Messe Düsseldorf and the wider print industry have marked it being less than a year to the rescheduled next edition of drupa by declaring, ‘we are confident that drupa will be the solution to give the printing industry a new boost.’

drupa 2020 was due to take place 16-26 June this year, but the worldwide coronavirus pandemic saw the event postponed until a later date. drupa has now been rescheduled for 20-30 April, 2021.

Commenting on the decision to postpone drupa 2020, Giacomo Farnè, sales representative at Italian exhibitor Pentabox, commented, ‘drupa is the industry’s key event everyone is waiting for. That’s why it is so important that the fair can function without restrictions, that many visitors come and that we can exchange ideas intensively for 11 days.’

Hiroaki Shimosaka, general manager of the Graphic Systems business division of Fujifilm, added, ‘We were already in the final stages of preparing for drupa 2020. However, given the current exceptional situation, we believe the decision to postpone was both right and unavoidable. The announcement in March has minimised the economic damage to exhibitors and we are grateful that the decision was made before the impact could become even more drastic.

‘While the coronavirus is causing social distancing and general caution, the communication infrastructure provided by the printing industry, and the role of print remains unchanged. We are therefore preparing for drupa 2021 to be successful, when the extent of the coronavirus has subsided.’

Regardless of the postponement, a number of hardware and software manufacturers and suppliers have continued to debut new technologies, such as HP Indigo, Xeikon, Global Graphics, and others. Messe Düsseldorf, the organiser of drupa, has also noted a number of exhibitors requesting a greater presence at drupa in 2021 as they take advantage of the additional time afforded to them by the rescheduling, and complete and redevelop further innovations.

Bobst CEO Jean-Pascal Bobst commented, ‘At the first drupa in 1951, Bobst sold 43 machines. 70 years later, in 2021, we will be shaping the future of the packaging world at drupa by actively driving change in the industry. Sharing our vision in a changing world is essential, and drupa 2021 will be the right place to do so.’

Claus Bolza-Schünemann, CEO at Koenig & Bauer, added, ‘drupa is the leading trade fair and the highlight of an entire industry. We have already put a lot of energy and passion into drupa. We would like to share this with you – also in 2021 – and of course on the way there.’

There have also been positive comments from countries with strong representation at drupa, but which are heavily affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Stefano Monfredini, sales director at Technomac Italia, noted, ‘Due to the pandemic, we need to give people and companies the time to regain their strength and wait for confidence to return as the driving force for private and business life. We believe that the postponement of drupa gives everyone the opportunity to regain balance on which to build the future.’

Loretta Sellecchia, marketing and export manager at SCS Atomaberg, added, ‘Although it will take some time to get back to normal, we are confident that drupa will be the solution to give the printing industry a new boost.’

Guanghui Wu, chairman of Shanghai Yoco Printing Machinery, concluded, ‘After the storm comes a rainbow.’

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