Celebrating the global print industry: Record number of deals signed at drupa 2024.
drupa 2024 in Düsseldorf, the world’s No. 1 trade fair for printing technologies, drew to a successful close on 7 June after eleven days. Drupa, exceeding all expectations, received top marks from visitors from all over the world, who left the trade fair with new ideas and clear prospects for the future. Numerous contracts signed and technological innovations inspired the print and packaging industry.
drupa 2024 impressively demonstrated the progress of an entire sector and gave proof of the operational excellence of the industry. 1,643 exhibitors from 52 nations presented an outstanding showcase of innovations in the Düsseldorf exhibition halls and thrilled the trade visitors with unforgettable performances. The international share of the visitors was 80%, with attendees coming from 174 countries – a record figure. After Europe, Asia was the most strongly represented region with 22%, followed by America with 12%. Asia as well as Latin America and the MENA region are markets with great growth potential, which was reflected in the significant increase in exhibitors’ presence and order books. Many key players, such as Bobst, Canon, Fujifilm, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, HP, Horizon, Koenig & Bauer, Komori Konica Minolta, Kurz and Landa, reported having signed contracts that significantly exceeded expectations. In some cases, the sales targets set were already achieved in the first few days of the trade fair.
Erhard Wienkamp, Managing Director at Messe Düsseldorf, is highly satisfied with the course of the trade fair: “drupa has underpinned its position as the industry’s leading trade fair and its unique appeal in a remarkable way. The impressive international flair and, above all, the high decision-making competence of the visitors ensured in-depth and well-founded technical discussions at the trade fair stands on the one hand and many direct investment decisions on the other. Our exhibitors told us about large-volume purchase agreements.”
Dr Andreas Pleßke, Chairman of the drupa Committee, emphasised the exceptional position and relevance of drupa: “drupa stands for new approaches and new technologies like no other trade fair. It is not only the largest, but also the most important global platform for our industry, because the entire printing and post-press industry meets at the world-leading trade fair. It has been invaluable for generating leads. Nowhere else offers the opportunity to make so many new international contacts from all over the world in such a short space of time in one place.”
Industry decision-makers highly satisfied
Exhibitors praised the high level of decision-making competence of visitors. They, in turn, gave top marks to the range of products and services on offer in the 18 exhibition halls. Around 96% of all visitors confirmed that they had fully achieved the objectives associated with their visit. At over 50%, most of them came from the printing industry, followed by the packaging industry, whose share has increased significantly and which was the focus of many exhibitors as a growth driver. Many well-known brand owners were welcomed at the trade fair stands. In total, 170,000 trade visitors attended drupa 2024.
Digitalisation as a determining factor
Automation took centre stage at this year’s drupa, with a strong focus on AI and smart workflows, including software solutions. It became clear that digital and analogue technologies ideally complement and benefit from each other. Traditional industry leaders presented a wide range of digital solutions, while digital pioneers integrated conventional components into their offerings. Robotics played an important role in the exhibition halls and illustrated the path towards the smart factory.
Transformation and growth
drupa made it abundantly clear that the industry has great potential for the future, even against the backdrop of many challenges, and that the prospects are promising. In the last financial year, the global printing industry achieved a turnover of around EUR 840 billion (source: Smithers) and continues to develop at varying pace worldwide.
“At drupa 2024, we experienced first hand just how relevant and resilient this industry is,” summarises Sabine Geldermann, Director drupa, Portfolio Print Technologies. “The community is determined to set the course for the future together. Exchanging ideas with people from all continents and from all areas of the industry was extremely enriching and inspiring. We were able to welcome around 50 large delegations from various nations, and numerous globally active associations and organisations chose drupa as the ideal setting for their conferences and board meetings.”
Together we are stronger. Many new strategic alliances concluded at the trade fair reflected the opportunities that are only possible in such a concentrated form at drupa: meeting market players from other countries around the world in person, using core competences as synergy effects, forming networks and driving the market forward together
Sustainable technologies in focus
Technology is the key to achieving sustainability goals – exhibitors at drupa illustrated this with numerous practice-orientated developments and concrete solutions. Top priority is given to resource efficiency and the path to a functioning circular economy. In addition, Touchpoint Sustainability from the VDMA, the German Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers’ Association, showcased current state of the art innovations, presented best-practice use cases and gave a far-reaching outlook into the future of a sustainable printing industry.
