drupa, the world’s leading trade fair for printing technologies, has decided to reduce the duration of the trade fair from eleven to nine days for 2021. It will be held from April 20-28, 2021. By doing so, it is responding to the wishes of the partner association VDMA (Printing and Paper Technology Trade Association) and many exhibitors to make the trade fair presentation more efficient and to concentrate the volume of visitors in a targeted manner. This is also in reaction to any continuing travel activities and restrictions.
Wiesloch-Walldorf site
“Since we are currently assuming that fewer visitors from overseas will be able to travel to drupa 2021, we consider a reduction from eleven to nine days to be sensible in order to direct visitor flows more efficiently. At the same time, the duration of nine days ensures that running machines can still be shown, which is a unique selling point of drupa,” explains drupa President Claus Bolza-Schünemann.
Current booking status….
Despite some corona-related cancellations, the current booking status remains at a high level with over 1,500 exhibitors and a net hall space of more than 140,000 sqm. This once again underlines the industry’s confidence in the international appeal of the event and the need for face-to-face meetings, acquisition of new customers or live presentation of running machines still exists. “Many of our customers also see it as their own responsibility to strengthen the industry and provide important impulses personally on site,” says drupa Director Sabine Geldermann.
Many bigwings have cancelled their participation at the show due to the ongoing pandemic. Heres a peak.
Manroland Sheetfed pulls out of drupa 2021
Manroland Sheetfed GmbH, the German printing press builder, has pulled out of drupa.
Group Managing Director, Rafael Peñuela-Torres, said, “Exhibiting at drupa, or any other trade fair for that matter, makes absolutely no sense during the current Coronavirus pandemic.”
“….it is regrettable, as we would have been exhibiting with live demonstrations of both our recently launched ROLAND 900 Evolution press and the new ROLAND 700 Evolution Elite, but unfortunately it is just not practicable in the current circumstances. Instead we will be holding a series of live webinars in the autumn.”
Heidelberg focusses on new, virtual trade fair concepts and regional events
Covid-19 has accelerated the move towards digital and local events. Although there is no way of knowing what the impact of corona will be next year, Heidelberg has decided to not participate in international trade fairs next year and will thus not be taking part in drupa. As a longtime partner to drupa, Heidelberg will be happy to continue to offer its experience when it comes to bringing future trade fair concepts into line with new digital possibilities and customer requirements.
Instead, the kick-off will be at the “Innovation Week” from 19 to 23 October 2020. Under the slogan “Unfold your potential”, Heidelberg will be presenting a wealth of product innovations that focus on packaging and commercial, including autonomous printing, end-to-end solutions, Smart Print Shop and Push-to-Stop. The Innovation Week will take place via livestream as well as face-to-face at the Wiesloch / Walldorf location. Heidelberg has already had positive experience of using digital channels in its presentation of the innovations that had been planned for this year’s drupa.
“We will be investing more in new, virtual trade fair concepts to ensure closer and more individual customer communications as well as in regional events in our growth markets. This means we will be able to consistently align ourselves with our customers’ expectations”, says Rainer Hundsdörfer, CEO of Heidelberg. “The Innovation Week will now enable us to communicate with our customers as soon as possible and to present our innovation offensive.”
Komori cancels its participation at drupa
Komori Corporation has canceled its participation to the drupa 2021 exhibition postponed, due to remaining concerns over the spread of novel coronavirus infectious disease. The comprehensive decision to suspend the exhibit is made in response to the continued raging of the novel coronavirus infectious disease and its serious impact to the economy of both the developed and emerging countries, taking into consideration the potential risks of second or third surge of the pandemic, and to put highest priority in securing the health and safety of their global customers as well as their employees.
While an extremely unusual circumstance prevents KOMORI from participating in the drupa 2021, their plan is to launch an array of new products and services in the days to come, through open house events and active participations to regional exhibitions. New information will also be released utilizing various media such as corporate websites, information and video distribution service using emails or SNS, online exhibitions and webinars.
The pace of social and industrial structure change have accelerated rapidly in 2020, transforming the operating climate of the printing industry. Aiming to become a company that inspire customer Kando: Beyond expectations, KOMORI always put customers first.
KOMORI put forward its concept of Connected Automation to revolutionize labor productivity of the printing industry. The KP-Connect is the core of an open platform to bring the concept into reality, through connection of various machines including offset and digital printing systems that are equipped with latest automation technologies, also providing new values through its role as an important remote communication tool between customers and KOMORI.
Bobst and Xerox also pull out of the show
Bobst emphasized that since the number of industry events and trade fairs has increased in recent years in an almost boom-like manner and that new communication technologies have at the same time proven that customer contacts can be made efficiently. In order to make its customer contacts more efficient, Bobst will make more intensive use of its existing in-house expertise centers and offer customers new tools for accessing product and solution demonstrations.
While, Xerox announced that it would not be participating in drupa 2021 due to the continuing uncertainty caused by the Corona pandemic.
On a concluding note…
Despite everything, in order to guarantee a professional and safe trade fair as usual, drupa not only adapted the general conditions but also relies on a hygiene and infection protection concept that is continuously adapted to the latest corona protection regulations and official requirements. Sabine Geldermann points out, “The character of drupa in 2021, due to the pandemic and hygiene regulations, will certainly be different from what we are used to, but it will continue to make a very important contribution to the economic recovery.”