Screen Graphic Solutions (Screen GA) has announced it won’t be participating in the upcoming drupa 2021 international printing and media trade show, following the exit of a number of exhibitors.
“We have made this decision based on sensible precautions after considering the current circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing opportunities for virtual experiences provided by new communications technologies,” the company said in a statement.
“With both market and social conditions undergoing such drastic changes, Screen GA believes it is essential to accelerate timely communication with our customers and partners. We are continuously creating both virtual and physical communication opportunities designed to ensure the best possible experience.”
A global business responsible for the development of its foundational graphic arts equipment business and providing POD equipment (high-speed inkjet printer), CTP equipment and related services, Screen GA’s extensive product range includes its popular Truepress series.
Its local arm, Screen GP Australia, recently took to the Print, Sign, Display & Graphics Virtual Trade Show to showcase some of its latest technologies, including the Screen FL830, which was initially scheduled to be debuted at drupa 2020.
Screen GP Australia managing director Peter Scott said Screen’s exit from drupa is the right decision in view of the safety of customers and staff.
“Screen has always been a strong supporter of drupa and we have always enjoyed a high number of visitors from Australia and New Zealand. However, the road forward for a safe, pandemic-free Europe is by no means clear and in some areas, a second wave is apparent,” he said.
“Trade shows and especially drupa are all about meeting, networking and socialising and I can’t see this working as early as April 2021, even if planes are flying and borders are quarantine-free. Personally, I have great fondness for drupa and the way Düsseldorf becomes ‘drupa city’ and welcomes the print and communications world. I will miss it but I fear it will be at least another year before the health and safety situation can be deemed normal.
“Planning for participating in events such as drupa takes months or years, so the decision had to be made well in advance. Not to have done so would have been an unacceptable gamble. Personal safety comes first and foremost. I look forward to more certain times and the return of the drupa we know and love.”
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