Industry & Business

The UK’s biggest packaging show reports record success. Packaging Innovations 2014 attracted 6004 unique visitors over the two days of the event, an 18 percent increase on last year, with 77 percent of exhibitors rebooking onsite for next year’s show.

The show which took place at Birmingham’s NEC, 26 & 27 February 2014, included packaging buyers from major names such as GlaxoSmithKline, Lush Cosmetics, Heineken, Britvic Soft Drinks, Danone, Asda and Proctor & Gamble; exhibitors where delighted with the buzz and the visitor footfall from the moment the doors opened.

Alison Church, Event Director at easyFairs UK, comments: “We couldn’t be more thrilled with how the show went – an easyFairs record breaker. The show was lively from start to finish, with both visitor and exhibitor numbers up, we are in a great position to take the show to new heights next year. 2015 will be an even bigger year for us, as the show will be celebrating its 10th edition, so it’s an exciting time for those who are involved with the show.”

Packaging Innovations was co-located with six other shows: Ecopack, Contract Pack, Packtech, Print Innovations, Labelling Innovations, and Converting innovations. Hayley Mustad, Key Account Manager, at IBIS Packaging Solutions, exhibiting at the show, says: “The footfall this year has been great, with key decision makers from blue chip companies coming onto the stand. Great show, so much so we have booked for 2015, and gone for a bigger stand!”

LearnShops Seminar

The event included a two-day comprehensive free-to-attend learnShops seminar programme, with world-class speakers from DHL Supply Chain, Iceland Foods, The Barts Ingredients TM Co, Recoup, Marks and Spencer, Wilkinson, Tesco, and Oloves.

Topping the bill was packaging Guru Lars Wallentin, Founder of packagingsense.com, who remarked on the importance of consumer communication within the industry: “Your brand’s positioning determines what you are going to do. Clear positioning will help you define that ‘big idea’, otherwise you are only selling on price. Whatever we do – whether it’s telling a story through packaging or creating an opening ritual, such asCoronaand lime or Oreo with its twist, lick, dunk ritual – it’s important to create a synergy between the brand and the consumer. In the world of packaging where creativity is endless, it’s essential to communicate your message, rather than using your logo to sell. Change the information on your packaging into real communication.

In addition, the show featured the BIG Print Debate, where Reproflex3, Iceland Foods, Faraday, Print Week and Elmwood London debated: ‘Latest print technologies – gimmick or sound ROI?’ There was a general consensus that there are opportunities for band owners to employ these new printing techniques, but must take care, and to only use them to provide relevant and useful information.

The Big Packaging Debate

A show favourite was The BIG Packaging Debate, where over 100 visitors gathered to hear a panel of packaging experts discuss: ‘Packaging – designed for the consumer or the supply chain?’ This year’s panel, chaired by Kevin Vyse, included Echo Brand Design, DHL Packaging Services Europe, Alliance Boots and The Consumer Voice held the general opinion that the supply chain may well be increasing in complexity, but so are consumers’ lives and the way we market to them. The opinion was that flexibility and agility was key to future retail and concluded that perhaps there is a general need for packaging to reflect in-store and online demands more simply, with the real opportunity to reduce secondary packaging. Continuing to educate the consumer about the possibilities of reusing or refilling a product, rather than recycling was also an underlying theme.

The big news hitting the show floor was the announcement from show organiser, easyFairs, who unveiled its future vision for its packaging shows. Its packaging portfolio, right across Europe, will evolve around four major core show concepts: Packaging Innovations, Empack, Label&Print and Luxury Packaging.

For the NEC this means the entire packaging spectrum will be unified under the three dynamic core brands: Packaging Innovations, Empack and Label&Print.

Next UK Packaging Event 

The next UK packaging event in 2014 takes place at the Business Design Centre in London on 30 September and 1 October 2014 focusing on its two strong concepts – Packaging Innovations and Luxury Packaging – making it the capital’s most exciting and inspirational showcase for everything new and exclusive in packaging design.

Packaging Innovations, Empack and Label&Print will also take place at Birmingham’s NEC on 25 and 26 February in 2015.

Companies interested in exhibiting at Packaging Innovations can find out more about booking a stand by calling the packaging team on +44 (0)20 8843 8821 or emailing PackagingUK@easyFairs.com.