What Packaging Europe does

Packaging Europe is a privately held B2B media and events company serving the sustainable packaging value chain across the FMCG sector. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Norwich, United Kingdom, the company operates as part of the Rapid News Group portfolio of trade media titles. Its offering is built around packagingeurope.com, a multimedia publishing platform that publishes daily news, features, and analysis covering sustainability, circular economy, regulation and compliance (notably PPWR), smart packaging, recyclability, and end-market verticals such as food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, and e-commerce. The company has 51-100 employees with at least 19 named editorial, sales, marketing, design, and customer success team members.

The business generates revenue from four streams: membership subscriptions (a €250/one-year or €400/two-year tier unlocking The Brief newsletter, reports, and personalisation); advertising across print and digital magazines, websites, email campaigns, webinars, podcasts, and digital conferences (operating under Rapid News Group's media sales); events and sponsorships led by the annual Sustainable Packaging Summit (854 delegates, 142 speakers, and 89 exhibitors at the 2025 edition in Utrecht) and the Sustainability Awards, now in its tenth anniversary year; and sponsored content partnerships with brands such as Dow, Siegwerk, UPM, Korozo, SWM International, Paramelt, Elopak, Plastipak, and adapa. Distribution spans the website, segmented newsletters (weekly, bi-monthly, monthly), podcasts on Apple and Spotify, on-demand and live webinars, and an active presence across Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

The customer base spans FMCG brand owners, packaging converters and manufacturers, materials and technology suppliers, and sustainability professionals across more than 20 topic areas. The advisory board of the Sustainability Packaging Summit includes senior representatives from AB InBev, Procter & Gamble, Heineken, Nestlé, Henkel, and industry bodies such as EUROPEN, EXPRA, CEFLEX, and SYSTEMIQ, anchoring the brand's convening role in European packaging sustainability debates. Revenue, ownership stakes, and growth rates are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Packaging Europe

Legal name

Packaging Europe Limited

Website

https://packagingeurope.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Packaging Europe is a B2B media and events company serving the sustainable packaging value chain across FMCG, publishing daily news, reports, podcasts, and webinars, and running the annual Sustainable Packaging Summit and Sustainability Awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual and multi-year membership subscriptions providing access to exclusive content, reports, The Brief newsletter, and enhanced personalization options. One-year membership is priced at €250 (auto-renewing), with a two-year option at €400.
2. Advertising: Print and digital advertising across magazines, websites, email campaigns, webinars, podcasts, and digital conferences. The company operates under Rapid News Group and offers advertising packages including special premium positions (Front Cover Package, Outside Back Cover, Inside Front Cover, Inside Back Cover).
3. Events and Sponsorships: Revenue from the Sustainable Packaging Summit (tickets, sponsorships, exhibitor booths). The 2025 edition hosted 854 delegates, 142 speakers, and 89 exhibitors.
4. Sponsored Content: Partnered sponsored content from companies including Dow, Siegwerk, UPM, Korozo, SWM International, Paramelt, Elopak, Plastipak, and adapa featuring their packaging innovations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Packaging Europe is a B2B media and events company that publishes daily news, features, podcasts, webinars, reports, and a digital/print magazine covering sustainable packaging strategy and innovation across the FMCG value chain. It sells paid memberships (€250/1-year, €400/2-year) that unlock exclusive content, The Brief newsletter, and reports, and it organises the flagship annual Sustainable Packaging Summit and the Sustainability Awards competition.

