The next Drupa, which will be held from 3 - 16 May 2012 in Düsseldorf, kicked off its 1,000 day countdown on the 7 August.

Werner Dornscheidt, president and chief executive of Messe Düsseldorf, said: "In these difficult times, we are certain that it is more important than ever to show our colours.

"Within the scope of a company's marketing activities, participation in trade fairs continues to play an important and even vital role."

Dornscheidt's comments followed the appointment of Martin Weickenmeier, member of the executive board of Körber AG and chief executive of Körber Paperlink, as Drupa president for 2012.

Weickenmeier's appointment came after Albrecht Bolza-Schünemann, president of Drupa in 2000, 2004 and 2008, decided not to run for re-election.

The first Drupa 2012 report has also been launched and it focuses on green printing and includes comment from international authors that describe the current situation in countries such as the UK, Indian and the US.

It has been printed by Düsseldorf-based Druckstudio, which is certified as a carbon-neutral printer. Satimat and Main Gloss green paper grades from manufacturer Arjowiggins and merchant Antalis have been used.

Some 390,000 visitors from 140 countries attended Drupa 2008, and there was a 7% increase in the share of international visitors compared with Drupa 2004.

Visitors from overseas made up 43%, and 70% of visitors from outside Europe said they intended to invest. There was also a 5% growth in exhibitor numbers compared with Drupa 2004.