Postponement from original February dates, due to current Coronavirus wave and international travel restrictions, means a unique spring edition for the UK packaging sector’s leading event driving innovation and investment.

Global event organiser Easyfairs today announces that Packaging Innovations & Empack 2022, the biggest annual event driving innovation and investment in the UK packaging sector, will be postponed from its current February 2022 dates to new dates of 25 & 26 May 2022.

The decision to postpone the event has been made in consultation with the event’s many partners, exhibitors and the community as a whole. It is a result of the impact of the recent and rapid spread of the Omicron variant of Coronavirus, which has led to new recommendations relating to home working and significant new travel restrictions for overseas participants in the event. This combination of circumstances makes it impossible to plan for a successful event in February.

With its new dates in May, the 2022 edition of Packaging Innovations & Empack will continue to be the essential event giving a vision of the future and driving investment and innovation decisions across the whole packaging journey.

Packaging Innovations will connect packaging technologists, designers and buyers with more than 200 of the market’s leading suppliers of primary and secondary packaging materials and related technologies. Empack will bring together directors at packing and filling operations with more than 40 of the market’s key technology suppliers. Three conference stages will bring the latest thinking on the key issues in packaging development and processing; while a host of features and networking initiatives will ensure visitors find the partners and products that will define their next projects.

Easyfairs is confident that moving the dates of Packaging Innovations & Empack 2022 to May is the best way to ensure a successful event that will continue to connect and inspire the whole packaging community that it serves. The event will be held at the same venue as originally planned, in Hall 1 at the NEC in Birmingham.

Renan Joel, Divisional Director for Easyfairs’ packaging events in the UK and France, comments:

“It is our mission to run fantastic events that connect the packaging community, drive innovation and business and give a truly inspiring vision of the future.

“We want to ensure that the next edition of Packaging Innovations & Empack at the NEC does this and moving the event to May will give the whole community the best chance of having the event it deserves.

“I would like to thank all the stakeholders in our event – exhibitors, associations, media and visitors – for their support for the change in dates. We can’t wait to bring them all together in May and help them drive their innovations for the year to come.”