The UK’s biggest packaging event returns to Birmingham’s NEC in February, bringing the entire packaging supply chain together for two days of innovation, insight, and collaboration.

Momentum is building for Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026, as packaging professionals across the UK and beyond rush to secure their visitor passes. Taking place February 11-12. 2026 at Birmingham’s NEC, the event is shaping up to be its most ambitious and future-focused edition yet, driven by an industry-wide need for clarity, innovation, and practical solutions as regulatory, technological, and consumer pressures intensify.

Bringing together the entire packaging supply chain under one roof, the event offers a unique opportunity to move from concept to fulfillment in just two days, connecting design, materials, automation, machinery, co-packing, and end-of-line operations in a single, joined-up experience.

“Every year, thousands of professionals gather at Birmingham’s NEC to ask a simple but pressing question: what’s next for the packaging industry?” says Josh Brooks, divisional director – Packaging Portfolio at Easyfairs. “In 2026, the answer will be more comprehensive, actionable, and forward-looking than ever. This is about helping the industry solve real challenges, benchmark innovation, and leave with practical strategies for the future.”

Now firmly established as the UK’s biggest packaging event, Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026 will welcome over 7,400 visitors, feature 450+ suppliers, host 80+ expert speakers, and attract decision-makers from more than 3,000 brands. Attendees span industries including food and drink, beauty and personal care, household and consumer goods, luxury and premium products, healthcare and pharma, and retail and e-commerce, creating a uniquely diverse and influential audience.

Visitors can expect to meet brand owners and marketers, packaging designers and technologists, sustainability managers, procurement and R&D specialists, and innovation and product development leaders, all navigating shared challenges around compliance, cost pressures, automation, sustainability, and performance. Major brand decision-makers from companies such as Unilever, Aldi, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Sainsbury’s, P&G, Coca-Cola, Red Bull, ghd, Boots, Diageo, ASDA, Heinz, Costa Coffee, and Amazon attend year after year, making the show a vital benchmarking and networking opportunity.

“It’s the go-to all-in-one packaging event in the UK of the year,” says Ben Fiennes, packaging technologist at Waitrose. “It’s where you can educate yourself, network, and bring yourself up to speed.”

Alexander Speakman, senior packaging sustainability specialist at Diageo, adds, “The highlights are fairly split between the quality of the conference and the discussion groups, and between meeting people, which is fundamentally the reason to go to these shows. The scale of the show is fantastic.”

At the heart of the 2026 edition is an expanded focus on disruptive thinking and breakthrough technology. New for 2026, the Start-up Zone will shine a spotlight on the next generation of disruptive businesses, while the Automation & Robotics Wall, giving visitors a front-row seat to the innovations driving efficiency and transformation across the packaging supply chain. Founders and innovators can also take part in Pitch the Co-packers, a high-energy, Dragon’s Den-style competition offering the chance to present to an expert judging panel and gain funding support, exposure, and strategic connections.

These additions sit alongside returning highlights such as the Innovation Gallery, Smart Packaging Zone, Foodservice Zone in partnership with the Foodservice Packaging Association, The Contract Pack & Fulfilment Zone in partnerships with BCMPA, the Future Trailblazers Awards, four CPD-accredited conference stages, and extensive networking spaces including the VIP Lounge, Cocktail Bar, and Beer Bar. Across the show, visitors can gain practical guidance through the Pack UK Clinic, DEFRA-led sessions, the FPA Big Debate, and the 1-2-1 Expert Trail, helping businesses navigate policy change, reduce waste, cut costs, and future-proof their packaging strategies.

The 2026 show will feature a record-breaking line-up of over 450 confirmed exhibitors, reflecting the scale and diversity of the UK packaging sector. Global leaders, including Amcor, Mondi Group, Sonoco, Huhtamaki, Kite Packaging, and Coveris Group, will be joined by innovators and specialists such as Acentrixia Ltd, PSG Group International, Sheard Packaging with its Mobile Innovation Centre, Autopack Limited, IPS, and Amcor Health, Beauty & Wellness. First-time exhibitors, including Modulpac, alongside Measurlabs UK, Newcode Partnership, Reeco Automation Ltd, Rowlinson Packaging Ltd, Sovereign Labelling Machines Ltd, SUNALA Limited, Trioworld UK Ltd, Wessex Packaging, and Yorkshire Packaging Systems, ensure visitors can explore the latest developments in materials, machinery, automation, co-packing, and sustainable packaging solutions.

Further underlining its commitment to sustainability, accessibility, and positive behaviour change, Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026 has announced a new charity partnership with Hubbub, the award-winning creative charity known for helping people and businesses think differently about waste and recycling. At the show, visitors will be able to see one of Hubbub’s iconic Big Ballot Bins up close – an interactive recycling installation that invites people to “vote with their rubbish”.

As the industry continues to evolve at pace, Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026 stands out as a guiding force, offering clarity, vision, and a platform for meaningful collaboration across every stage of the packaging journey. Visitor passes are free, but in high demand, and with just 50 days to go, professionals are encouraged to register now to secure their place at the UK’s flagship packaging and processing event.