Messe Dsseldorf project manager Manuel Matar said companies were making their decisions "much later than normal".

He said the organisers were aware of rumours circulating during and since Ipex that some companies may or may not come to Imprinta.

A spokesman for Heidelberg said no final decision had yet been made, but that the company hoped to make an announcement within the next two weeks.

"Our decision may or may not have an impact on whether some of the smaller companies exhibit," said the spokesman.

Despite the talk of a fall in the number of exhibitors, Matar said the exhibition had not suffered any cancellations.

He expected that all of the 133 companies listed on the Imprinta website as either "interested or confirmed" would have booked their spaces by the 30 June deadline.

"We still do not have a signed contract for HP Indigo, but we are expecting them to confirm attendance," said Matar.

The Messe Dsseldorf decided to move the show to 20-25 February 2003 from its original date of June this year, which was only eight weeks after Ipex (PrintWeek, 17 November 2000).

The last Imprinta show, held in 1997, attracted 511 exhibitors and 60,000 worldwide visitors through its doors.

* Picon has lobbied the DTI and Trade Partners UK and has secured SESA (support for exhibitions and seminars abroad) grants for Imprinta.