Packaging

Around the world in 48 hours

Friday 15. November 2024 - Over the previous two decades, the event has expanded its remit to encompass more of the industry; it has been reimagined to better reflect the needs of exhibitors and attendees alike; and changes continue to be made in line with manufacturing today and the wider world.

Today, Packaging Innovations transcends borders, appealing to an increasingly global audience and enticing international exhibitors and attendees alike.
Since the first event back in 2005, Packaging Innovations has left an indelible footprint on the UK’s print and packaging industry.
The result? Packaging Innovations is the must-attend event in the UK packaging industry calendar.
However, such is the importance of the sector on the global stage that the event has increasing appeal and allure to an international audience of exhibitors and attendees. Packaging Innovations & Empack 2025 will be no different and is to welcome exhibitors from countries across Europe as well as Turkey, India and China when the doors open at the NEC, Birmingham on 12 & 13 February next year.
European endeavour
Given its geographic proximity, it’s not surprising that there are a number of companies coming from continental Europe to exhibit at Packaging Innovations & Empack 2025.
Well-known exhibitors from across Europe include the Italian film manufacturer Taghleef Industries (N42), Spanish material supplier Lecta (N50) and packaging converter Saica Flex (P40), renowned and awarded flexible packaging manufacturer A. Hatzopoulos (C78) from Greece, and German carton and flexible packaging solutions specialist Schur Star Systems (M50). Actega (T50) is another well-known name from Germany. The company develops, produces and distributes speciality coatings, inks, adhesives and sealing compounds, such as the EcoLeaf sustainable metallisation technology.
Further evidence of the draw of Packaging Innovations to an increasingly international audience includes tube packaging specialist Scandolara (G84) and adhesive tape producer Rotogal (Y80) – both from Italy – and Salaet Food Packaging (F24), which develops and manufactures products for the food industry made from paper and cardboard. Airworks (T2) is a family-owned company that offers innovative machines and air cushion packaging for safer transportation that are manufactured in Germany. In operation since 1960, Tsimis (H20) brings its expertise in flexible package printing all the way from Greece to the NEC in Birmingham, UK.
Also bringing vast experience to Packaging Innovations & Empack 2025 is Dutch company Kornelis Kunsthars (G24), which claims to be one of the oldest plastic processing companies in the Netherlands, as well as one of the largest injection moulding companies in the field of plastic closures. It offers standard and custom-made products, largely distributed within the food industry. Fellow Dutch company Intertek (R44) is a quality assurance provider, and offers testing, inspection and certification services.
Global appeal
Exhibitors from Turkey are to have a large presence at Packaging Innovations & Empack 2025. Printing houses Canpack Ambalaj (J44), CEM Offset (L78), Kimpack (G30) and PrintPark (F22) are among those presenting their services, as are metal packaging expert Masas (K80); Cupland, a division of Baran (J78) that supplies paper cups and bowls worldwide for a variety of applications and end uses; and Aegean Package (P80), which manufacturers 100% recycled cardboard edge protectors and corrugated cardboard panels.
Coming from even further afield is an extensive array of exhibitors from China and India, bringing with them a variety of solutions and services offered to the UK packaging industry.
Premium Pack (J86) is a packaging manufacturer serving the beauty and cosmetics, bathroom and toiletry, and pharmaceutical and healthcare supplement industries. Resure (W44) supplies multi-functional packing and filling machines. Labthink Instruments (H40) provides professional testing equipment and services for packaging and food to the market.
Others making the trip from China to the UK for Packaging Innovations & Empack 2025 include Greenwood (E52), with its 10 categories and 116 styles of bamboo and wood disposable cutlery; and Ningbo Strawkings (E94), which specialises in paper products, be they straight, bent, pointed or spoon-shaped.
Attending from India, dinearth (G60) manufactures natural plant fibre tableware and other sustainable packaging products. These are made from 100% renewable natural plant fibre and have a 100% plastic-free coating.
Garware Hi-Tech Films, the parent company of Garware Polyester Films (X58) similarly claims a positive environmental story with its highly customisable protective films suitable for packaging labels and shrink films. This includes new product variants introduced that use post-consumer recycled (PCR) PET content. The company further relies on the mantra of “thinking green with responsible manufacturing”. It is carbon negative in its high-tech integrated polyester film plants at Waluj and Chikalthana in Aurangabad. It operates water recovery and recycling, water and land conservation, uses biomass briquette over fossil fuels, and is actively working to lower its overall use of energy.
Kumar Printers (H76) has over 50 years of experience providing quality paperboard packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical, automobile, alcoholic beverage, food, garment, personal products and FMCG industries. These are manufactured at sites in Manesar and in Indore.
Veeglow provides high-quality caps and closures for a variety of industries through its Caps & Closures (J24) entity. This includes dispensing and non-dispensing plastic closures for the household, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, amongst others.
Foodservice packaging supplier Visionova (A20) has a pan-India presence with eight branch offices, as well as exporting jumbo rolls and finished items to more than 20 countries around the world. As well as the UK, this includes the USA, which itself is represented at Packaging Innovations & Empack 2025, albeit through the UK divisions of flexible packaging manufacturer ProAmpac (L80); the Sleevit (T62) arm of global packaging equipment supplier BW Packaging; and Paramount Global (L64), the integrated packaging and supply chain solutions specialist headquartered in California.
Those final three examples perhaps best illustrate the global nature of print and packaging in 2024 and example how this will be reflected at Packaging Innovations & Empack 2025.