry are turning policy into action, including the first transactional steps under the UK’s Extended Producer Responsibility scheme.

Other highlights included a keynote on inclusive design from Kevin Marshall, Senior Director of Design at Microsoft, a session with Lucy Edwards, founder, broadcaster, and disability activist at Etia, on ‘Breaking Beauty’s Expensive Habits’, an interactive workshop with paper artist Nathan Ward where attendees crafted their own London red bus from paper, and a curated Museum of Brands exhibition showcasing the evolution of packaging from the 1920s to the present day.

The London Packaging Week Innovation Awards 2025 celebrated the UK’s most imaginative and sustainable packaging, recognising creativity, craftsmanship, and brand storytelling across 13 categories. Winners ranged from technical breakthroughs to artistic design, highlighting packaging’s power to connect brands and consumers in new ways. Standouts included Hendrick’s Gin for its theatrical Everyday Drinks Innovation Award-winning Whimsical Watering Can, The Macallan for immersive luxury designs, and Hennessy X.O for its sustainable Spirit of Travel Collection. Innovations in beauty, haircare, skincare, and homeware were also recognised, including Trinny London, SLG Brands, DAISYFACE, and Aroma Therapy, while PA Consulting and Diageo took the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Award for their low-carbon Dry Moulded Fibre Bottle.

While the spotlight often shines on the winners, the speakers, and the spectacular designs on display, London Packaging Week 2025 was built on months of meticulous planning, coordination, and creativity. From curating the show floor and assembling an unrivalled conference programme to liaising with brands, suppliers, and speakers from across the globe, every detail was carefully considered to ensure a seamless experience.

Brooks added: More than anything, I want to recognise the people behind it. The team that worked tirelessly to make it not only seamless but spectacular. Their effort, vision, and care are what made this year’s London Packaging Week a genuine landmark. We didn’t just deliver an event; we created an experience that will stay with people.

Organisers also confirmed that London Packaging Week 2026 will return to its usual mid-September dates, taking place on 16 & 17 September 2026 at Excel London, giving visitors and exhibitors the chance to reconnect with the UK’s premier packaging event at its traditional time in the calendar.

With London Packaging Week 2025 concluded, the focus now turns to Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026, taking place on 11 & 12 February 2026 at The NEC, Birmingham. Renowned as the home of the UK’s packaging and processing industry, the event promises to set the pace for what is shaping up to be a transformative year for the sector, bringing together innovators, brands, and suppliers to explore the latest technologies, materials, and design breakthroughs.