Product overview

Packaging Europe operates as a multimedia publishing and events company serving the FMCG packaging value chain. Its core offering is the Packaging Europe media platform providing news, features, and commentary on packaging sustainability and innovation. The company supplements this with subscription-based membership services that include The Brief (bi-weekly strategic briefings) and industry Reports. Digital content offerings include Webinars, Podcasts (including Sustainability Perspectives series), and the e-Magazine. The company organizes two major annual initiatives: the Sustainable Packaging Summit (an international conference) and the Sustainability Awards (an international competition now in its tenth year). All content and events are accessible through a paid Membership program with 1-year (€250) and 2-year (€400) subscription options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Packaging Europe Media Platform The flagship multimedia reporting platform (packagingeurope.com) delivering daily news, features, comment pieces, and analysis on sustainable packaging strategy and innovation across the FMCG value chain.
• The Brief Newsletter Bi-weekly strategic and technological briefing analyzing how to accelerate sustainability in packaging, distributed to members.
• Reports Industry-leading reports on packaging sustainability topics including PPWR compliance guides, brand progress reports, and global regulation analyses available to members.
• Packaging Europe e-Magazine Digital magazine publication in flip-book format covering packaging industry news, trends, and analysis, with companion print edition.
• Webinars On-demand and live webinar events covering packaging sustainability, PPWR compliance, sustainability business cases, and packaging innovation.
• Podcasts (Sustainability Perspectives) Audio content including the Sustainability Perspectives series and other industry interviews and discussions on packaging sustainability.
• Packaging Europe Membership Subscription-based access providing unlimited content, enhanced personalisation, exclusive reports, and newsletters. 1-year membership at €250 (auto-renewing) and 2-year at €400.
• Sustainable Packaging Summit Annual international conference for the packaging industry focusing on sustainability, PPWR, circular economy, and innovation, featuring ticketed delegate access, sponsorships, exhibitor booths, and speaking slots.
• Sustainability Awards International competition celebrating innovation in sustainable packaging across multiple categories (circular plastics, digital transformation, new materials), with finalists announced in June and winners in November.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Sustainable Packaging Summit grew from 230 to 900 participants over four editions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Royal JaarbeurscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2025The Sustainable Packaging Summit, an initiative by Packaging Europe, held its 2025 edition at Royal Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, Netherlands. The venue was selected for its accessibility from Schiphol airport and Germany, as well as its facilities designed to facilitate networking and social interaction among participants.
• HeinekencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2025Heineken participated in the Sustainable Packaging Summit 2025 with Hans van Bochove on the Advisory Board. Some attendees stayed for guided tours of Heineken's bottling plant in Zwolle.
• PreZerominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2025PreZero participated in the Sustainable Packaging Summit 2025 with guided tours of their waste sorting centre in Zwolle available to attendees.
• Sustainability Awards Advisory BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Advisory Board 2025 includes senior representatives from AB InBev (Farida Bensadoun), Procter & Gamble (Gian deBelder), Heineken (Hans van Bochove), Nestlé (Jodie Roussell), Henkel (PhillipeBlank), EUROPEN (Francesca Stevens), EXPRA (Joachim Quoden), SYSTEMIQ (Julia Koskella), Root (Tracy Sutton), VGV Management Services (Bruno van Gompel), Emerald Investment (Fredric Petit), NTCP (Patrick van Baal), and Searious Business (Willemijn Peeters).
• CEFLEXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEFLEX contributed to the Sustainable Packaging Summit 2025 with Graham Houlder speaking on regulation panels. The organization is a key stakeholder in flexible packaging circularity discussions.
• Rapid News GroupcoreOthersPackaging Europe Limited (CRN 10531302) is part of the Rapid News Group of companies, which includes Rapid News Publications Limited, Rapid Life Sciences Limited, Rapid Plastics Media Limited, Rapid Medtech Communications Limited, Interplas Events Limited, Euro Publishing Consultancy Limited, and others. The registered office is at No.3 Office Village, Chester Business Park, Chester, England, CH4 9QP.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GreenBiz Group: Established sustainability media and events business (GreenBiz 26 conference, newsletters, reports) serving corporate sustainability leaders including packaging buyers. Competes more broadly on sustainability content and events rather than packaging specifically.
• edie: UK-based sustainability media brand covering net-zero, circular economy, and resource management including packaging topics. Overlaps on sustainability-focused content and events aimed at sustainability professionals overlapping with Packaging Europe's audience.
• Informa Markets (ProPak / PackExpo): Global B2B events group operating ProPak and partnering on PackExpo-style packaging exhibitions. Larger incumbent with deeper event infrastructure that anchors the global packaging trade-show calendar against which Packaging Europe positions its sustainability-focused summit.

Direct peers

• Plastics News: Crain Communications-owned global plastics and packaging publication providing news, data, and events to the plastics packaging industry. Overlaps on materials innovation, sustainability, and converter coverage relevant to Packaging Europe's audience.
• Packaging Digest: A leading US-based B2B media brand covering packaging design, materials, and sustainability for manufacturers and brand owners. Direct competitor in the packaging intelligence and content space, with overlapping advertiser base of FMCG/CPG and converters.
• Packaging News (UK): Long-running UK B2B publication focused on the packaging supply chain, serving UK and European converters, brand owners, and retailers. Closest geographic peer, competing for the same UK/European packaging professional audience and ad budgets.
• Packaging Strategies: B2B media and events brand covering packaging innovation, sustainability, and supply-chain trends. Competes for both reader attention and event sponsorship dollars in the same packaging-intelligence category.
• Smithers (packaging reports/events): Provider of packaging market research, reports, and the Sustainability in Packaging conference. Direct competitor for paid research, events, and senior-decision-maker audiences in sustainable packaging.

Emerging players

• Resource Recycling: Specialist B2B publication and conference portfolio covering plastics and paper recycling, with topics that intersect directly with packaging sustainability, circular economy, and PPWR coverage.
• FoodBev Media: B2B media covering food and beverage packaging, processing, and ingredients, including sustainability. Adjacent competitor for FMCG brand-owner readership and event sponsorships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/packagingeurope
• YouTubeyoutube.com/packagingeurope
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/packaging-europe/mycompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/packagingeurope
• TikToktiktok.com/@packagingeurope

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Packaging Europe