The event had been scheduled to take place at the city’s NEC on 16 and 17 February 2022. Prior to the announcement today (11 January), it had been shifted back twice already due to coronavirus-related restrictions last year that meant no show took place in 2021.

Following a consultation on the postponement with its partners, exhibitors, and the packaging community as a whole, the event will now take place in Hall 1 at the NEC on 25 and 26 May 2022.

The recent and rapid spread of the Omicron variant has led to new recommendations relating to home working and significant new travel restrictions for overseas participants in the event.

Easyfairs said this combination of circumstances “makes it impossible to plan for a successful event in February”.

It added that moving the show 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”.

Renan Joel, divisional director for Easyfairs’ packaging events in the UK and France, said: “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 and 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.”

Packaging Innovations aims to connect packaging technologists, designers, and buyers with more than 200 of the market’s suppliers of primary and secondary packaging materials and related technologies. Empack, meanwhile, will bring together directors at packing and filling operations with more than 40 of the market’s technology suppliers.

Three conference stages aim to bring the latest thinking on the key issues in packaging development and processing, while there will also be a raft of features and networking initiatives.

Separately, the C!Print show, which was set to take place in Lyon, France, from 1 to 3 February 2022, has also been pushed back due to uncertainties related to Covid and will now be held from 10 to 12 May 2022.