One of the biggest outcome of Drupa 2012 was that it reminded the organizer of the show that things have changed and it’s time for a major shake up. It seems that Messe Duesseldorf got the message and they are applying the lessons they learned to Drupa 2016. In a recent announcement drupa organizer outlined the new structure of drupa. Based on the drupa’s press release After a strategic realignment, the drupa 2016 will be relaunched with a substantially reviewed nomenclatura and a new key signifier. With the slogan “touch the future” it will focus on the industry’s innovative strength and establish a platform for future technologies.
“No other trade fair – regional or international, marginal event or special trade show – is of similar relevance for the entire industry. The drupa trade fair presents innovations and trends, provides hands-on experience of the printing and media industry, makes visions come to life and turns investments into real products,“ Werner Matthias Dorn-scheidt, President & CEO Messe Düsseldorf, summed up the drupa’s unique selling point at his press conference on 12 May. “During more than sixty years, the drupa has been tried and tested – and has never failed to impress. And the drupa 2016 will be no different,” Dornscheidt continued. The secret of this event’s success can be summed up in three points: trend spotting, active endorsement and tailored trade show con-cepts.
At present, the printing industry is undergoing radical structural changes and far-reaching consolidation processes. At the same time, new technologies such as func-tional printing, printed electronics and 3D printing, which have significantly increased their market share, provide major opportunities and potential for growth. The same applies to applications and solutions in the area of digital printing, package and label printing as well as to the industrial production segment. “It is precisely on these areas that the drupa’s structural realignment and repositioning measures are focused, high-lighting the industry’s innovative strength,” Dornscheidt emphasized. “Together with our partners, the VDMA, our member companies Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, Koenig & Bauer, Kolbus, Leonhard Kurz, manroland web systems, Polar-Mohr, tech-notrans, Voith, Windmöller & Hölscher – to name but a few, and global players such as Bobst, Canon, EFI, Gallus, Hewlett-Packard, Ricoh and Xerox we have developed the concept for the drupa’s re-launch,” Dorscheidt explained at his press conference in Düsseldorf.
The drupa 2016 will stand for “Print & Crossmedia Solutions”. All technical processes related to the areas of printing and crossmedia, the entire range of applications and business areas will be presented at the drupa 2016. Solution-oriented technologies and applications as well as innovative business ideas or best-practice examples will be in the spotlight. The drupa’s new claim – No. 1 for Print and Crossmedia – says it in a nutshell.
In addition to this strategic realignment the drupa’s corporate design received a com-plete makeover and a new key signifier which highlights the innovative strength of this industry. It was important to retain tried-and-tested elements such as the pixel logo and the colour red, while conveying a new image which underlines the claim of the new drupa.
Future Technologies
The slogan “touch the future” puts a spotlight on the industry’s innovative strength and future technologies such as printed electronics and 3D printing. The drupa 2012 launched and prepared the market for pioneering technologies, and they have become increasingly integrated into the trade fair concept. In cooperation with the partners OE-A (Organic Electronics Association) and ESMA (Association in Europe for Spe-cialist Printing Manufacturers of Screen, Digital and Flexo technology), the PEPSO brand – Printed Electronics Products and Solutions – was established. This issue was initially addressed by introducing a special show and roadmap, which has now been developed into a unique concept. Since its premiere in 2012, the PEPSO brand has been systematically advanced and featured at six flagship fairs glasstec, COM-PAMED, EuroCIS, K, EuroShop and interpack. This evolution will also become evi-dent at the interpack 2014 where international exhibitors will present the latest trends and developments in functional printing and printed electronics.
The drupa handles the issue of 3D printing with the same strategic approach, and has introduced the “3D fab + print” brand, which is supported by the VDMA with its affiliated Printing and Paper Technology association.
