Cover Story
Packaging Innovations & Empack From 15 to 16 February, Packaging Innovations & Empack, featuring Contract Pack & Fulfilment returns to the Birmingham NEC. And, with 2023 set to be a huge year for the packaging industry, this is not a moment too soon.
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etween preparation for EPR reforms - set to come into force in 2024, but with data collection requirements beginning this year - and evolving consumer attitudes around sustainability, 2023 will lay the foundations that the industry must build upon for decades to come. And, as the beginning of 2023 brings a gloomy economic outlook, finding the inspiration and innovation required to move with the times has never been more important. That’s why this year’s Packaging Innovations & Empack, Featuring Contract Pack & Fulfilment - a triple-event showcase covering every aspect of the packaging industry – is set to be the biggest and most unmissable yet. The solutions to today’s problems can only be found in the future. That future will be in the spotlight on Packaging Innovations’ show floor this February, matching packaging converters with brand customers, material manufacturers, value- adding services, and more.
Divided into four areas, the show features a dedicated Food Service Zone, where attendees can network with some of the biggest names in the food, beverage, and foodservice packaging world. Fibre-based consumer packaging specialist Graphic Packaging International, biodegradable foodservice packaging expert Intertan, compostable film pioneer Futamura, and many more will all be found in this zone.
The show will also play host to a programme of talks and networking events, providing insights from – and perhaps even partnerships with – some of the world’s leading names in packaging across a range of industries, including food, beverage, FMCG, pharma, and more. This opens the door for sustainability improvements, supply chain reinforcement, logistics solutions, new technologies, and more.
The other zones on the show floor include the Empack Zone, which will bring brands face-to-face with what could be their next labour- and space- saving machinery solution. Empack focuses on finding the ‘next big thing’ for converters – whether that’s a new software solution, a cutting-edge folder- gluer, or anything in between.
Meanwhile, the Contract Pack & Fulfilment Zone includes cutting-edge value-adding services to help businesses optimise their supply chains. The services exhibited in this zone could revolutionise a business’s manufacturing, packing, fulfilment, or logistics operations – or all of the above. As it covers every leg of the packaging journey, the event is set to attract over 6,000 attendees from some of the world’s most prominent brands, where they forge new relationships or rekindle old ones by collaborating with one of the over 300 exhibitors at the NEC. Now the show has returned to its traditional February dates, it once again acts as first-
quarter inspiration for the packaging sector – and the many industries that rely on it – setting the tone for the rest of the year.
In addition to the lively conversations that are sure to take place on the show floor, this year’s show features a packed schedule of talks from some of the industry’s most influential names. The timetable of talks, spread across three stages throughout the event, brings together some of the leading experts from the present and future of packaging. Topics on the three stages include a keynote speech from Mark Van Iterson, Global Director Design & Sustainability at Heineken; a talk titled Circular Economy Defined from George Cole, Director of Resourcefutures; and a headline speech from Jo Fairley, co-founder of chocolate brand Green & Black’s. Other speakers include Martin Kersh, Executive Director of the FPA; Paul Jenkins, founder of ThePackHub; and Jude Allan, Chair of the IOM3 Packaging Group.
It will be a true return to form for live events, which were dearly missed throughout the pandemic. 2022 marked the year when live shows returned and found their feet, reminding everyone how important in-person events are, with 2023’s event set to build on this success even further. The return of live shows – an environment that lends itself to breaking down barriers and improving collaboration – is particularly welcome as the packaging industry renews its focus on using innovations to find efficiencies and add value to its products.
After several years of focusing on steadying supply chains, the packaging industry is now faced with a new raft of challenges. It has to evolve, and quickly, to keep up with shifting demands from global governments and consumers. In short, innovation is now necessary. That means Packaging Innovations & Empack, Featuring Contract Pack & Fulfilment, should also be considered necessary for every converter looking to make their mark on 2023.
X Visit
www.packagingbirmingham.com and register to attend Packaging Innovations & Empack, featuring Contract Pack & Fulfilment for free today!
New Year begins with a bang at
8
December 2022 / January 2023
www.convertermag.com
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