Warm Welcome from Expo Officials

The chairman of Drupa 2004, Albrecht Bolza-Schünemann, president of KBA of Germany, says, "Drupa is the most dynamic marketplace in the printing industry, a place where new products are not just presented—but above all, sold. During Drupa 2000, exhibitors achieved outstanding levels of business. In addition, the meetings there and the numerous new contacts results in high expectations for post-show business.

"The message is clear: Drupa is worth your while. Nowhere else will you find better conditions or meet more industry people ready to invest. Make the right choice: Drupa 2004 and your success."

Bolza-Schünemann—noting that the special "millennium" Drupa held in May 2000 was a "happy Drupa" in the truest sense of the word, a trade fair of superlatives, possibly the best in its 50-year history—capped a successful decade for the print and media industry marked by stable growth and groundbreaking innovations.

Moreover, he adds, the printing industry is a growth market; in many countries, it is the driving economic force. Typically, the official says, worldwide print media revenues are expected to see a volume of more than $750 billion each year.

"Yet our industry is facing new challenges," warns Bolza-Schünemann. "We need to reach new levels of print media productivity and quality. The mixture of print and on-line media has engendered new possibilities and fields of business previously unimaginable. Collectively, our job is to tap and take advantage of these in the years to come."

At the same time, he adds, the exhibits in Düsseldorf next May will be filled with much more than just printing and paper technology, the show's original focus. Alongside the digital networking of all graphic arts processes, new technologies for the finishing of printed sheets are becoming increasingly popular. The advantages are clear: print products are given a unique look, while the various finishing processes enhance the value of publications and set them apart from digital media.

Meanwhile, Manuel Mataré of the fairgrounds company, Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, where Drupa 2004 will be staged in May, is serving as project director for the expo. He says, "Explaining what Drupa means for the printing and media sector worldwide is like preaching to the choir. Drupa is to this industry what the Olympic Games are to sports."

He says the trade fair will give everyone whose business is printing and paper the chance to share experiences and exchange news and views with colleagues from around the globe.

"Particularly in the print and media industry," he explains, "new technology, innovative concepts, and cutting-edge developments often require further explanation. The Internet, new IT structures, and changing customer attitudes are major factors, as are the steps towards cost-cutting and automation that are so desperately needed in many operations.

"As the industry's No. 1 event, Drupa 2004 showcases a host of new solutions and a variety of innovations in printing and the media. But how can users and Drupa visitors get a handle on this flood of information? For the first time, in 2004 Messe Düsseldorf is working with several partners to offer a specialist Drupa ancillary program to provide participants with specialty background information needed to better understand these innovations."

Mataré lists the following informational programs:

• Workshop-like "Compass Sessions" organized by the German Printing and Media Industries Federation on current topics will be held daily for a maximum of two hours.
• In the Drupa "innovation arena," hardware and software developments will be presented live and via video broadcasting.
• The "software innovation parc" and the adjoining dynamic "document parc" offers a platform for small companies, start-ups operations, and spin-offs.
• Finally, "Highlights Tours" organized by the Deutsche Drucker publishing house in cooperation with Messe Düsseldorf provide guided tours through specialized Drupa exhibit categories.

Thus, concludes the Drupa project director, visitors can gather optimal information as well as independent and objective assessments of the exhibits.

To order Drupa 2004 entrance passes, show directories, or the discount Düsseldorf Welcome Card in advance, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America at (312) 781-5180, fax (312) 781-5188, or info@mdna.com via e-mail. For complete, current expo information, visit mdna.com or drupa.com on the Web.

Next month in Countdown Drupa: Profiling typical visitors and exhibitors participating in Drupa 2004.