GAMAA will conduct a full review of its co-owned trade shows PacPrint and PrintEx following drupa’s announcement to move to a three-year-cycle, a decision which the suppliers association says will affect all trade shows, including those in Australia. However the decision from Germany will have no impact on the upcoming PrintEx, slated for May 13-15 in Sydney. Speaking with Australian Printer, Mitch Mulligan president of GAMAA, which co-presents both PrintEx and PacPrint with the PIAA, says, “The international trade show environment continues to evolve as the needs of the industry shift. This is reflected in the announcement this week that drupa will move to a three-year-cycle.”
Mitch Mulligan
“So as a natural process we will reassess how to deal with the changing environment and we are in the process of a full review of trade shows with our membership. “I believe that the decision by drupa will advantage them and their vendors, who drive the show. For them it must be a collective decision to change. But everyone will be analysing this news to see what they need to do.” “At this point we don’t think it will affect us considering it is not in the near future. Our focus is on PrintEx15, which will be held in Sydney May 13 to 15 at Sydney Showgrounds. The news from drupa comes after the giant show first proposed a three year cycle in November 2012, but at the time major exhibitors such as Heidelberg, HP and KBA were all against it. However as print continues to change and as new markets emerge drupa organiser has persuaded the committee that a three-year-cycle is the way to go. Following the 2016 event drupa will take place in May 2019, 2022 and 2025. Ordinarily there would be a PrintEx scheduled for May 2019 and a PacPrint for May 2025. These shows will need to reschedule. The Australians are not alone, every print show around the world will be impacted by the drupa decision, Igas for instance has a 2019 show scheduled. While 2016 drupa has its number of days reduced, down to 11 with only one weekend, from the 14 or 15 days of previous shows there is no word yet on the number of days for the three year shows, but they are unlikely to revert back to 15. This decision to switch to three years was taken by the drupa committee this week in Düsseldorf. Claus Bolza-Schünemann, chairman of the drupa Advisory Board and president of KBA says, “The entire print process chain has changed radically because of the internet and digital technologies. “New applications and solutions are developing and opening up new fields of business. At the same time, there is more focus on innovative technologies, such as 3D printing, printed electronics and functional printing. “It is more important than ever before that our customers have an overview of the latest technology, and are also inspired to use new business models and solutions. “drupa is the only specialist trade fair in the world to offer this– and will do so every three years in the future.”
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