46^th AGM – FIA^UK Annual General Meeting 2025

Blue Room, Rudding Park, Harrogate – 4.30pm

Apologies:

James Mason
Mark Faulkner
Mark Hawkins

Chair Steve Mulcahy

• Opened the meeting to welcome everyone in attendance

DWH Overview

• Membership
  • Continues to grow and an increase in the number of both Ruby and Diamond Partners for 2025/6
• Pillars of Activity summarised by DWH
  • Networking & Events
  • Projects – Young People/Future of Packaging/Plate Recycling/Sustainability and Circular Economy/Academy
  • Education & Training
  • Additional Benefits
  • Marketing and Social Media
• Events for 2025 – now have a number of annual events
  • Q1 event – focuses on relevant topics for our industry. 2025 focus was on integrated data
  • Annual NextGen event – another success in 2025 and plans for 2026 in progress
  • June 26^th Awards Dinner
  • September Golf Day
  • November – Diamond Partners Dinner
• Additional Benefits
  • Management training and bespoke development training via FIA’ partner InPD
  • Level 3 Apprenticeship and Degree Apprenticeship through partners
  • Marketing and Social media – newsletters cover FIA activities and updates and news on partners
  • LinkedIn posts and Instagram posts weekly covering activities and news
  • FIA is a member of the Packaging Federation, FTA Europe and the GPMA on behalf of its members
  • Packaging Federation for legislation information, lobbying and working together as an industry
  • FTA Europe for European legislation information, networking on a European level and as an umbrella association for the European country FTAs
  • Quest – to offer information and help on HR, health and safety and legal issues where required
• Projects
  • Debbie gave an update on the Young People project and the Sustainability project
  • Matt Bates gave an update on the plate recycling project
  • Olga Munroe gave an update on the collaborative groups on the future of packaging, with a FIA group planned for 2026
• Academy project
• DWH gave an update with a short video. Go-live planned for January 2026
• Big thank you to the FIA Board Directors for their help and support and particular thank yous to some industry experts who gave up their time and expertise and gave invaluable input – in particular
  • Our former Chair – Andy Wilson – for his avatar proposal and idea
  • Stuart Mitchell from Sandon
  • Cy Davies from Absolute
  • Tony Rymer from Roberts Mart
  • Nick Mitchell from Contact
  • David Muncaster from Heaford
  • Christian Knightly from Tesa
  • Leigh Gracie from Smurfit Westrock
  • John Lewis from Arden Dies
• In discussion with EFTA Benelux to use the platform
• Plan to expand the modules

• 2026 plans
  • New FIA website
  • Increase visibility and relevance of the Packaging industry
  • Legislation, Sustainability and Circularity

• CEO report was proposed by Matt Bates and seconded by Christian Knightly.

Finance Report – Richard Hulme

• RH presented the accounts including various key metrics
• The association is in a strong cash position at the end of the fiscal period
• The end of the year accounts and financial report were proposed by Stuart Mitchell and seconded by Tim Hilton

Election of the Board

• The election of the board for 2025/26 was accepted by all in attendance
• The members of the Shadow Board were presented for information and there are places still available

Questions

• Lewis Taylor asked if the age limit on the Shadow Board could be increased to 40 from 35
• Question on the Academy and whether it is open to non-members. DWH confirmed that it is but the cost is double