Empack Madrid, Logistics & Automation Madrid and Logistics & Industrial Build (LIB) fairs have concluded, with record numbers, a new edition marked by innovation, knowledge, and business opportunities. The events, organized by Easyfairs, brought together more than 12.200 professional visitors and 426 national and international exhibiting companies, exceeding 2024 figures by 4% and highlighting the upward trend in participation and relevance as the major event for the Spanish logistics, packaging, and real estate industries.
On October 15 and 16, IFEMA Madrid transformed into a vast 24.000 m² technology hub, showcasing the most advanced solutions in each sector. “Every year we strive to improve, and the 2025 edition is a testament to that. And not just because of the record attendance, but also because of the glowing reviews and testimonials from exhibitors and visitors who have been part of this experience. Our goal is to be your meeting point for boosting your businesses, establishing valuable connections, and, above all, learning about all the major advances in your sector,” he stated. Oscar Barranco, general director of Easyfairs Iberia.
Empack: sustainability, design and innovation
Empack Madrid celebrated its 17th edition with significant growth in exhibitors and visitors, bringing together more than 180 companies that showcased sustainable materials, smart packaging, and solutions for automating production lines.
In its two main stages—the Empack Room and the Pentawards Room—the event hosted a full program of talks and roundtables focused on innovation, sustainability, and new trends in packaging; as well as the first presentation of the “Best ESG Initiative Award”, which recognized outstanding projects in sustainability and environmental management, and featured three outstanding finalists: Pulsar Properties, Aunoa and EcoventisFinally, Pulsar Properties took home the award, consolidating its leadership in promoting responsible initiatives within the sector.
During the two days, key industry topics were addressed with the participation of experts from Foreo, Clarel, Ecovidrio, Philip Morris and Vicky Foods, along with the collaboration of strategic partners such as ITENE, Packnet, Beauty Cluster and News Packaging, among others.
The Keynote Speaker Gema Requena, Research & Strategy Expert and Forbes Spain Top 40 Futurist, The event opened the door for attendees to the new trends of the present and future of consumption, which already guide brands' daily lives. "In packaging, as in any sector, one of the most relevant challenges is connecting with narratives and strengthening brands with a purpose. The objective, therefore, is to transform packaging into an interface that integrates society, consumption, and the future, so that we can have a kind of radar that allows us to anticipate trends, connect with emerging social values, build a purpose, and, above all, innovate," explained Gema Requena.
Round table on circularity
News Packaging participated in a roundtable discussion, moderated by Maica García, the magazine's editorial coordinator, on the circularity of perfume and cosmetics packaging, in which the following participated: Lucía Jiménez, Head of Sustainability at Stanpa (National Association of Perfumery and Cosmetics); Laura García, Technical Director of Operations at Ecovidrio; and Alejandra Pulido, Director of Sustainability and Quality at Clarel.
Lucía Jiménez explained to us what it consists of Circular Beauty, a pioneering initiative in Spain promoted by the National Association of Perfumery and Cosmetics (Stanpa), together with environmental partners Ecoembes and Ecovidrio, which has been implemented in retail outlets in Seville since May and also arrived in Barcelona in October. Circular Beauty is a project to collect small cosmetic and perfume packaging in containers installed for this purpose in commercial establishments, with two compartments: one for glass containers and another for plastic and metal containers.
Afterwards, the recycling and reuse of perfume and cosmetics packaging was discussed. These packaging has its own unique characteristics, such as the small size of makeup products, the difficulty of separating components in the case of, for example, perfume bottle sprays, refills, and the materials used in packaging (increasingly recycled or with a high percentage of recycled raw materials). As Laura García explained, glass recycling rates in Spain are high, but perhaps consumers are still not aware that perfume bottles also go in the green bin, hence the need for continued campaigns. Alejandra Pulido explained to us the measures they are taking at Clarel to become more sustainable, the positive reception of the Circular Beauty initiative (for which they have trained the department) and other actions, such as an event they recently held at La Casa de les Punxes in Barcelona together with L'Oréal through its brands L'Oréal Paris and Garnier, framed within a joint plan to move towards sustainability and decarbonization.
