Countdown to drupa 2008 — June, 2007

packagePRINTING is proud to be a media partner for drupa 2008, the mega trade show held every four years in Düsseldorf, Germany. Each month, packagePRINTING will provide updates on this international blockbuster as we count down the months to the start of the show in May 2008. Also, look for regular updates on the packagePRINTING Web site at www.packageprinting.com.

drupa 2008, print media trade fair, will be the largest in its more than 50-year history, with 1.8 million square feet of exhibit space in 19 halls and more than 1,800 exhibitors. The show will occupy the entire Düsseldorf fairgrounds—including all new halls—from May 29 to June 11, 2008.

“The registration figures confirm the status of the trade fair as the world’s number one event for the print and media industry,” said Werner M. Dornscheidt, president and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf. “The complete range of the global market’s offerings and each link in the value chain, from design to the finished printed product, will be showcased in Düsseldorf. Industry leaders and global players will share the floor with small, innovative companies at drupa.”

The drupa 2008 registration results also reflect the industry’s development. “What’s most striking is the increase in participation by suppliers of digital solutions. Compared to drupa 2004, this focal area will grow significantly and take on a key role in the trade fair’s overall concept,” explained Manuel Mataré, drupa 2008 project director.

For easy visitor orientation, the layout at drupa 2008 will be according to exhibit categories. The two new halls 8a and 8b will primarily house exhibitors in the field of digital solutions (including Xerox, HP-Indigo, Agfa-Gevaert, and Fujifilm), as will the neighboring halls 5 and 9 (including Kodak, Konica Minolta, and Ricoh). The other drupa 2008 cornerstones will be:
• Halls 1 and 2: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, Polar-Mohr;
• Halls 3 and 4: printing, materials, services;
• Hall 6: PrintCity and other exhibitors active in print finishing;
• Halls 10 - 12: paper converting, packaging production;
• Halls 12 - 14: bookbinding, print finishing;
• Halls 15 - 17: printing machinery, bookbinding, and finishing.