Greetings Citizens of the Printerverse! After 8 long years, drupa, the world’s most important global printing event is taking place from May 28 to June 7 in Dusseldorf, Germany. While there will be a staggering number of exhibitors, visitors, represented countries, technology launches, and square meters to cover across the Messe over 11 days, I plan to focus on the mission of drupa, not the metrics.
Quality Over Quantity
Fewer people are working in print, buying print, and consuming print on planet Earth. That is a fact, which means fewer people are working in the industry. Logic leads us to a simple conclusion; there will be a smaller presence at drupa this year than in past years. So, you can skip all the punditry about whether drupa is ‘still relevant’ by comparing numbers from a pre-pandemic world to whatever is reported for 2024.
Those who have chosen to exhibit and attend are all that matter. The people and companies investing in their future, your future, and the industry’s future by showing up.
We Create the Future, Together
Packaging, textiles, and sustainability are cornerstone topics at drupa 2024. Programming about printing business trends and best practices, newcomers introducing and disrupting technology, and established companies launching new products and services round out the plethora of opportunities to learn over 11 days and then apply to your world to figure out the best direction for you, moving forward.
And that is what drupa is all about … The future.
I attended drupa in 2016, and that experience remains one of the most significant. Many people I met and connected with became my ‘future’ partners – including Messe Dusseldorf!
I also met and spoke with hundreds of visitors who recognized me from social media and graciously asked for a selfie with “Deborah from the Internet” at my base camp with HP in Hall 17, and as I walked around the Messe exploring all the halls for printspiration.
And yeah, I found it. Everywhere! PS… I expect even MORE in 2024.
The drupa 2024 exhibitors and visitors are IN IT, TO WIN IT. Exhibitors are showing up to establish their vision for the future of print through products and services. Visitors are showing up to create the future of their businesses with strategic partners who can help them get there.
While the ability to assess, contrast, and compare offerings in one place may seem like the value proposition of any tradeshow, drupa delivers on this promise more comprehensively than any other show I have ever attended.
18 halls, vast opportunities for education and networking, cold German beer, warm currywurst, and the future of print await!
Listen to these Podcasts from The Printerverse to get prepared and please come see me and 11 days of sessions, panels and interviews at the drupa DNA forum in Hall 7.
ps… If you can’t make it to Dusseldorf, Sandy Hubbard provides all the info you need to attend from your desk in this post.
PRINT LONG AND PROSPER!
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See Deborah’s featured post: 3 Tactical Strategies to Secure New Print Business Over the Summer
Deborah Corn is the Intergalactic Ambassador to the Printerverse at Print Media Centr, a Print Buyerologist, international industry speaker and blogger, and the cultivator of Print Production Professionals, the #1 print group on LinkedIn. She provides printspiration and resources to print and marketing professionals through education, events, Podcasts From The Printerverse, ProjectPeacock.TV, and an array of community-lifting initiatives including Girls Who Print and International Print Day,
Deborah also helps companies create more meaningful and profitable customer relationships by utilizing 25+ years of experience as an agency, brand, and corporate print buyer who has assessed, hired, and worked with hundreds of printers and service providers.
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