35 Years of EPAL
The world’s largest open pallet pool celebrates its 35th birthday. More than 300 invited guests from all over the world will meet in Munich for a unique event – including, of course, numerous manufacturers and repairers of EPAL pallets, as well as suppliers, service providers and many old friends.
All guests can look forward to a varied programme. Presentations with the latest information on the pallet market, discussions with 20 exhibitors, plenty of time for networking and, of course, the grand anniversary celebration in the evening promise an exciting day for all participants.
Find out more on this website about the programme for the EPAL Anniversary Conference 2026.
The venue for the anniversary conference and the anniversary celebration on 19 June 2026 is Motorworld Munich – one of the most spectacular event venues in Germany. At its heart is the extraiordinary Locomotive Hall– at around 185 metres long and 90 metres wide, one of the largest historic steel-framed halls in Europe. In addition to the unique conference venue, guests of the anniversary conference can also look forward to an impressive exhibition of sports cars and classic cars.
More information below.
INFORMATION
Learn more important topics and news from the pallet industry.
Networking
Get in touch with the most important players of the pallet industry.
CELEBRATION
Enjoy an entertaining evening with the participants of the conference.
CONFERENCE AGENDA
EPAL Anniversary Conference
19 June 2026
8.00 – 9.00 a.m. | Arrival of Participants
Networking breakfast
The conference areas open at 8:00 a.m. Conference attendees can enjoy a light breakfast while networking or engaging in conversations with exhibitors.
9.00 – 10.00 a.m. | Welcome & Opening
Honoring EPAL’s past, shaping EPAL’s future
Speakers: Dirk Hoferer and Jarek Maciążek, Presidents of EPAL
The conference will be opened by the two Presidents of EPAL, Jarek Maciążek and Dirk Hoferer. Together, they will look back on the history of EPAL and give an outlook on the future of EPAL.
Market Outlook: The timber market at a Turning Point
Speaker: Rob Driessen, Owner and Managing Director of Connec3 BV
The market for logs and sawn timber is constantly changing: climate change, political conflicts, national and international regulation as well as increasing competition on the demand side are changing the conditions for purchasing wood. This session will show what the pallet industry needs to prepare for in the coming years and which scenarios need to be taken into account.
10.00 – 10.30 a.m. | Coffee Break & Networking
10.30 – 11.30 a.m. | European Legislation: What the Industry Needs to Know Now
EUDR: What do the amended regulations of the EUDR mean for the pallet industry?
Speaker: Lukas Freise, Managing Director Working Group Raw Wood of the Main Association of the German Wood Industry (HDH)
Lukas Freise is a renowned expert in the field of EUDR. Since the publication of the first version of the EUDR, he has been explaining the consequences to German industry and questioning the meaning and purpose of the complex matter. Following the amendment of the EUDR in December 2025, Lukas Freise explains the challenges that remain for the pallet industry.
PPWR: New Rules Reshaping Packaging in Europe
Speaker: Bernd Dörre, CEO of EPAL
The application of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) will start on 12.08.2026 and will have a significant impact on pallet manufacturers and users. This session will explain what manufacturers and users of EPAL pallets need to consider and how EPAL is preparing the EPAL pallet pool for the new conditions.
Panel Discussion: Timber Industry in Transition – Resource Efficiency, Regulation and Political Pressure
Moderator: AN Xiaowei "Anna"
Guests: Lukas Freise, Bernd Dörre
The timber industry is navigating one of the most demanding periods in its recent history. Rising compliance requirements, pressure on resources and political uncertainty are forcing businesses to adapt quickly. This panel brings together industry experts to discuss what comes next for the EPAL network.
11.30 a.m. – 12.00 p.m. | Coffee Break & Networking
12.00 – 1.00 p.m. | Digitalisation and Automation in the Pallet Industry and Logistics
Smarter Pallets - Smarter Supply Chains!
Speaker: Mateusz Boruta (ECR Polska)
Digitalisation is becoming a competitive necessity. Mateusz Boruta will show how the Digital Pallet Passport (DPP), the Sustainable Pallet Management Programme (SPM) and the EPAL Euro pallet QR code can create added value that goes far beyond simple traceability for EPAL producers and repairers. The focus is on combining practical benefits for users with growing demand for greater service and sustainability in EPAL pallets.
Quality Reimagined: AI Inspection, Sorting Systems and New Opportunities for the EPAL Network
Speaker: Michael Brandt, Head of Logistics & Innovation (EPAL)
As automation and AI continue to advance, the EPAL pallet pool quality assessment is entering a new era. Michael Brandt explores how automated sorting, digital inspection and AI-supported systems will improve efficiency, consistency and transparency across the entire EPAL network. The question will be, how to balance between standardized quality requirements and individual customer expectations.
