Organiser Easyfairs said the event will be pushed back from its planned dates of 22 and 23 September 2021 and will now take place at London's Olympia on 1 and 2 December 2021. It had originally been due to take place on 8 and 9 December 2020.
Easyfairs said that while many government-imposed restrictions have now been lifted, with venues now open and many events with a national scope able to go ahead, organising the event for September had been made “significantly more difficult” due to the show’s high number of international exhibitors and the ongoing border and quarantine restrictions relating to current entry into the UK.
Easyfairs added the new dates reflect the progress being made in the roll-out of vaccination programmes across Europe and that the event will now take place in December “at a time when travel will be normalised again”.
Renan Joel, divisional director for Easyfairs UK & Global’s packaging events, said: “We are delighted that Packaging Innovations and Luxury Packaging London will return in 2021 and we can’t wait to bring the industry back together again at this vibrant event, even if it will be a few weeks later than we originally planned.
“The event plays a crucial role in driving new innovations, connections and opportunities for the community it serves. The new dates will ensure that Packaging Innovations and Luxury Packaging London fulfils that mission in 2021 and inspires a new generation of packaging innovations for 2022.”
170 packaging suppliers are currently lined up to exhibit at the event, which aims to connect exhibitors with teams of designers, packaging technologists, and marketers at brand owners, with a focus on the food, drinks, FMCG, and beauty markets.
This year’s event, in a new hall, will feature two theatres focusing on packaging innovation in luxury packaging, and in FMCG packaging. Talks will cover key issues including smart packaging, the latest consumer and design trends, and the wide-ranging challenges and opportunities for improving the sustainability performance of new packaging.
Both conference theatres this year are being curated in partnership with packaging design competition the Pentawards.
In addition to the talks, the event will include features including the Innovation Gallery, the Packaging Consultancy Clinic, and networking events.
A programme of digital activity has also been developed by Easyfairs in the past year to continue to connect the packaging community year round; this has included a series of innovation-focused webinars, a quarterly digital publication called Packaging in Focus, improved daily social media content, and digital events.