Valuable knowledge transfer
The extensive supporting programme with its five high-calibre special forums drupa cube, drupa next age (dna) and the Touchpoints Packaging, Textile and Sustainability was very well received. In times of constant change and the resulting new business models, they ensured an intensive transfer of knowledge and provided important guidance. Together with its partners, drupa focused on impressive industry expertise and the future topics of its target groups. Guided tours on various key topics rounded off the trade fair experience.
The next drupa will be held in 2028.
Exhibitor´s statements drupa 2024
Denisse Goldbarg, CMO and Head of EAMER Sales, Kodak:
“drupa was an excellent opportunity for Kodak to demonstrate its commitment to innovation across its complete portfolio of both offset and digital solutions.
Printers who visited the Kodak booth learnt how Kodak can help make their business more efficient and profitable in todays ‘and’ era of print. Kodak is able to serve their customers comprehensively in both innovative digital technology and modern, highly automated solutions for traditional offset. As a result, we have achieved strong sales for our digital and traditional portfolio during the show.”
Jennifer Kolloczek, Senior Director, Marketing & Innovation, Production Printing, Canon EMEA: “drupa is an important industry event for Canon, and it’s been great to return to the show after an eight-year break. The 2024 event has been particularly impactful and impressive, with vendors able to show innovations that have been developed over almost a decade.
For those wishing to accelerate their digital print journey, we have been able to share a glimpse into the exciting possibilities that lie ahead. Through real-life case studies and collaborations with forward-thinking businesses, we’ve demonstrated print’s power to captivate and drive change – now more than ever before. Together with customers and partners, Canon is innovating and helping to shape the future of our industry, from solutions, to diversity of applications to high-volume personalisation.
For me, drupa is an important meeting point and a wonderful showcase of the versatility of print. It allows visitors from all over the globe to harness our expertise in technology and business innovation, enabling people and businesses to grow and prosper. With the influx of visitors on Canon’s stand, first results show that new contacts created, and contracts signed exceeded expectations.”
Christoph Gamper, CEO & Co-Owner, Durst Group: “Digitalization has fully arrived in the printing industry – not to replace traditional methods, but to offer automated production processes through hybrid systems “on demand” and to complement existing technologies. We are thrilled with the response from the high-quality professional audience and say thank you, drupa. We will see you again in Düsseldorf in four years.”
Danny Mertens, Marketing manager, Flint Group Digital: “Eight years is a long time so we didn’t exactly know what to expect. drupa turned out to (re)claim the pole position in bringing the printing industry together on a global level. For Xeikon this global function is vital to attract new customers. Running a drupa is like running a marathon, it takes strict preparation, clear goal setting, smart execution and the result will be a lifetime memory.”
Dr. David Schmedding, Head of Sales and Marketing, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (and Board Member for Sales and Service with effect from July 1): “Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) is very pleased with its showing at the drupa trade fair in Düsseldorf. Our stand attracted a great deal of interest from customers around the world, who also invested in the innovations on display. Our drupa team won over customers with a fabulous stand and future-proof innovations. The positive spirit among customers and staff alike was simply mind-blowing. HEIDELBERG is a true partner of the printing and packaging industry. The large number of orders placed across all technologies during the trade show emphasizes our customers’ trust in the company as a leading system provider. We offer the entire spectrum – from toner to inkjet and from offset to flexo printing – all controlled from a common Prinect workflow.”
Malgorzata Kolton, European Vice President, Henkel Packaging Adhesives: “After an eight-year break, it was a pleasure for us to exhibit at drupa again and gain valuable experience. We received confirmation that our focus on sustainability and collaboration along the entire value chain is the right approach. We were particularly pleased with the positive atmosphere and the opportunity to discuss industry issues face-to-face.”
