FuturePrint Drupa Headline Review

Marcus Timson

This past week was trip number 2 and Frazer and I felt a headline review with some opinion was in order as an overview with observations of the show so I have included a lot of his thoughts in the following piece. We also gained some input from Karis too, so between us this is a review!

An important caveat. The size of this show is frankly overwhelming and I know I missed stuff so please do send us any interesting stuff we may well have missed and we can share it! Nonetheless, this is an honest impression. Plus, we are not directly criticising the organisers!  Drupa is a reflection of the print market - it is the biggest show in the world, and there is no better picture of the present state of the industry.

Messe Dusseldorf has now published that 170,000 trade visitors attended drupa 2024. 

This compares with 260,165 in 2016 according to this link on the drupa website, and that is a huge decrease. There was also a lower number of exhibitors compared with 2016 - 1,825 v 1,643 in 2024.

According to the drupa website visitors attended from 183 countries in 2016 compared with 174 countries this year. However, this year has a greater international share of the visitors which was 80% in 2024 compared with 75% in 2016. Organisers also claim there are a record number of deals done at the show this year, although they don't appear to have explained how they record this, nor does there seem to be anything published of this nature in 2016. I do think the quality of profile allied to the fact people attended to buy due to changing buying behaviour aligns with this claim. So despite the drop in numbers broadly the show was a success.

While it is important to note this drop in attendance, it should not come as a huge surprise after 8 years, a global pandemic, and then huge volatility, inflation, energy price increases, geopolitical crises, skills shortages, marketing and buying change and fast-shifting demand. 2024 was always going to be a very different Drupa compared with 2016. This is beyond the control of anyone, even the organisers! Having been an organiser myself, I know the pressure to achieve greater attendance figures year on year. When the market is growing, this is an acceptable expectation and target. But when it is in a state of change and under significant economic pressure, I do not believe this is a helpful or realistic metric to be judged by. Put simply, it is commonly accepted that there are fewer commercial print businesses in the European market compared with 2016. Those that have survived and adapted do not boast large profit margins and are not in the same position as they were in 2016 either. Therefore, the amount of capital investment in the market is lower. The show attendance reflects this fact. 

If I go by our own observations and discussions with many exhibitors at the show, regardless of whatever the attendance figures may reveal compared with previous editions, for most exhibitors, Drupa was a great success. You can’t fail to notice the sheer amount of positivity on LinkedIn from exhibitors and visitors. Clearly, Drupa means a lot to a lot of people. This has to be noted, respected, and applauded. The print sector is so often down on itself, and this huge and successful show is something many are proud of and rightly so.

But Drupa is not perfect! So read on for more….

If Aliens Ran the Next Drupa

If alien organisers were beamed down to Earth from another planet and were tasked with organising a trade show for the global print industry (without seeing the last show's sales performance), it would not last 11 days, it would not take place every four years, and it would not have to fill all of the halls at Messe Dusseldorf. It would mostly be digital, it would have free Wi-Fi, the signage would be better, and the branding and storytelling would be far more inspiring!

A Test of Endurance

Drupa is clearly a marathon and not a sprint. On my return to the show for the second leg, by the look of some of the exhibitor personnel who were there for the long haul, you could really see how exhausted they were. There were some fairly zombified exhibitors, exhausted by 20,000 steps a day, standing on their feet all day with no rest or respite, too many late nights, and nowhere near enough sleep. This is no judgement of them, but really, an 11-day show for exhibiting companies feels like a punishment, a kind of burden they must endure, and very hard to achieve for smaller companies. Does the Drupa format truly chime with the world we live in today? Some will say yes, others not. Some exhibiting companies were not even staying in Dusseldorf due to a mix of exorbitantly priced hotels and poor availability. So not only did they have the punishment of a long day in the halls, but they also then had to commute. Doesn’t seem fair or right, really. Drupa might be a powerful selling platform, but for exhibitors, it is bad for your health!!!

Changing Buying & Changing Marketing

As expected, the people who came to Drupa were those buyers who were ‘in-market.’ Years ago, people visited for the experience without having a specific shopping list - but in a market (commercial print) where profit margins are sometimes as low as 1-2%, this was not going to be the case in 2024. As I have written previously, only 5% of any B2B market is in buying mode at any given time. So with the pressure on profit, the show attracted fewer people but very focused buyers, which was good for the exhibitor.

