The inevitable decision came last week: Drupa was to be cancelled and would return only in 2024. It was the sensible decision, though hard for the Messe to make and hard too on numerous companies in the industry that have come to rely on the leads generated by Drupa to drive sales from one show to the next. They will have to use other means, online and, dare we hope, using print.
This will be particularly painful for companies that have yet to make the breakthrough into public consciousness or for those with technologies and products that are going to be needed, perhaps even more so in post pandemic times. With the appetite for investment likely to remain subdued, these developers will find it hard to replace the impact that Drupa can make. It is not just newcomers. Old hands float new concepts at Drupa, as a kind of supermarket testing project. HP Indigo wanted to do this with the V12 concept for flexible packaging print.
Now these hopes have been sunk and ironically the Messe will reschedule Boot, its annual boat show in the days set aside for Drupa. This will help the mitigate the pain for the Messe and for Düsseldorf as a whole, though few drink, eat and occupy as many hotel rooms as the printing industry. The biggest loss may prove to be the inspiration and exchange of ideas that are sparked by demonstration of exciting new products and the rekindling of the confidence that printing is indeed an industry with a great future.
Pandemic sinks Drupa’s boat
The inevitable decision came last week: Drupa was to be cancelled and would return only in 2024. It was the sensible decision, though hard for the Messe to make and hard too on numerous companies in the industry that have come to rely on the leads generated by Drupa to drive sales from one show to the next. They will have to use other means, online and, dare we hope, using print.
This will be particularly painful for companies that have yet to make the breakthrough into public consciousness or for those with technologies and products that are going to be needed, perhaps even more so in post pandemic times. With the appetite for investment likely to remain subdued, these developers will find it hard to replace the impact that Drupa can make. It is not just newcomers. Old hands float new concepts at Drupa, as a kind of supermarket testing project. HP Indigo wanted to do this with the V12 concept for flexible packaging print.
Now these hopes have been sunk and ironically the Messe will reschedule Boot, its annual boat show in the days set aside for Drupa. This will help the mitigate the pain for the Messe and for Düsseldorf as a whole, though few drink, eat and occupy as many hotel rooms as the printing industry. The biggest loss may prove to be the inspiration and exchange of ideas that are sparked by demonstration of exciting new products and the rekindling of the confidence that printing is indeed an industry with a great future.
Gareth Ward
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