Drupa is not only the largest print media trade fair in the world, it also brings together the globe’s printing industry. Away from all the technology gadgets on display, everyone has a funny, exciting or interesting drupa experience to remember.

Recalling their first drupa, four experts of the printing industry talk about the changes that have occurred over the years and share useful tips with new visitors on how best to prepare for this marathon show. The four: Klaus Schmidt, director of marketing and corporate communications at Koenig & Bauer AG; Richard Elmer, director of marketing communications at Ferag AG; Flavio D’Andria, former sales and marketing head at Cerutti and now a Cerutti consultant; and Philip Dunn, head of European marketing at Komori International, Europe.

On their first drupa:

Schmidt: It was in 1990. I had only been with KBA for a year and, as head of the corporate office, my responsibilities lay elsewhere. But a week before drupa started, I was unexpectedly informed that I should attend the show so I had to improvise.


Schmidt

Elmer: My first drupa experience was in 1995.

D’Andria: It was in 1977, a year after I had started working at Cerutti. I landed in Dusseldorf as a young sales manager. I was responsible for helping our customers find accommodation in suitable hotels. It proved to be very challenging and in spite of a thorough search, I could only find rooms in Gelsenkirchen, the next town closest to drupa. 

Dunn: I also experienced my first drupa in 1977. I was gearing up for the market launch of an English professional journal for the printing industry.


Dunn

On what they remember from the first show:

Schmidt: It was very exciting, particularly as I had little knowledge about presses or printing back then. I was totally taken by the atmosphere surrounding this major international trade fair. There was also something very special and unforgettable about drupa 1990. The event took place just a few months after fall of the Berlin Wall and shortly before the German unification in late fall. During the show, we were able to meet up with Planeta, a printing press manufacturer based in Radebeul, near Dresden, to discuss a possible joint venture. Dealing with a team of executives from former East Germany was for me very new and unfamiliar. The joint venture agreement was signed before the end of drupa. Today, the sheetfed offset facility in Radebeul is the largest machine manufacturing plant in the new Federal States and one of the market’s top international suppliers. It just goes to show that you have to act in the right place at the right time.

Elmer: It was a first for me in many respects: Until then, I had never participated in planning, coordinating, organizing or conducting such a large trade fair or such a large stand with so much technology and staff. It was a very demanding and instructive experience. drupa is like a marathon, and you need to be in good shape to cross over the finishing line successfully.


Elmer

D’Andria: It was the sheer size of the show that impressed me the most. I was just lost for words at the extent of the trade fair grounds, the stream of visitors and the dense population of Dusseldorf and its surrounding towns.

Dunn: It was at drupa I learned one of life’s lessons.  I was visiting the stand of a major American printing press manufacturer and had already talked my way through to the general manager who had given me a very friendly welcome. After listening to what I had to say, he politely said: “I have no doubt your magazine is very good, but you have to realize that drupa is the most important trade fair for my industry. The success of my company depends on it. So I am here to sell, not to buy.”

On what changes they have seen:

Schmidt: Compared to 1990, if you look at the total area, the number of exhibitors and the attendance rate, drupa today is a much larger show with a more global and digital approach. There are a large number of topics addressed and the exhibitor’s presentations are more professional. Unfortunately today, the general attitude at the show tends to mask the vital financial information requested for investment decisions. Of course, there are also other factors that come into account such as the structural changes in the industry, the new position of print media in the multimedia world and the strong media competition.

Elmer: Under the influence of digitization, drupa has become more varied. This global event focuses not only on the technological aspects but also favors an emotional experience.

D’Andria: For me, the size factor has remained constant for all drupas.

Dunn: drupa has not changed all that dramatically. It was, is and always will be the biggest printing trade fair in the world. Today, it only has become more international.

On advice they would give drupa visitors:

Schmidt: Their future business model or priorities for upcoming investments should be laid down clearly. Prior to the opening of the event, it is important to gather information on new products and services from the professional media or directly from potential suppliers. Then, a specific schedule for visiting exhibitors should be drawn up, preferably by appointment. Of course, you should allow yourself some time just to wander through the exhibition, because inspired business ideas often come about by chance.

Elmer: Visitors should definitely make up their own agenda in advance, using the information on the drupa Web site, the reports available in the industry media or the exhibitor’s invitations. It is important to know what you want to see and whom you want to visit, otherwise you get lost. Appointments should be booked ahead of time, wherever possible. And wear comfortable shoes as you will cover a lot of miles.

D’Andria: You need to carefully plan ahead what you want to see at the trade fair and concentrate on the products you are interested in. It is best to map out an ideal route for visiting the various exhibitors and remember to allow some time for spontaneous discoveries.

Dunn: Visitors should know beforehand what product groups they are interested in. They should allow enough time to focus on the selected range of products, but also to take a general look around. Keep an open mind to surprises and, if possible, make appointments ahead of time.

On their most memorable drupa experiences:

Schmidt: It was in 1995. On the third day of the event, I had to dismiss a tearful show hostess who just could not cope with the fast pace, fly an experienced but unprepared replacement in from Paris, and take over the presentation of a large press, three times a day for the next 11 days.

Elmer: Definitely drupa 2004. A crane fell on the adjacent stand to ours during set-up. It really increased my awareness to safety. Fortunately, nothing worse happened.

On their most unusual drupa experience:

Schmidt: During one drupa show, we met a person from some faraway holiday island. He spent days stubbornly negotiating the purchase of a large printing press. As a potential customer, we, of course, looked after him well during the show and treated him to a good hotel and some evening outings in Dusseldorf’s Old City. Then, just before the fair ended, he disappeared without a trace. No orders had been placed with us or with any of our competitors. He obviously just wanted to spend a few luxurious days in Dusseldorf.

D’Andria: At the end of one drupa, the last of our 18 trucks, which was heading home after 40 days in service, got stuck under one of the pedestrian bridges between the buildings. The building supervisor told the driver to unload the truck and the driver tried desperately to maneuver back and forth. Finally, the driver had a good idea and let some air out of the tires and was able to pass under the bridge with a very tight squeeze.

On what distinguishes drupa from other trade fairs?

Schmidt: Its size, diversity and international focus, combined with the high level of noise generated by the countless production machines and thousands of people. Also, with drupa comes the unmistakable smell of paper, ink and varnish. Every four years, the trade fair grounds in Dusseldorf are transformed into the world’s largest and most diverse print shop. Print media, which many predicted would die out in the age of the Internet, possesses a seemingly indestructible dynamism that is more tangible at drupa than anywhere else.

Elmer: drupa is the Olympic games of the printing industry. It is the largest print media trade fair in the world. It is the technology event of the year and it marks out the business path for every company until the next drupa.

On what they expect from this year’s drupa:

Schmidt: In view of the high costs for KBA as one of the largest exhibitors, we naturally expect to do some good business. We wish to see clear signals for the necessary repositioning of print media, find new ideas in analog and digital production technology, discover advancements in CAM, JDF, etc., and experience convincing solutions for current issues such as Web-to-print and eco-friendly printing.

Elmer: This is to be the biggest drupa of all time, so our expectations are therefore very high. Print media and the printing industry in general are in a state of transition. If you want to be a leader, you should take this fact into consideration and integrate it into your concepts and products.

D’Andria: Visitors might not invest immediately, but if the printing industry wishes to survive, it has to remain informed about the latest developments in the printing technology.