The event will run at Messe Düsseldorf from Tuesday 28 May to Friday 7 June 2024 across 18 halls covering around 140,000sqm. According to the latest figures, 1,427 exhibitors from 50 countries will be in attendance.
Confirmed exhibitors so far include Bobst, Canon, Comexi, Duplo, EFI, Epson, Esko, Fujifilm, Heidelberg, Horizon, HP, Kodak, Koenig & Bauer, Kolbus, Konica Minolta, Kurz, Landa, Müller Martini, Ricoh, Screen, Windmöller & Hölscher and Xeikon.
Komori, meanwhile, has recently revealed that it will take the wraps off “a new environmentally friendly offset press and a next generation digital printing machine” at the show.
Digitalisation, sustainability, and the continued growth of the packaging sector are expected to be among the event’s major talking points.
Show organisers at Messe Düsseldorf have also confirmed that across more than 50 sessions, the Drupa Cube will cover issues including ‘why is printing more important than ever in the digital age?’, ‘why do customers not always perceive printed products as sustainable?’, and ‘how do you calculate your carbon footprint?’.
The Drupa Cube programme will feature five keynotes from international industry specialists and presentations about topics like increasing business success, circular economy and sustainability, and the future of print and packaging, as well as sessions and best practice examples regarding new business models and trends.
Meanwhile, the Touchpoint Sustainability forum will deal with the role of the printing and paper industries in sustainable transformation and will offer an overview of current, mid-term, and long-term developments.
The Touchpoint Packaging forum will concentrate on “visionary, intelligent packaging solutions and brings brand owners together with designers, print service providers and converters”, according to show organisers.
“The involvement of students and young talents in partner projects with exhibitors promises unique packaging solutions for folding boxes, labels, flexible packaging and corrugated cardboard.”
There will also be discussion of questions regarding global megatrends and their impact on packaging production, for example sustainability or e-commerce. The five key topics of Touchpoint Packaging are neo-ecology, connectivity, glocalisation, consumer mind, and future regulations.
Drupa said Touchpoint Textile, meanwhile, is a forum for an innovative, fully networked production chain: from design to the finished product in various fields, as well as the textile industry’s business models.
The design competition “Drupa – Textile Design Talents” will be held for the first time in 2024 and aspiring textile designers and newcomers will be given the opportunity to present their ideas and visions to a professional audience.
Finally, the new devoted area ‘Drupa Next Age (DNA)’ will give start-ups, newcomers and young talent a special platform where they will be able to present themselves to an international expert audience.
Sabine Geldermann, director of Drupa and Portfolio Print Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf, told Printweek: "With less than 100 days to go until Drupa will open its doors, the excitement and momentum is building up day by day. The global print and packaging community is eagerly looking forward to Drupa with great optimism and anticipation.
"No doubt, that our exhibitors will highlight industry trends and groundbreaking innovations, focusing strongly on global megatrends such as sustainability, digitization, automation, AI and many more. After an eight-year hiatus, the level of innovation will be exceptionally high, making attendance crucial to seizing valuable opportunities. Drupa stands for highly valuable knowledge transfer, enabling our worldwide participants to maintain and grow their competitive advantage in a rapidly evolving industry.”
More information on the show is available at drupa.com.