Olaf Lorenz, General Manager International Marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe: “After eight long years, drupa has been a perfect platform to meet customers, partners, journalists and analysts as well as friends and help customers to see the potential in print, packaging and the unstoppable digital transformation of our industry.
drupa has certainly met and exceeded our expectations. Our must-see stand was extremely busy every day – and the feedback from our customers and partners has been fantastic. Visitors told us that our stand – covering world firsts in software and machine demonstrations, complete print factory set-ups, as well as advanced Industry 5.0 and AI advances – was inspiring and holistic.
The icing on the cake was that we have had an unprecedented number of show sales, plus new business leads that we know will lead to more customer announcement stories soon. We look forward to drupa 2028.”
Sharon Cohen, Chief Business Officer, Landa Digital Printing: “drupa is the heartbeat of the industry. For Landa, the show came at a perfect time to demonstrate the value of our systems, their amazing print quality, color fidelity and productivity – as well as the ability to share the growth and success of our customer base around the world. This has been an amazing show for us. I have to say that witnessing the enthusiasm and excitement of visitors – representing businesses of all sizes – while watching a B1 digital press running live, was a great reminder of the immense transformation we are delivering to the market. drupa has always been a landmark event for the industry, and drupa 2024 was certainly one to remember.”
Markus Hoffmann, Member of the Managing Board, Executive Senior Vice President Business Area Packaging and Print and Business Area Application, Leonhard Kurz Stiftung & Co. KG: “Leonhard Kurz had an outstanding presence at drupa, highlighted by amazing contacts and significant machine sales. The event was both productive and enjoyable, showcasing our team’s strong camaraderie. Exciting discussions about future business opportunities have laid a solid foundation for our continued innovation and growth.”
Danna Drion, General Manager Marketing & PM EMEA, Mimaki Europe: “After an eight-year break, drupa remains an invaluable part of Mimaki’s sales strategy as attendees look to this global event to offer the latest innovations to digitalise workflows and diversify applications. Pleased to see that both sustainability and social responsibility were also at the forefront of conversations, as seen on exhibitor’s booths and across the stages like drupa cube and drupadna. Being an international show, this is an incredibly important platform to further these conversations about the future of our industry.”
Bruno Müller, CEO Muller Martini: “We are very pleased with how the show went. Our booth was very well attended and we not only generated many leads, but also closed good sales deals on site. At drupa we have closely followed the growing interest in digital sheetfed printing, as we now offer a convincing finishing application with the combined Muller Martini/Hunkeler solution Sheetfolder/Vareo PRO.”
Eef de Ridder, Vice President, Graphic Communications Group, Ricoh Europe:
“For Ricoh, drupa has been an unprecedented success. We appreciated the opportunity to welcome tens of thousands of visitors to our beautiful stand, where we have been privileged to explore with them how our technical solutions and specialist insights could support their diverse businesses and help them prepare for the challenges of the future. We are also delighted with how many visitors have chosen drupa 24 as the time and the place to invest with Ricoh, which provides further evidence that drupa is where the print industry comes to do business.”
Andreas Tanzer, Head of Sales & Marketing PPS Europe, tesa SE: “It’s great to attend drupa, the leading trade show for printing and packaging solutions. We’ve seen innovative and groundbreaking technologies, with a strong focus on more sustainable solutions. At tesa, we value partnerships and innovation, constantly improving our adhesive solutions. We enjoyed engaging with industry leaders at drupa to strengthen partnerships and work towards mutual success.”
Thomas Schiemann, Member of the Board of Management, Printing and Paper Technology Association, VDMA e. V. : “After eight years, drupa is a great success: it is back and remains the leading trade fair for the printing and paper industry. This year confirms a very high quality of visitors, especially decision-makers. This is underpinned by the impressive sales success of the exhibitors. drupa is and remains the industry’s global showcase for performance and innovation. The growth of the packaging and sustainability sector was excellently reflected.”
Dr. Falco Paepenmüller, CEO, Windmöller & Hölscher Gruppe: “For W&H, the focus at drupa 2024 was on personal exchange. We are delighted with the high quality of the discussions with experts from all over the world. It was great that the industry met again in Düsseldorf after eight years.”
