Plan your day at the fair, find relevant exhibitors and prepare questions that help you take the next step. The guide also includes a selection of packaging companies.
GLF’s editorial visitor guide helps you choose exhibitors, compare alternatives and make time for useful conversations. The advice applies whatever you are looking for at the fair. If you are exploring packaging, the guide also includes a selection of companies and links to their official profiles and stands.
01 Plan your visit
Start with the decisions you want to be ready to make after the fair. Are you looking for a new manufacturing partner, comparing processes or exploring how others solve a production challenge? A clear objective makes it easier to choose between exhibitors, seminars and spontaneous conversations.
Are several people from your company attending? Allocate topics or exhibitors in advance and use the same notes template. This lets purchasing, engineering and production colleagues compare their impressions afterwards.
Try planning a six-hour day at the fair. Give each block of visits an objective, such as comparing two manufacturing methods or finding the right technical contact. Allow more time for the activities that help you move forward, while keeping time for breaks and walking between locations.
This example allows for six hours at the venue. Adjust the minutes to suit your objectives and meetings. The time allocation is a planning aid, not the event programme.
6 h planned
Enter times in minutes, in increments of 15.
Your plan uses your full 6 h at the venue.
Adjust the plan to the current opening hours. This example does not include travel to and from the fair.
02 Choose exhibitors
Use Elmia Subcontractor’s official exhibitor list (opens in a new tab on elmia.se) to find companies and confirm their participation. The organiser’s 2026 exhibitor list was available when we checked on 10 September 2026. Check the year and stand details when finalising your list of exhibitors to visit.
Looking for packaging? Go straight to finding relevant companies, our exhibitor selection or finding the right stand.
Compare companies against the same requirements. Use the questions below when exploring components, processing methods, materials or a service. Choose the criteria that matter most to your decision.
| Criterion | Question to ask | Details to record |
|---|---|---|
| Technical suitability | Which process or expertise would suit our application? | Relevant methods, materials and limitations. |
| Requirements and quality | How can you demonstrate that our tolerances and documentation requirements can be met? | Measurements, tests or documentation to request. |
| Volume and delivery | What conditions apply to our production volume and delivery schedule? | Capacity assumptions, lead time and points to confirm. |
| Comparable experience | Can you describe a similar application? | Examples, differences from our requirements and outstanding questions. |
| Next steps | What do you need for a technical assessment or quotation? | Contact person, agreed supporting information and follow-up date. |
Describe the application, the problem, the approximate scale and when a solution is needed. A sketch or image can make the discussion easier; only share material you are authorised to disclose. Save details that need a dedicated technical review for a follow-up meeting.
After each visit, record: what we learnt, what still needs checking, the responsible contact and the next date. Distinguish the supplier’s statements from information you have verified yourselves.
Start with what needs to be packed, protected or handled. Suppliers of transport packaging, protective materials and packing equipment may each address a different part of the same requirement.
The selection below covers different requirements in wooden packaging, product protection, fibre-based packaging, packing equipment and reusable packaging. Participation has been checked against the organiser’s exhibitor profiles for 2026. Companies are listed alphabetically. This is an editorial selection, not a ranking or a complete exhibitor list. GLF publishes this guide and is included in the selection.
The descriptions summarise the companies’ own information in their exhibitor profiles. GLF’s description is based on our product pages for pallets and wooden packaging, as its exhibitor profile does not describe the product range. These summaries are not independent product assessments. Exhibitor profiles and stand details were checked on . Check each profile again before finalising your visit plan.
| Exhibitor | Relevant for | Question to ask | Stand |
|---|---|---|---|
| AS Technomar & Adrem | Pallets, pallet collars, plywood and other wooden packaging. | Which material and design would suit our goods and handling methods? | B08:92 |
| BEWI Packaging AB | Protective packaging in EPP and EPS. | What protective properties does our product need for transport? | B10:37 |
| GLF TRÄAB AB | Pallets and wooden packaging. GLF publishes this guide. | How should the pallet or wooden packaging be adapted to the dimensions, weight and handling of our goods? | D04:24 |
| Stora Enso Packaging AB | Fibre-based packaging, packaging machinery and automation. | How do the packaging and packing equipment need to work together? | A06:32 |
| Wellplast AB | Reusable plastic packaging, interlayers and packing systems. | What conditions need to be in place to reuse the packaging in our operations? | A04:17 |
Open the company’s official exhibitor profile, check the stand number and follow the organiser’s map link where available. Save the stand number and map alongside the meeting time. Group visits in nearby halls and allow time to walk between them.
