Packaging has become an increasingly cross-functional business priority, with leading global brands sending broader teams to London Packaging Week 2026 as packaging decisions increasingly involve departments ranging from marketing and sustainability to engineering and procurement.
According to event organiser Easyfairs, companies including Amazon, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, Charlotte Tilbury, Jo Malone London, Disney, Diageo, Unilever, Reckitt, Superdrug, Boots No7, John Lewis and Molton Brown have registered multiple representatives for this year’s exhibition, reflecting the collaborative nature of modern packaging development.
The organiser argues that packaging has evolved beyond a specialist function into a strategic business discipline that influences brand perception, operational efficiency, sustainability performance, regulatory compliance and supply chain resilience. As a result, packaging projects increasingly require input from marketing, design, procurement, R&D, engineering, innovation and compliance teams.
The audience expected at this year’s event reflects that shift, bringing together packaging professionals alongside brand managers, creative directors, procurement specialists, technologists, sustainability experts and policy professionals.
“One of the clearest trends we’ve seen this year is brands registering wider teams than ever before,” said Sema Tezel Basbug, Head of Marketing at Easyfairs.
“Packaging decisions are no longer made in isolation. Marketing, sustainability, engineering, procurement, operations, and innovation all have a stake in the outcome, because every packaging decision carries commercial, environmental, and operational implications.”
Basbug added that the event mirrors the way packaging projects are now managed within organisations by bringing together every discipline involved in packaging development alongside designers, material innovators, manufacturers, retailers and policymakers.
“That’s where the real value lies. You might arrive looking for a new material and leave having solved a regulatory challenge. You might meet another brand tackling the same issue, discover a supplier you didn’t know existed, or start a conversation that completely changes the direction of a project. Those unexpected connections are becoming just as valuable as the innovations on display,” she said.
London Packaging Week 2026 will take place on 16-17 September at Excel London. The event is expected to feature more than 220 exhibitors, over 90 conference speakers and thousands of visitors from the luxury, beauty, premium drinks, FMCG and packaging sectors.
The exhibition is supported by organisations including WRAP, PackUK, the Food and Drink Federation, the British Retail Consortium and INCPEN, while the programme also includes networking events such as the WRAP Breakfast, Women in Packaging Breakfast, Design Networking Drinks and the Exhibitor Networking Reception.
