Winning Together: Inside Smurfit Westrock’s 2026 Customer Event
Months of planning, collaboration and hard work came to life at St George’s Park, the home of England football, on 15th September, as Smurfit Westrock UK&I welcomed customers and colleagues from across the UK to their customer event, Winning Together 2026.
At the heart of the event was the belief that the strongest results happen when working side by side with customers. Winning Together was not a traditional sales exhibition. It was an opportunity to listen, exchange ideas and demonstrate how the breadth of expertise across Smurfit Westrock can help customers navigate challenges, embrace new opportunities and create value through sustainable packaging solutions.
The transformation of St George’s Park’s Sir Steve Daley arena set the tone for the day. Through an enormous collaborative effort, the arena, traditionally used as a dedicated futsal pitch and training facility for England's national and para football teams, was transformed into an immersive packaging experience, filled with interactive exhibits, live demonstrations and practical examples. Customers could explore everything from shopper insight and creative design to automation, sustainability, supply-chain performance and the breadth of packaging solutions available across the business.
Behind every element was a team of colleagues who had worked hard to create something genuinely valuable for customers. From those who shaped the content and built the exhibits to the hosts, speakers, designers and support teams who brought the experience to life, Winning Together was itself an example of what hard work and team effort can achieve.
Bringing “Winning Together” to life
Throughout the arena, customers were encouraged to explore the areas most relevant to their businesses and speak directly with experts from across Smurfit Westrock.
The experience demonstrated how packaging can create value at every stage of its journey. Customers discovered ideas for attracting shoppers and strengthening on-shelf performance, alongside opportunities to improve automation, reduce waste, unlock supply-chain efficiencies and prepare for changing sustainability and compliance requirements.
Most importantly, the day created space for open and meaningful conversations. It was not simply about showing customers what Smurfit Westrock can make. It was about understanding their priorities and demonstrating how expertise from across the business can be brought together to support them.
Jason Peckham, UK Customer Partnerships Director, said:
“One of the highlights of the day was seeing customers get actively involved and share their own perspectives. Winning Together was designed to spark conversations, challenge thinking and explore new opportunities together, and that’s exactly what happened.”
From insight to idea with Design2Market
One of the day’s most interactive experiences invited customers to become part of the packaging design process through Smurfit Westrock’s Design2Market.
Design2Market brings insight, creativity and collaboration together to develop and evaluate packaging concepts. During the live experience at Winning Together, the Smurfit Westrock design team created concepts for customers to review and vote on, giving attendees a direct influence over how the final design developed.
As votes came in throughout the day, customers could see how insight and feedback shaped the creative direction in real time. The experience offered a practical demonstration of how bringing the right expertise and perspectives together can accelerate innovation and lead to stronger packaging decisions.
Rather than simply hearing about collaboration, customers became an active part of it.
Fresh thinking for a changing packaging landscape
Expert-led seminars throughout the day, gave customers the opportunity to step away from the exhibition space and explore some of the issues having the greatest influence on packaging decisions currently.
Rethinking Packaging Value in the Retail Space, led by Richard Davies, UK Retail Director; Arran Gosling, Retail Insight Manager; and Jess Steadman, Head of Client Development – Display, examined how smarter packaging and operational decisions can improve efficiency, reduce costs and strengthen retailer relationships.
Change is Coming: Are You Ready for What’s Next?, presented by Lianne Pemberton, UK&I Sustainability Lead; Natalie Appleby, UK Technical Manager; and Jonathon Crawford, UK Technical Manager, focused on evolving sustainability expectations and packaging legislation. The session explored what may lie ahead and how businesses can prepare for future requirements while continuing to make commercially effective packaging choices.
Together, the sessions gave attendees practical insight into both the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of packaging.
An inspiring close with Sir Chris Hoy
A standout moment came when six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy took to the stage.
Drawing on his journey to become one of Britain’s most successful Olympians, he spoke about elite performance, resilience and the importance of continually looking for ways to improve. His reflections brought the wider Winning Together theme to life, showing how shared goals, preparation and support from the right team can turn ambition into achievement.
His keynote provided an inspiring close to a day centred on collaboration, fresh thinking and the pursuit of better.
To mark the occasion, Smurfit Westrock chose to make a £10,000 donation to Sir Chris Hoy's Tour de 4 charity initiative in place of traditional customer gifts. The donation recognised the impact of the initiative's work in raising awareness and supporting those affected by cancer.
An unforgettable experience at the home of England football
The setting alone helped make this event truly memorable, but Winning Together gave customers exclusive access to areas and experiences at St George's Park that are typically reserved for the athletes who train there.
Customers enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of the state-of-the-art facilities, gaining first-hand insight into the world-class environment used to develop and support England's elite footballers and athletes.
The experience included a 60-minute football session on the Sir Bobby Charlton Pitch, an exact replica of the Wembley playing surface and home to England's senior teams, complete with a 500-seat stand. Guests also had the opportunity to experience recovery in the cryotherapy chamber and dine in Club England, enjoying food prepared by the FA's chefs in the same dining room used by England players and staff.
The day provided a unique opportunity to step inside the home of English football and see first-hand the facilities that help support performance at the highest level.
Eddie Fellows, UK&I CEO, said:
“Our Winning Together event was a fantastic opportunity to spend time together with our customers, most importantly to ensure we are providing practical and sustainable solutions to the very significant challenges they’re facing.”
More than an event
Winning Together was the result of months of preparation and the efforts of colleagues from across Smurfit Westrock. Every exhibit, seminar, experience and conversation played a part in creating a day designed around customers and the challenges and opportunities that matter to them.
The feedback from attendees reflected the impact of the day. Customers highlighted the opportunity to gain fresh perspectives on future packaging challenges, explore new ideas and connect with experts from across the business. Many spoke about the value of stepping away from day-to-day responsibilities to focus on innovation, sustainability and future opportunities, while others praised the chance to see the full breadth of expertise and support available across Smurfit Westrock. The collaborative approach of Smurfit Westrock colleagues also stood out, with customers recognising the enthusiasm, expertise and teamwork on display throughout the event, helping to create a welcoming atmosphere that embodied the spirit of Winning Together.
One customer shared:
"For our business, there are a lot of things we're picking up today that we haven't thought about before. It's making us think outside the box."
Another added:
"It's really good to be in one place, take the time and focus on what matters and things outside of our day-to-day job, looking at new things we can implement and innovate with."
The conversations and opportunities created at St George’s Park will continue long after the event itself. Winning Together showed what can happen when expertise, ideas and ambition come together around a shared goal: supporting customers, solving challenges and creating greater value together.