GLF is listed at stand D04:24. See GLF’s highlighted stand on Elmia’s map and read what to prepare for a conversation with GLF. For your journey to the venue, see the practical information on getting to Elmia.
03 Programme and meetings
Start with the programme and activities at Elmia Subcontractor (opens in a new tab on elmia.se). Check that the session is for 2026, whether registration is required and where it takes place. Choose sessions that offer a fresh perspective on your main questions and allow time to jot down a few notes afterwards.
Want to arrange meetings with exhibitors in advance? See Subcontractor Connect for meeting bookings (opens in a new tab on elmia.se) and check the organiser’s terms, participants and booking options for this edition of the fair. You can also contact a company directly. A booked meeting does not replace visitor registration.
“We would like to explore [requirement] and compare [options]. Who would be the right person to discuss this with, and could we arrange a time during the fair? We can bring [supporting information].”
Confirm who you will meet, the time, the meeting location and how to contact each other. Note the questions you want answered and who will follow up afterwards.
This is GLF’s sample plan for six hours at the fair, not the organiser’s programme. Times are measured from your arrival. Adjust the order to fit confirmed meetings and seminars, and allow walking time where it is needed.
The table shows a fixed example. If you change the time allocation above, you will need to adjust the length and order of the blocks in your own visit schedule.
| Time after arrival | Activity | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 0–30 min | Orientation and buffer time | Find the right hall and confirm the location of your first meeting. |
| 30–120 min | Priority exhibitor visits | Compare answers to your most important technical question. |
| 120–180 min | Booked meetings | Explore questions that need the right specialist in more depth. |
| 180–225 min | Lunch and a break | Review your notes and remaining priorities. |
| 225–270 min | Seminar, if relevant | Gain a fresh perspective on a selected question. |
| 270–330 min | More exhibitor visits | Explore alternatives or follow up with a new contact. |
| 330–360 min | Review and buffer time | Decide who will follow up on what, and when. |
04 Practical information
Elmia Subcontractor takes place on 10–12 November 2026 at Elmia in Jönköping. The published opening hours for Elmia Subcontractor 2026 (opens in a new tab on elmia.se) show that the fair is open on Tuesday and Wednesday from 09.00 to 17.00 and on Thursday from 09.00 to 16.00. These details were checked on 9 September 2026; check the organiser’s page again before you travel.
Read the organiser’s information on tickets and visitor registration for Elmia Subcontractor (opens in a new tab on elmia.se) and register in advance. The page has the current admission terms. Save your confirmation with your meeting details.
Plan your route using Getting to Elmia (opens in a new tab on elmia.se) and check parking information for Elmia Subcontractor (opens in a new tab on elmia.se) if you are arriving by car or coach. Check connections and departure times with your travel operator. Allow enough time between arrival and your first meeting, and check the parking instructions shortly before you travel.
See Elmia’s hall overview and site map (opens in a new tab on elmia.se) to find your way around the venue. Check the current hall and stand numbers in the published 2026 exhibitor list. Open the exhibitor’s profile and follow any map link beside the stand number. Save the details in your visit list and check them again before heading to a booked meeting.
Also planning to visit Scanpack? See our visitor guide to Scanpack 2027 to plan exhibitor visits, programme sessions and meetings.
05 Talk to GLF
A new component, supplier or production run can also change how goods need to be packed and handled. GLF works with standard pallets, custom pallets and wooden packaging. We may be a useful contact if you want to discuss packaging for a product or a transport flow.
GLF is listed at stand D04:24 at Elmia Subcontractor 2026. You will find us under GLF TRÄAB AB in the organiser’s exhibitor list. See the stand highlighted on Elmia’s map. The profile and stand were checked on . Contact us in advance if you would like to discuss a specific question, so we can agree on the right contact person and how to approach the conversation.
Have the dimensions and weight of your goods ready, along with details of how they are lifted and stacked, the transport method and destination, and approximate quantities and delivery frequency. Also describe what needs to improve, such as fit, handling or protection during transport.
If a pallet or packaging needs to be adapted to the dimensions of your goods and the requirements for handling and protection, read more about our custom pallet and packaging solutions. For an example of work on internal material flows, you can also read the article about GLF’s KTP project for warehouse optimisation.
Contact us ahead of your visit to stand D04:24 or to follow up after the fair.
