Women in Packaging founder to speak at 'Pack to the Future' event

Explaining how small changes can add big value for brands, retailers and consumers through packaging innovation, industry expert Joanna Stephenson will be sharing her know-how at Pack to the Future 2017.

The East Midlands Packaging Society event takes place on July 26 at Nottingham University and will feature talks from packaging specialists. From the challenges of Brexit to new material trends, delegates will gain insight into what the future may hold for the sector.

Joanna, co-founder of Women in Packaging (WIP) and managing director of PHD Marketing & Strategy, will speak about the challenges facd by the packaging supply chain during a talk entitled: 'Balancing the objectives of marketing and brand management with costing realities'.

The talk will explore how packaging innovation can help marketers to differentiate their products while adding value. Taking into consideration the latest advancements in packaging, such as smart, reusable and self-opening, augmented reality and personalisation features, Joanna will question the lengths that brands and retailers need to go to truly engage consumers through packaging and whether the extra cost to implement will present a return on investment. She will also discuss how production costs can be minimised to ensure a healthy bottom line.

Joanna said: ''It's more important than ever for businesses to balance real and engaging packaging value with sensible production costs, and the key to this is to keep it simple.

''The industry needs to keep pace with rapidly evolving consumer demands such as higher expectations for convenience and eco-friendliness, without overcomplicating lines or overspending on production. I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts on how this can be achieved.''

Joanna has more than 25 years' experience working in the packaging, print and chemical industries and is considered a trusted advisor to numerous business directors across the UK.

Through WIP she promotes the representation of women in the industry and aims to ensure female employees have the support, training and recognition to ensure their success.

As MD of Yorkshire-based agency PHD Marketing, Jo specialises in business strategy and marketing consulting - linking business and organisational strategy to external market positioning and communications.