Drupa gets personal

Drupa is not only the largest and most significant print media trade fair in the world, it also brings together the world's entire 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 veterans go on to explain the importance of Drupa on the global trade fair scene today. Klaus Schmidt is Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA). Richard Elmer is Director of Marketing Communications at Ferag AG, Hinwil/Switzerland. Flavio D’Andria previously headed the Sales and Marketing at Offiicine Meccaniche Giovanni Cerutti S.p.A. and is now a consultant for Cerutti. Philip Dunn is Head of European Marketing at Komori International, Europe.

Tell us about your first Drupa experience.

Klaus 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.

Richard Elmer: My first Drupa experience was in 1995.

Flavio D’Andria: It was in 1977, a year after I had started working at Cerutti. I landed in Düsseldorf 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.

Philip 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.

What do you remember most about it?

Klaus 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 sheet-fed 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.

Richard 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.

Flavio D’Andria: I 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 Düsseldorf and its surrounding towns.

Philip 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."

What changes to Drupa have you noticed over the years?

Klaus 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.

Richard Elmer: Under the influence of digitization, Drupa has become more varied. The services offered by Messe Düsseldorf also deals with the partnership opportunities. The exhibitor’s corporate presentations and the activities on the stands are definitely more professional and emotional. This global event focuses not only on the technological aspects but also favors an emotional experience.

Flavio D’Andria: For me, the size factor has remained constant for all Drupa’s. In 1983, I was responsible for organizing Cerutti's entire Drupa exhibit. Since then, I have come to appreciate the great efficiency of the trade fair's organizational infrastructure.

Philip 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.

How can visitors to Drupa best prepare for the experience?

Klaus 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.

Richard Elmer: Visitors should definitely make up their own agenda in advance, using the information on the Drupa website, the reports available in the industry media or the exhibitor’s invitations. It is important to know what you want to see and who 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!

Flavio 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.

Philip 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. It is also important to make travel arrangements and book accommodations well in advance!

What was your most critical Drupa experience?

Klaus 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!

Richard 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.

Flavio D’Andria: Thankfully, I do not recall any negative experiences.

Philip Dunn: The trade fair organizers perform an outstanding job when it comes to taking safety precautions, so nothing serious has ever occurred at Drupa.

And what was your most unusual Drupa experience?

Klaus 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 Düsseldorf'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 Düsseldorf!

Richard Elmer: I would not really call it unusual. But meeting people from all these different horizons and cultures on our stand at every Drupa is for me a truly enriching and interesting experience.

Flavio D’Andria: At the end of one Drupa, the last of our eighteen 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.

Philip Dunn: One unusual experience occurred in 1982 when we discovered that the Komori press to be installed on our stand was larger than we had calculated. It stuck right out into the aisle. The trade fair organizers really proved their great flexibility in this instance. They allowed us to enlarge the total area of our stand which enabled us to get out of trouble.

What distinguishes Drupa from other trade fairs?

Klaus 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 Düsseldorf 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.

Richard 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.

Flavio D’Andria: For us, Drupa is the only truly international trade fair. You just have to see the number of different nationalities of the exhibitors and visitors. It attracts both the small printer around the corner and the major printing corporations. That is why leading manufacturers choose to unveil new products and services at Drupa.

Philip Dunn: Drupa is in a league of its own compared to other, conventional print media trade fairs. It is really international. Both visitors and exhibitors view it as the most important clearing house for product innovations. It has the power to reshape the printing industry.

What is the significance of Drupa for you and your organization?

Klaus Schmidt: Personally, for me and my co-workers, it means a lot of work before, during and after the event. In addition, there is also the joy of success mixed with the disappointment of failure, the fun we have with co-workers and people from around the world, and more than one long night out in Düsseldorf's Old City. For KBA, a printing press manufacturer that has been an innovator for its entire 190-year history, Drupa is a great opportunity to distinguish itself among competitors and printers worldwide as a competent and highly flexible problem-solver for anything and everything to do with printing.

Richard Elmer: Drupa covers all aspects of the printing industry. Its visitors represent all the hierarchies of the printing and graphic arts companies. For Ferag AG, situated in the commercial and magazine printing market, Drupa is an ideal platform for presenting global innovations and a temporary showcase for introducing our ideas and products to a global public all in one place.

Flavio D’Andria: For the Cerutti Group, with subsidiaries in Italy, North America and Spain, Drupa is the best place to show the latest machines and equipment to the worldwide printing community. The atmosphere at Drupa is very important for us.

Philip Dunn: At Drupa, Komori can not only present itself as a technology leader, but also take up and disseminate new business ideas. For these reasons, Komori plans more product innovations for Drupa than for any other event.
What do you expect from the upcoming Drupa? How will an event like Drupa develop in the future?

Klaus 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. On the other hand, this mega event is an unrivalled hub of communication for the print media industry, particularly in the B2B sector where personal contact is still a decisive factor for business success. No other industry event worldwide offers so many opportunities for personal interaction.

Richard Elmer: This is to be the biggest Drupa of all times, 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. As manufacturers of conveyor and processing systems for print finishing, this certainly applies to us but also to Drupa as the single most important event in the industry.

Flavio D’Andria: I do not think the total number of visitors will decrease. 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.

Philip Dunn: At Drupa 2008, we want to expand our activities in the new markets of Eastern Europe and South America. We have high expectations for Drupa and see no reason why this successful trade fair concept should be changed in any way.

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