Excellent booking levels and palpable anticipation: Metpack 2026 is set to open at Messe Essen from 5 to 8 May under very positive auspices. Around 350 exhibitors from across the entire value chain of the metal packaging industry will be presenting their innovations – from machinery and plant engineering to printing, finishing and coating technologies, as well as services.
Metpack has continued to evolve since the last event in 2023 and is recording 15 per cent growth in exhibition space this year. The trade fair is also reaching a new milestone with its supporting program: the “Talk in a Can” forum will celebrate its premiere. In addition, for the first time, the established Metpack Conference will feature a female keynote speaker.
Metpack 2026 brings together exhibition business, knowledge transfer and networking in one comprehensive package that unites the international metal packaging industry in Essen. This is where innovations are showcased and world premieres are introduced to the market.
“Belvac has been a longtime supporter of Metpack, participating in the exhibition for several decades. Over the years, numerous groundbreaking Belvac innovations have been introduced to the industry at this esteemed event,” says Eric Hodge, VP global business development.
“We regard Metpack as a pivotal gathering for the metal packaging sector, offering a platform for suppliers to present new innovations and ideas to the industry. Belvac is delighted to be exhibiting again in 2026, and we look forward to engaging with both longstanding and prospective customers. The Belvac team is looking forward to exploring the latest innovations and ideas from metal packaging suppliers. Metpack provides a unique opportunity not only to engage directly with our customers but also to convene with numerous suppliers, enabling our team to closely examine the industry’s newest advancements.”
Belvac innovations on show
Belvac is also announcing two machinery highlights for Metpack 2026: center stage will be the Servo Belvac Necker (SBN), the latest generation of necking technology. “This machine enhances the capabilities of the traditional Belvac Necker by employing advanced servo motor control, which allows each turret to rotate independently. This feature is ideal for quicker tooling changeovers and faster can jam resolutions, thus reducing downtime with faster synchronization and system resets,” explains Eric Hodge.
In addition, he says, the servo technology can reduce energy consumption by up to 15 per cent compared with conventional motor and gearbox configuration. Also on show in Essen is the Belvac Bodymaker, featuring a compact design and a hypocycloid main drive. Its symmetrical acceleration profile ensures the machine’s static and dynamic balance and enables, among other things, lower ram deviation, reduced tear-off rates and precise body wall thickness control – all without foundation requirements. Belvac will also present its service portfolio, which supports and complements the company’s Turnkey Integration Services.
Printing and finishing as a key focus of Metpack
ISIMAT is also looking to Essen with great anticipation – with a clear focus on design and differentiation. The company notes that the requirements placed on metal decoration in terms of flexibility, design diversity and sustainable processes have risen significantly. At Metpack, ISIMAT intends to demonstrate how aluminum finishing can be reimagined today – from precise contours and intense colors through to metallic and tactile effects.
“With our hybrid machine concept combining screen printing, inLINE FOILING and direct digital printing, we are addressing the very point at which brands require new differentiation: maximum creativity, efficient production and uncompromising quality,” says Jochen Grabert, Vice President Sales & Project Management. Visitors can experience the samples live at stand 3E24.
New for 2026 – “Talk in a Can” forum at the heart of the exhibition hall
With ‘Talk in a Can,’ Metpack 2026 will feature a forum format in the middle of the exhibition hall for the first time. The aim is to create a lively meeting point where exhibitors, visitors, media representatives and partners can engage in direct conversation – and experience innovations at first hand. Designed to resemble a beverage can, the area will bring together talks, industry insights, panel discussions, product presentations and networking, complemented by a media lounge, podcasts and a kick-off event for the press and interested visitors on the morning of the first day of the fair. A further highlight will be the presentation of the Metpack Innovation Awards on the forum area on the Wednesday of the fair.
Keynote by Clarissa Odewald (thyssenkrupp Rasselstein)
Complementing the trade fair and ‘Talk in a Can,’ the Metpack Conference will provide in-depth content through presentations by high caliber experts. One of the program highlights is the keynote by Clarissa Odewald, chairwoman of the executive board of thyssenkrupp Rasselstein. As the first woman to open the specialist conference, she will take the stage on the second day of the fair. Topics will include the metal packaging industry’s decarbonization strategy, new technical processes and projects.