B2B buying behaviour has changed, accelerated by COVID. In my view, the Drupa format really is a reflection of how we used to buy and sell in B2B terms. Many exhibitors said they had a great show but saw far fewer people compared with 2016. However, the people they saw had serious meetings that lasted 60-90 minutes, whereas at previous Drupas they had more conversations that were less focused and were more like 20 minutes in duration. People are now doing their research online, then attending with a focused decision list - not a shopping list. This is a big change.

In addition, many people from companies that could have exhibited attended but walked the show, had off-site meetings, and generally used the event to meet people, but avoided the huge spend associated with exhibiting. These companies have noted the change, see the value of their own in-house events, and have shifted much of their marketing online and to more focused, less exhausting events that give a clearer ROI. This change started during lockdown, and is growing as a trend particularly for smaller, digital print technology businesses.

A Watershed Drupa?

I have a view that future Drupas will be more about the tech driving the machines as opposed to the machines themselves, and I think we saw this begin to reveal itself at this edition of Drupa. It's fashionable to use the word digitalisation, and this is true. During the pandemic, we saw the rise in importance of the ‘tech inside’ as it enables so much more in terms of technical performance and in production terms - this could be software, inks, curing, drive electronics, inkjet heads, finishing etc. I think we saw far more prominence of businesses with this kind of tech at Drupa! In my ‘Storytelling, Drupa and Booths to remember #2’ article, I go into more detail, but the fact is, with a coalescence of the technology being ready combined with powerful trends such as skills shortages, automation, AI, etc., this is going to grow and grow!

Digital or Bust

It almost goes without saying, but basically, if you have not got a digital offering, in my view, you are not equipped properly for today or tomorrow. The most buzzy halls were the digital ones, closely followed by the packaging halls. If there was a starring role in the whole show, inkjet and all of its amazing potential won that by a mile in my view, closely followed by software!

Packaging with Corrugated Starring

Of course, everyone is keen on packaging, with it being one of the most recession-proof sectors for print. The halls were buzzy and buoyant. Also present were a number of the leaders in corrugated digital print technology, and from what one exhibitor told me, they had a better than expected show given that Drupa is not typically regarded as a show for this sector. This demonstrates to me how digital inkjet is breaking the rules and transcending across previously distinct and separate markets - many exhibitor’s reported having great meetings with people from outside of Europe.

Wide format present but not standout

Some of the big OEMs chose not to exhibit at FESPA but focus entirely on Drupa - while I am sure this paid off but wide format tech did not steal the show at this Drupa reflecting the maturing of this sector. 

Modularity

I enjoyed talking with Dario Urbinati, who explained the thinking behind the Gallus One and the concept of modularity. It makes a lot of sense, in a world that is constantly changing with shifting demand, to have a tech offering that enables you to purchase modules that may be a lower capital investment but which offers you the flexibility to add to it as demand changes and shifts. This has to be a key to a business model that has in-built flexibility enabling business owners to adapt and de-risk their investments.

Added to this, an expensive machine capable of huge productivity is not going to help you when demand changes. Gaining a return on your investment is very challenging! 

Flexibility with technology choices must be hugely appealing particularly for small to medium sized operations. 

Fragmentation and Incohesion

Any strength Drupa has in terms of size has its corresponding weakness in terms of focus. I had forgotten just how big, broad, and widespread Drupa is. It therefore lacks cohesion in places. Some of the halls with analogue machinery felt like a different show entirely. Halls 8a and 8b feel buzzy, digital, and modern, yet it was like stepping back in time in the analogue halls and at times felt more like a museum as opposed to a show!!

Orientation & Navigation

I admit that I am not blessed with a great sense of direction. But Messe Dusseldorf has a very confusing layout - Messe Munich is so much easier to navigate around. I do not think the signage was great. That could be improved. The app was also a little clunky and not very user-friendly, and why, after paying to enter the show, should you have to pay extra for Wi-Fi in this day and age?

Sustainability?

Drupa trumpeted the theme of sustainability, but it was distinctly lacking as a theme for exhibitors. VDMA did have a sustainability feature, but it was not well attended and in one of the quiet halls. HP had a focus on sustainability, which was great. I do wonder whether sustainability is a theme that just comes and goes. Is this because it is now maturing as an issue and now fully integrated into the mix? Or because of more pressing economic concerns, it is not fashionable? Not sure, but it sure does seem to ebb and flow as an issue.

