IN Brief:
- BCMPA said Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026 showed sustained demand for contract packing, manufacturing, fulfilment, and logistics partners.
- A BCMPA-sponsored Pitch the Co-Packers final debuted, with wellness brand HANGOV named the winner.
- UK packaging EPR requirements remain a live issue for supply chain and packaging planning, with further discussion set for BCMPA’s conference on 31 March – 1 April.
The BCMPA has said this year’s Contract Pack & Fulfilment Show underlined the role of outsourcing providers across manufacturing, packing, fulfilment, and logistics, with start-ups and established brands continuing to look for third-party capability to scale.
The Contract Pack & Fulfilment area was co-located with Packaging Innovations & Empack at the NEC in Birmingham. Event organiser Easyfairs reported 8,021 unique visitors for the 2026 edition, alongside more than 500 exhibitors, with attendance up 8% year-on-year. The show is positioned as a meeting point for outsourced packing and fulfilment partners, including co-packers, logistics providers, and contract manufacturers.
Alongside traffic and exhibitor growth, the BCMPA used the event to launch the first Pitch the Co-Packers final, staged on the Supply Chain Stage. The competition format brought four finalists forward to present their outsourcing and packaging requirements, with the winner named as Renata Sá, founder of HANGOV, which describes itself as a Brazilian-style preparation drink intended to support the body before alcohol consumption.
BCMPA chief executive Emma Verkaik said the quality of buyer intent was a notable feature of the 2026 event. “We’ve been here since the very first show, and this has been our best ever. The quality of leads has been excellent, and people are here to do business,” she said.
The association also highlighted the Future Trailblazer Awards, where Verkaik was among the judges. Easyfairs named Dhruvi Thakkar of Sleeve Office as the 2026 winner.
Regulation remained part of the supply chain discussion at the NEC, particularly around Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging. The revised UK-wide packaging EPR scheme began in April 2025 and is being phased in, requiring packaging producers to cover the full cost of managing household packaging waste. PackUK, the scheme administrator, has issued base fee information for year one (2025 to 2026), with modulation due to commence in year two (2026 to 2027).
BCMPA said the conversation around EPR — alongside wider operational concerns and cost pressures — will continue at its annual conference at the Oxford Belfry, running from 31 March to 1 April.
