SPC Engage 2023: London

A New Era of Retailer Driven Collaboration

SPC Engage 2023 was a two-day event jam-packed with sessions themed around the idea of retailer driven collaboration. Taking place across the pond in London, North American and European attendees alike had the opportunity to network and expand their understanding on a variety of sustainable packaging topics such as policy, partnerships, closing the intention-action gap, food waste, and reusable and refillable packaging. A beautiful evening reception was also held at the Wonderlab in the Science Museum with drinks and bites, as well as an evening pub crawl around Kensington, giving attendees more chances to connect. Plus, two local tours were offered the day before the event to the Museum of Brands and Notpla lab. Attendees left the conference feeling recharged and inspired to use what they learned in their own companies and organizations to spark positive change for the planet and all those who live on it. As Executive Director of GreenBlue Paul Nowak said in his remarks at the start of the event, “if not now, when?”. 

Tour | Notpla Office and Lab

Since 2014, Notpla has been using seaweed and plants to make sustainable packaging that disappears naturally. In this tour, SPC Engage attendees will get to see the Notpla office in all its action. After breakfast and an introduction to Notpla, their mission and work, attendees will get to watch a lab demonstration followed by a walking tour of their production machines that make it all happen. See for yourself how Notpla is revolutionizing the packaging industry by replacing the need for single-use plastics!

Workshop and Tour | Museum of Brands

The Museum of Brands will take you on a nostalgic journey through 200 years of social change, culture and lifestyle, to examine the role of brands in history and the modern world. Our permanent exhibition, the Time Tunnel, has over 12,000 objects, all showcasing the innovative marketing strategies that helped shape our consumer culture. You will see advertisements, packaging and brand ephemera, promotional toys and games, travel-related memorabilia, fashion, and leisure and entertainment artefacts. Trace the evolution of renowned brands, from humble origins to global dominance, and unravel the stories behind their enduring logos and slogans. During your visit, we’ll also shed light on the importance of sustainability in branding. Learn how brands have taken strides to preserve our planet through eco-friendly packaging and ethical practices.

We took part in a 2-hour workshop along with a self-guided tour; a hybrid between our most popular workshops: Brand Evolution and Customer Profiling. We investigated changes to branding and packaging over time, and created profiles on potential customers before redesigning a product for the future. What will packaging look like in 5, 10, 50 years? Explore the possibilities!

Evening Reception |

Wonderlab, The Equinor Gallery

Pub Crawl Around Kensington