To meet the changing preferences of drupa attendees, the 2028 drupa global trade fair for printing technologies will be two days shorter than the drupa 2024 was.
The 2024 edition of the drupa trade fair for printing technologies ran 11 days from May 28 to June 7 and attracted visitors from 173 counties to displays in 18 exhibition halls in Düsseldorf, Germany. The 1,643 exhibitors from 52 nations presented a huge variety of innovations for users of digital printing and finishing systems, industrial printers, and modern offset, gravure, and flexographic printing systems.
True to its four-year cycle, the next drupa will be held in 2028. But it will be a 9-day event from May 9-17, 2028.
While drupa 2024 demonstrated its relevance as a global trade fair, the show’s organizers acknowledge that printing-related trade shows must continue to evolve as technology continues to transform the printing and packaging industries.
Wolfram N. Diener, Chairman and CEO of Messe Dusseldorf noted that “drupa 2024 was more international than ever. The positive atmosphere throughout the halls reflected our industry’s determination to drive profound change.”
But, he said drupa 2024 attracted a very high proportion of decision-makers from all over the world At this year’s drupa, 76 percent of visitors were part of top and middle management. The length of each visitor’s stay at drupa has become shorter.
The shorter duration of drupa 2028 will still feature unique presentations of cutting-edge technology and machines in operation and allow exhibitors to effectively present and stage wide-ranging product portfolios, machines and workflows.
Important activities such as developing strategic partnerships and finding ways to make the printing and packaging industry more sustainable through automation and artificial intelligence will continue.
Dr Andreas Pleßke, chairman of the drupa committee and CEO of Koenig & Bauer AG, supports the shorter duration: He says, “It will meet changing industry requirements without limiting the international scope of the trade fair.”
“We carefully analyzed the recommendations of our drupa committee, the results of exhibitor and visitor surveys, and feedback from partners and associations”, explained Sabine Geldermann, Director of drupa. “Shortening the fair’s duration is a direct response to the industry’s desire for a more focused, efficient event that continues to provide international participants with a unique opportunity to discover groundbreaking innovations and technology.”
Visit drupa.com for more information.