The home of innovation: annual packaging event at NEC Birmingham

24 January 2018



Packaging Innovations, Empack and Label&Print 2018 is set to take place at the NEC in Birmingham on 28 February to 1 March. The event will act as a hub for product launches and expert insights, which will provide an overview of what to expect in this exciting and evolving market.


The UK’s largest annual event for the entire packaging supply chain, Packaging Innovations, Empack and Label&Print, returns to Birmingham’s NEC on 28 February to 1 March 2018. The two-day event will showcase the most cutting-edge packaging technologies and feature a free-to-attend educational seminar programme, with more than 20 hours of continuing professional development (CPD)-accredited content. With over 290 exhibitors already signed up, and more than 6,000 decision-makers set to attend, the show is set to be the most innovative to date.

James Drake-Brockman, divisional director of Easyfairs’ Packaging Portfolio, says, “We know that one of the key reasons visitors attend the show year on year is to discover all of the latest innovations in the marketplace, so it is fantastic to see so many of our suppliers unveiling their new products and services at the show. With so many new launches planned for the show, Packaging Innovations, Empack and Label&Print 2018 promises to offer buyers and retailers a fantastic opportunity to get hands-on with the very latest packaging solutions, and uncover trends and developments that will have a major impact on their business.”

New developments on show

Innovative products, design and functionality are, as always, at the heart of the show; for instance, Dantex Group will be introducing its latest innovation, the PicoJet digital UV inkjet press. This is a seven-colour printing system that can be custom configured to offer a wide colour range for printing. Measuring just 350mm in width and working at 75m/min (250ft/min), the PicoJet incorporates 600dpi with 2.5pl dot size, making it ideally suited for high-quality and long-run lengths. In addition, the highly popular PicoColour UV inkjet press will be running on a stand, demonstrating its enhanced capabilities, which include CMYK and white finishes, chilled-roller printing and a full variable data option.

Graphic Packaging International will be launching Integraflex, which incorporates the best features of a folding carton and flexible packaging for an effective on-the-go eating experience. The recyclable concept has the ability to stand on its own and is a great option for packaging hot snacks.

Greenearth Food Packaging will present its brand-new range of ovenproof, biodegradable ready-meal containers that are made from paper pulp. The range will be available with lids, and comes in various sizes and colours to enhance the aesthetics of products.

Automated Packaging Systems will launch its new AirPouch delivery system at the show. This will offer customers, who use AirPouch cushions in their packaging process, the chance to supply multiple work stations with strings of AirPouch cushions from a single machine. It also uses the AirPouch Express 3 machine to inflate AirPouch material on-site.

Nth Degree will be showcasing its new TruPack range – a complete solution for creating colour-accurate samples, mock-ups and prototypes. It enables customers to quickly – and easily – produce any form of packaging, including cans, pouches, shrink-wraps, bags, cartons, flow wraps and labels, with spot-accurate colour. TruPack can also add samples onto any substrate.

Printer brand OKI will be launching the OKI four and five-colour label printers, as well as its first roll-fed label printer live on the show floor. The OKI devices, which are quick and easy to use for short runs, require no set-up costs, offer media-handling flexibility and produce less waste. The printers will join OKI’s portfolio of printing products, including the industry’s first digital LED five-colour A3 printer.

Paper and cardboard packaging manufacturers Gráficas Salaet will launch two new products at the show: the black pizza plate, and the Step and Twist tulip cups. Its extensive range of packaging for the food industry, including baking cups, paper bags, trays, cake boxes and boards, will also be on show.

Russell Richardson will be presenting its new reel splitter, which allows it to process and securely destroy packaging even more efficiently. The new reel splitter will join the company’s heavy-duty primary shredder that can process larger volumes of material, such as wrappers, cores, palletised paper and other bulky waste.

OAL will showcase APRIL Eye, an intelligent date code verification system that cuts food waste in the supply chain. Developed in partnership with the University of Lincoln in a retailer-led initiative, APRIL Eye uses AI to read back and verify date codes, thereby preventing product recalls. By removing human error from the supply chain, APRIL Eye reduces food waste connected to the incorrect date coding of products.

Falconer Print and Packaging will display its new designs for the drink and luxury-packaging markets that were developed using the company’s in-house foiling capability, innovative embellishments, embossing and different boxboard.

AG/CAD will present the DYSS X5 digital cutter and sheet feeder, which features the latest K-cut Vision software. The machine has been designed specifically to handle all of the prototyping, sample making and short/medium-run production needs of corrugated and solid-board converters. The X5 comes in a variety of sizes, with versatile tooling to suit all common packaging substrates. Folding boxboard, and corrugated, display and structural honeycomb boards, as well as textiles and paper, can be processed along with many other materials.

Cambrian Packaging has expanded its extensive range of mist sprays, lotions pumps and triggers with several new product launches that the company has planned specially for the show. It will also demonstrate how its unique Flairosol sprays perform when mounted on cylindrical bottles, and its ability to supply HDPE bottles in post-consumer recycled material.

Multi Packaging Solutions, which is part of WestRock, will be at Label&Print to showcase its range of paper-based consumer packaging. The Multi Packaging Solutions stand will also display the extensive range of paper and board available from WestRock, including folding cartons, labels, tubes and carton-boards.

Exciting show content

In addition to a packed show floor, the Packaging Innovations conference programme will be running across five unique seminar areas: the Keynote, Innovation, Label&Print, Ecopack and Packaging News stages. The two-day agenda will feature over 20 hours of CPD -accredited content with major names, such as Tesco, Coca-Cola, Marks & Spencer, the Co-op, innocent, ASDA and Thorntons, set to take to the stage.

Whether it means reducing waste through smarter packaging, finding energy-efficient solutions or locating more recyclable materials, sustainability is one of the most hotly discussed topics in the industry at the moment, and will be the focus of the Ecopack Stage. With UK residents buying £133-billion worth of goods online every year, Carbon Smart will take a close look at what packaging manufacturers and providers can do to ensure that ecommerce packaging is sustainable for the planet – and its people – when it presents ‘Ecommerce Packaging Doesn’t Need to Cost the Earth’.

Simon Reid, sustainability manager at innocent, will also shine a spotlight on the issue of sustainability in the packaging industry with his talk, ‘Addressing the Plastic Bottle Dilemma’.

Ron Cregan, founder of Endangered Species, will analyse the effects that plain packaging regulations could have if they were extended to other industries, including alcohol, confectionery and snacks. He will examine the multi-billion-dollar impact that they could have on some of the world’s biggest brands, such as Coca-Cola and Kraft Heinz, in his presentation, ‘Plain Packaging – the Hazard Ahead’.

The show will also feature the Pentawards exhibit, which will bring cutting-edge design onto the show-floor, giving attendees a global perspective of the best and most creative packaging designs from the past year.

For further information, and to register for a free ticket, visit www.easyfairs.com/PIUK or contact the show’s team at packaginguk@easyfairs.com

Packaging Innovations, Empack and Label&Print showcase the latest packaging advancements.
Guests will have plenty of stands and talks to attend.


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