AI

AI was present but mostly as a tech inside, it is not a product in itself. As a theme, therefore, it was a little lost. Hall 7a featured many software businesses, and some of the larger software companies were happy to talk about AI, but by itself it did not seem to be as big a theme as expected.

A Truly Global Mix

I am sure this could be the most global Drupa on record, with many exhibitors reporting a strong representation from Asia and Latin America. This is a new thing for sure, and one that reflects a global economy that is balancing out. I am sure emerging markets, where demand is greater and profit is higher, offer plenty of opportunity for US & European print tech brands who are struggling more with the difficulties of the local market and high energy prices, inflation, price competition and low profit return.

Many exhibitors reported a significant increase in visits from China compared with previous years. As well as this, there was a visible increase in exhibitor participation from China and the quality of the tech seemed to be well regarded by people we talked to. It seems Europeans still prefer to buy locally made products but this will change over time for sure. 

There didn't seem to be many North Americans visiting or exhibiting but then they have their own events to attend so it makes sense. Generally, market leading innovation at Drupa seemed to be coming from Europe, Israel and Japan with the exception of HP & EFI & Fiery from the US.

#In fact, a press release from Drupa came through just before we published, so here are some numbers regarding the profile of visitors from the organisers:

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%. 

Booth Build Quality

What was a stark difference was the general design and build quality compared with previous shows. Again, not a surprise, is it, when there is less marketing money in the system?! With the exception of perhaps Canon, Ricoh, HP and KBA, most premier league OEM booths clearly scrimped on build, preferring to use printed graphics as the mainstay of their booth build. Of course it makes sense from a budgetary perspective, and you have the tech, so why not use it? But some of the booths looked a little cheap and unclear, and these were some of the digital brands that do have marketing budgets. In addition, many of their storytelling efforts were also lacklustre. I won't name names, but they are big premier league digital names that just don't embrace marketing and storytelling as effectively as they could, or should.

Partnerships & Collaboration

It's clear this is increasing, KBA DURST, GIS- FIERY- IST, KBA- KAMANN, SEIKO - PEOPLE & TECHNOLOGY- ITACA to name just a few that are top of mind. This accelerates progress and reduces risk and cost I'm sure. 

Thumbs up about Drupa?

Still the best show with which to gauge, see and meet the entire print market. Plenty of interesting trends and developments, but no major surprises. This is a true reflection of the state of the market.

While the strapline was ‘We create the future,’ I rather think that the show is a look at the present. As we all saw with Landa in 2012, the conceptual and unfinished nature of their impressive showcase was met with a mix of dizzy buzz and excitement but with even more cynicism.

Food onsite was good with a great amount of choice and not too costly. The Drupa Garden was a great idea, and the food trucks served tasty, healthy, and overall well-priced food and plenty of places to relax away from the halls.

The fact the airport is so close to the Messe is a massive plus when compared to venues like Munich, where it is practically in another city, but aside from this, the city is small when compared to the size of the Messe, in my view. This poses problems for accommodation and transport links.

Conclusions?

It was great to see a busy and successful Drupa show, particularly after a long time and after such a period of difficulty and challenge. This clearly inspired a lot of people who attended and exhibited even though visitor attendance was significantly lower. 

Drupa is clearly evolving but it needs to modernise more quickly. I do not think the format suits the industry for economics and on a practical level. It is not that Drupa is bad, but it is a format that may not suit the needs of the 2020s and beyond.

Much of what the organisers did in terms of additional content worked well. People do not attend for content, but it is still important. I do think the DrupaCube was not given the right location, or promoted well, perhaps a different approach for next time makes sense. That said, the direction, content and organisation of the team that pulled together the programme was nonetheless excellent. 

I look forward to creating a survey and report to follow up in more forensic detail in due course, and look forward to sharing a podcast on the subject too.

All that leaves me to say is congratulations to the exhibitors and the organisers for a great show!

Next time, I will buy some Skechers - my Vans were not sturdy enough, on reflection.

Rest well, see you soon.

P.S. I have to say I still don’t get the Drupa song. That said, it is better than most of the songs in the Eurovision Song Contest, so that is something!