212 exhibitors from 35 countries participated in Virtual.Drupa, which took place last week from 20 to 23 April. There were around 600,000 page views and 45,000 unique visitors to the show, with international visitors from 155 countries making up more than 82% of the total number.
The packed schedule of over 125 live web sessions averaged over 140 participants, while an additional 130 presentations were delivered in the context of five special forums, focusing on key issues as well as global megatrends and their impact on the industry.
The event’s Conference Area included keynote speeches from digitisation expert Michael Gale, designer James Sommerville, and sustainability strategist Gabrielle Walker.
Messe Düsseldorf said the virtual event had “successfully bridged the gap between the previous and forthcoming face-to-face event in 2024”.
“Virtual.Drupa was implemented in order to maintain contact within the industry during the pandemic. The numbers demonstrate that we have achieved this,” said Messe Düsseldorf COO Erhard Wienkamp.
“Virtual.Drupa enabled exhibitors and prospective customers to reinforce their networks, generate new leads and gather incentives for their corporate targets.”
Project director print technologies Sabine Geldermann added: “We are delighted about the positive feedback we have received from participants. The overwhelming number of global players – both in terms of exhibitors and visitors – has resulted in an industry dialogue that was particularly important during this time.
“The wide spectrum of target visitor groups, profiles and areas of interest was impressive. This also applies to the exhibitors and their product portfolios along the entire value chain.”
Messe Düsseldorf said the show’s virtual meeting rooms for matchmaking will remain open today and tomorrow for customer and follow-up meetings while the chat function will stay open until the end of October.
Videos and keynote speeches will be available in the video library on demand from next week and will remain online until the end of December 2021, along with the exhibitors’ virtual showrooms.
The event's next physical incarnation, Drupa 2024, will take place at Messe Düsseldorf from 28 May to 7 June 2024.