Automation in Motion: What Pallet Users Expect from the Logistics of Tomorrow
Speaker: Timo Landener (Das Gleiche in Grün?!)
Labour shortages, rising wage costs and growing operational pressure are accelerating automation in warehouses and supply chains. Maximum efficiency will be gained by new technologies with AI and humanoid robots. Timo Landener will highlight the issues that tomorrow’s logistics is already dealing with, and the requirements pallet users (logistics operators) are likely to place on standardization of EPAL pallets, robotics and digital logistics in the years ahead.
Panel Discussion: Standards, Expectations and the Future of the EPAL pallet Pool
Moderator: AN Xiaowei "Anna", Bernd Dörre
Guests: Timo Landener, Mateusz Boruta, Michael Brandt
Quality is one of the cornerstones of the open EPAL pallet pool, but market requirements are becoming increasingly diverse. This discussion addresses the growing tension between standardisation, customer-specific expectations and cost pressure. It will explore whether EPAL pallet quality and EPAL-specific requirements are aligned with the increasing demands of automation and digitalisation. Can we keep pace with rapidly advancing technology, or is that not even necessary because the future is still impossible to predict today?
1.00 – 2.00 p.m. | Lunch Break
2.00 – 3.00 p.m. | EPAL – Past, Present and Future
35 Years of EPAL: What Brings Us Together
Speaker: The EPAL team
This hour belongs to EPAL alone. We celebrate EPAL’s anniversary and look back on the foundation and history of EPAL. Old friends and new partners from all EPAL countries take us on a journey from the past to the future of EPAL.
3.00 – 3.30 p.m. | Coffee Break & Networking
3.30 – 4.30 p.m. | Keynote
Keynote: Working with AI – From the Origins of Work to the Workplace of 2050
Speaker: Daniel Cronin “The Pitch Professor”
Artificial intelligence is changing not only the way we work, but also how we think about work itself. Daniel Cronin will take participants on a journey from the historical development of work through to the far-reaching changes that AI could bring in future — for companies, leaders, skills and society. It also raises the question of whether AI can truly be innovative at all, and whether AI can in fact be applied in the pallet industry.
4.30 – 5.00 p.m. | Closing
Closing Remarks and Official Close of the Conference
Speaker: Robert Holliger, Honorary president of EPAL
Dirk Hoferer and Jarek Maciążek, Presidents of EPAL
Robert Holliger was one of the people who founded EPAL in 1991. He was President of EPAL from 2010 to 2022 and shares with us his view of the development of EPAL over the last 35 years. Afterwards, the current presidents, Jarek Maciążek and Dirk Hoferer, will conclude the conference.
5.00 – 7.30 p.m. | Networking Break
Networking Break
After the end of the conference, the conference room will be prepared for the anniversary celebration in the evening. Conference participants and exhibitors will be able to continue their discussions in a relaxed atmosphere during the break. There is now enough time to visit Motorworld together and discover many extraordinary cars.
7.30 p.m. – 12.00 midnight | Celebration
Anniversary Celebration
The anniversary celebration on the evening of 19 June 2026 is the festive closure to the events marking EPAL’s anniversary. All participants – licensees, exhibitors and partners as well as all friends of EPAL – will meet for an entertaining evening in a relaxed atmosphere. No dress code.
Partner
An important part of the EPAL pallet pool are the suppliers of technology and pallet components.
22 of these partners are supporting the EPAL Anniversary Conference as exhibitors and offering participants the opportunity to engage in informative discussions.
Click on the company logos to get more information about the exhibitors.
Location
The EPAL Anniversary Conference and the Anniversary Celebration on 19 June 2026 will take place at Motorworld Munich, one of Munich’s most distinctive event locations.
Set within a beautifully restored former locomotive repair hall, Motorworld Munich combines impressive industrial heritage with a unique contemporary atmosphere. The venue is renowned not only for its striking architecture, but also for its fascinating world of classic cars, sports cars and premium automotive brands, making it an exceptional setting for this special anniversary occasion.
Both events will be held in the Dampfdom and the Rotunde, located on the upper floor of Motorworld Munich. These areas are easily accessible via the escalators directly opposite the main entrance.
Address:
Motorworld Munich
Am Ausbesserungswerk 8
80939 Munich
Germany
Getting there
By car or taxi
Motorworld Munich is conveniently located close to the A9 motorway (Freimann exit). Munich city centre is approximately 7.5 km away, and Munich Airport is around 25 km from the venue. Paid parking is available on site and in the nearby parking garage.
By public transport
From Marienplatz or Odeonsplatz, take the U6 towards Garching and get off at Freimann. The journey takes around 10 minutes, followed by a 5–10 minute walk to the venue. Please follow the signs for “M.O.C.” or “Zenith”.
For the return journey, take the U6 towards Klinikum Grosshadern. The U6 will operate throughout the night on 19/20 June 2026.