Manuel Mataré, Drupa project director of Messe Düsseldorf:
YES..."At every Drupa, Messe Düsseldorf has seen pointers that prove there is a bright future. In 2008, statistics showed more companies than ever launched new equipment, many waiting until Drupa to do so. Visitors stayed longer, and many more high-ranking managers with purchasing power attended, (45% over 42.2% in 2004). And the supporting programmes, such as the Drupa Innovation Parc, Drupacube, Compass Sessions and Highlight Tours, all play an additional vital role in the overall Drupa concept. So yes, Drupa has a definite future.
George Clarke, managing director of Heidelberg UK:
YES... "Drupa remains the pinnacle of trade shows and will continue for many years to come. Building and running
a stand is expensive but there are commercial, educational and ‘intelligence’ exchanges that give it real value. Printers operating in a highly compe-titive market need an oppor-tunity to view the latest tech-nology and to compare and contrast different technological solutions. A trade show is one of the most efficient ways to do that. That said, exhibitors have to remain open to new ideas about how to market themselves and how to use trade fairs."
Andy Baxter, joint managing director Central Colour:
MAYBE... "I personally hope they do have a future. If you look at Mitsubishi, which is breaking down historical purchasing barriers (we have just bought our third machine from them), they wouldn’t have sold us our first Mitsubishi six years ago if we hadn’t seen them at Ipex. For a company like Central Colour, we visited Drupa over a weekend because of work commitments, but our trip was invaluable. There were new machines and ideas that impressed us and we probably fitted in four years’ worth of demonstrations in two days."
Brian Filler, vice-chairman of Picon:
YES... "International shows are so much more meaningful than customers coming to the stands. They act as a control mechanism in the same way as Christmas does in everyday life. Everything has to be ready, in place and perfect in time for the big event and everyone works harder to make it happen. If it weren’t for the deadline of Drupa, many products would still be on the drawing board. Exhibitions are a wonderful platform to meet people you wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to speak to, and everyone comes back enthused and educated."
30-second debate - Do big international print trade fairs have a future?
<i>With the escalating cost of exhibiting and with more vendors announcing new equipment outside of big exhibitions such as Drupa, some say the days of the massive international trade fair are numbered .</i>
