interpack China will make its debut under its new name in Shanghai from November 16 to 18, 2026, with organisers targeting more than 47,000 trade visitors and over 970 exhibitors as the former Shanghai World of Packaging (swop) moves into a more closely integrated role within the interpack global network.
The three-day event will occupy more than 70,000 sq m across five halls at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). Organisers expect international visitors to account for around 20% of attendance, while the exhibition will cover processing and packaging machinery, automation, materials and containers, printing and labelling, packaging design and digital technologies.
The change of name follows swop’s tenth-anniversary edition in 2025. Messe Düsseldorf and co-organiser Adsale Exhibition Services announced last year that the exhibition would become interpack China from 2026, positioning the Shanghai show more directly within the international interpack alliance and seeking to increase the participation of overseas technology suppliers and buyers.
The expansion comes from an established base. swop 2025 attracted 43,090 trade visitors from 122 countries and regions, up 30% year on year, alongside 950 exhibitors. International visitors represented 17.5% of attendance, according to the official post-show report. The exhibition covered more than 70,000 sq m.
For 2026, the organisers are placing particular emphasis on the combination of automation and sustainability. Dedicated areas are planned for intelligent packaging, paper-based sustainable packaging, packaging products and materials and scenario-based smart connectivity, while the Green Power area will focus on emerging sustainable materials, products and packaging technologies.
The programme is also designed to address increasingly complex international compliance requirements. Topics identified for the Shanghai event include high-barrier paper structures, low-carbon packaging, smart interactive packaging, AI-assisted packaging design and compliance with measures including the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and extended producer responsibility requirements. The show’s Next Generation Packaging area is expected to include PCR plastics, bio-based materials, mono-material structures, lightweighting technologies and solutions intended to improve separation and recyclability.
Among international companies already named by the organisers for the 2026 exhibition are Multivac, Stora Enso, Langguth, Aasted, Waldner and Lawer, alongside a large group of Chinese machinery and packaging suppliers. Organisers have also reported pre-registration and procurement interest from companies including Nestlé, Mondelēz, Unilever, Mars Wrigley, McCain, Amcor, Dow, DuPont, Beiersdorf and Nissin.
The exhibition covers eight principal end-user sectors: food, beverages, confectionery, bakery, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, non-food consumer goods and industrial products. Equipment categories extend from primary and secondary packaging and container production to filling, sealing, inspection, labelling, palletising and logistics packaging, while materials and finished packaging products form a substantial part of the show.
Sustainability will also extend into the conference programme. interpack China will again work with the World Packaging Organisation on the International Green Packaging Development Summit, organised by the China National Export Commodities Packaging Research Institute. Around 300 delegates are expected, including representatives from the WPO, China Packaging Federation, National Technical Committee on Packaging Standardization, research organisations and industry. Discussions are planned around packaging sustainability frameworks and assessment, brand-owner material requirements, takeaway packaging, smart packaging and supply-chain development.
Food waste and product preservation will receive a separate focus on 16 November through a SAVE FOOD session within the interpack SPOTLIGHT Forum. The China programme, which began at swop in 2017, will reach its sixth edition in 2026 and is expected to address fresh-food preservation, supply-chain loss reduction and lightweight circular packaging. interpack China has also established a partnership with the Australasian Institute of Packaging to broaden participation and exchange between China, Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.
Evian Gu, general manager of Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai), said the partnership was intended to reinforce the exhibition’s regional sustainability work. “Together, we aim to advance practical solutions to reduce food loss and waste while promoting sustainable packaging across the Asia-Pacific region.”
Alongside the technology and conference programme, organisers are expanding their buyer-matching activities. The 2026 edition will include an upgraded Hosted Buyer Program and international buyer matchmaking, intended to arrange direct meetings between qualified buyers and suppliers. The approach builds on swop 2025, where the organisers recorded more than 150 professional delegations and 179 matchmaking meetings involving companies from 18 countries and regions.
The shift from swop to interpack China therefore represents more than a branding change for the Shanghai exhibition. Messe Düsseldorf is using the 2026 edition to connect a sizeable domestic packaging manufacturing base more closely with the wider interpack network, while making regulatory compliance, material transition, automation and international sourcing more prominent parts of the event’s proposition.
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