A prestigious line-up of packaging and brand professionals has been unveiled by Easyfairs, show organisers of Packaging Innovations, Empack and Label&Print, for its Learnshops programme. Keynote speakers include Weetabix, Innocent Drinks, Kraft Heinz, Britvic, Taylors of Harrogate, John Lewis, Wilkos, JML Group, The Body Shop, SABMiller plc and Quorn Foods

This high-level, yet highly practical, CPD accredited two-day programme will run throughout the event, which takes 24th and 25th February 2016 at Birmingham’s NEC. It will also feature experts from Quintessential Brands, Little Fingers Organic Baby Food, Sun Branding Solutions, Cambridge Design Partnership and branding agency, Hornall Anderson.

These major players will draw on the very latest thinking, technological trends and real-life examples as they address the top industry concerns faced by many packaging experts. Gerry Sherwood, Event Director for Easyfairs’ UK Packaging Portfolio, says: “The Learnshops programme aims to cover the full packaging spectrum, providing visitors with practical and pioneering insight that just might help their business or packaging idea evolve.”

Keynote Theatre

A panel of experts will contest ‘Closing the packaging skills gap’. Clover Abbott, Strategic Packaging Innovation Manager at Weetabix and Graham Fox, Packaging Operations Team Leader at Innocent Drinks, among many others, will debate how the packaging needs of food and drink retailers are changing and how do skills across the packaging supply chain need to evolve to meet these changing needs?

Marcel Keuenhof, Packaging Expert and Waste Reductionist, at Kraft Heinz will be sharing his insights on ‘Combating food waste through packaging’ and Mike Swain, Senior Innovation Manager, Packaging, at Britvic will look at ‘overcoming the challenges of packaging innovation’. Building on this theme, Conrad Hart-Brooke, Packaging Supply Chain Manager, at Taylors of Harrogate will explore the year ahead and provide ‘packaging insights for a competitive edge’.

Mark Gallen, Packaging Design and Production Manager at John Lewis will be chairing an interactive debate on ‘Packaging for an omni-channel world’. 

On day two, Antoinette Devine, formerly Manager Packaging: Sustainability and Innovation, at SABMiller plc will address ‘open innovation and leveraging your network’. While, Ester Takacs, Head of Packaging Development, at Quorn Foods will share the company’s insights on the ‘packaging challenges for retail’.

Packaging Innovation Learnshops

Drawing on his brand experience when it comes to ‘grabbing’ the attention of convenience shoppers, is Adam Margolin, Marketing Director, Retailer, Brand Strategist, Author, and formerly Head of Marketing with SPAR and McColl’s.

Lynn Butterworth, Procurement Manager, at Quintessential Brands will discuss ‘how suppliers can help to drive packaging innovation in brands’. While, Marcus Wilson, Owner of Little Fingers Organic Baby Food Co, who will be interviewed by Kate Fischer, Account Director – Creative at Sun Branding Solutions, will provide real-life insight into the brand and packaging story behind Little Fingers.

Stergios Bititsios, Packaging and Consumer Research Leader at Cambridge Design Partnership will be looking at how strategy, insights and technology come together in his discussion on ‘The Value of The Front-End in Packaging Innovation’.

Bringing the entire learnshops programme to a close is Dan Monteith, Managing Partner at brand and design agency Hornall Anderson, who will be discussing the Jamie Oliver Story in his talk ‘redesigning the visual identity of a famous brand for global markets’.

To see the full learnshops line-up and to register for free entry to the exhibition please visit www.easyfairs.com/PIUK or via the show team on +44 (0)20 8843 8800 or PackagingUK@easyfairs.com.