The top drupa management team was in Australia last night to highlight the upcoming show to local printers, and predicting a bumper event. Messe Dusseldorf CEO Werner Dornscheidt and German manufacturers association general manager Markus Heering briefed the attendees in the Opera House Utzon Room on the mega trade show, which takes place next May 30-June 10.

drupa tour Markus Heering (left) and Werner Dornscheidt

Dornscheidt emphasised the way drupa is responding to the changing industry landscape, saying that drupa 2016 will present print ‘for today, tomorrow, and into the future’, all under the show tagline Touch the Future. He says, “Print is repositioning and so is drupa. Digitalisation, personalisation of print, and cross media integration are major developing themes and drupa will reflect this. Packaging printing and industrial (functional) printing are rapidly growing areas, and again drupa will present the opportunities in these important sectors.” According to Dornscheidt packaging print is on target to hit a global figure of US$975bn by 2018, while industrial/functional print (printing on ceramics, metals, glass, plastics) is surging to US$100m by the end of the decade. The drupa innovation parc (dip) and the drupa cube will play a more prominent role. Dornscheidt says, “Our redesign of drupa is on the right track, evidenced by the number of returning key exhibitors and the number of start-up companies that will be at the show. There will be exhibitors from 130 countries, it is the global print show.

“This drupa will present answers to the questions that printers have such as which technologies are relevant, which solutions will drive my business.” Heering gave a comprehensive talk on development in manufacturing in the industry 4.0 time, which in print 4.0 includes end to end digital workflow. A new drupa app will guide visitors around the show according to their areas of interest. Tickets, which include free public transport in and around Dusseldorf, will be heavily discounted if bought online in advance rather than at the show itself.

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