Sabine Geldermann is the Director of drupa, the world’s largest print trade fair, and Global Head of Print Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf. In this interview, Sabine talks about her career trajectory that led her to become drupa’s first female director, the challenges and opportunities in the industry today, the decision behind the postponement of drupa 2020, and what we can expect from drupa 2021. 

How did you become a part of the industry, and the first female director of drupa? 

I entered the international trade fair business in 1992 at leading international trade fair organizers such as Blenheim International and Miller Freeman. At Reed Exhibitions Deutschland GmbH, I headed the Promotional Product Service Institute as Director PSI and was a member of the extended management board. During my career I have also been responsible for various international trade fairs, such as IFM, International Franchise Fair, as well as the viscom and pro sign trade fairs. In addition to sales and marketing, I have put a special focus on the strategic development of brands.

Before joining Messe Düsseldorf in 2013 as Director drupa and Global Head Print Technologies, I was a member of the divisional management of the largest technical scientific network for engineers, the VDI, Verein Deutscher Ingenieure e.V. These many years of experience in the international trade fair sector, coupled with the technical expertise of the VDI, created the ideal basis for my current area of responsibility:drupa. This is also why I see my position as director drupa regardless of me being a woman though it should certainly be an encouragement to other women to enter this industry.

What are some of the most notable changes in the print industry that you have seen during your time in your role?

drupa 2021’s slogan is “embrace the future”. Contrary to 2016’s “touch the future” it already shows that during the past years the printing industry has dived much more into future technologies. We are in the middle of a digital transformation that has a huge impact on what drupa is about to show in April 2021. Also, the industry has evolved in new areas of applications such as smart and intelligent packaging production as well as embellishment, industrial and functional as well as textile printing. These days, diversification is the key to success in a world where consumers are always connected, easily compare prices and loyalty declines. At drupa 2021 we will look into how other industries cope with global trends and their impact on our industry. Print and packaging will definitely have significant synergy effects, and prosper and grow due to the potential of packaging production. We’ll address competitive thinking and speak about how printing processes will be impacted due to ongoing growth potential in packaging production in all vertical markets such as food, non-food, pharma and cosmetics.

What are some of the key challenges facing the global print industry at the moment? How can a presence as an exhibitor or attendee at drupa help businesses address these challenges?

Since 2017, a lowering of economic confidence is accompanying the print industry as a result of increasing concern over broader socio-economic issues such as political instability and global trade wars. The good news is that printers are demonstrating increasing confidence in adjusting to the impact of digital communications. Large online retailers are successfully integrating it. The global printing equipment market is mature in the developed nations, but still has lots of potentiality for development in the growing regions. Turning to the specific market sector trends, for commercial printers the clear message is the need to diversify, both in the submarkets they serve and the services they offer. There is endless price and margin pressure and only by tapping into fresh customer segments and offering new products and services, you can avoid the race to the bottom in commodity markets. 

drupa is accompanied by top-caliber conferences: the five drupa hot spots that cover the relevant topics of the current printing industry. They feature prestigious international speakers who give an in-depth look at trends and development opportunities. The drupa cube is the major stage for our conference programme that follows again the slogan “educate – engage – entertain”. Key notes, panels or CEO Level sessions are led by a range of inspirational international speakers. Delegates and exhibitors can get actionable insights on business trends, leadership best practices, and print futures that they can take back to apply and implement in their own companies. 

At the touchpoint 3D fab+print, experts from the AM world (additive manufacturing) shed light on 3D printing and its diverse applications as cutting-edge technology – from design to the production processes, materials, and many other areas of application. In numerous specialist lectures from technology providers and users, visitors will get to experience fascinating examples of successful AM technologies for the manufacturing of machine and spare parts, tools, promotional items, and objects of utility. 

The touchpoint textile is another trend forum. Visitors will see applications in various industries such as textile direct printing, screen printing, transfer printing, and digital printing. A new approach to the technology awaits visitors with the Digital Textile Micro Factory, a 3D simulation that connects directly to production and shows how clothing can be produced on demand and individually – a fashion industry on its way to industry 4.0. 

Packaging experts and innovative start-ups show the future of packaging design and production at touchpoint packaging. The focal point at this forum are global trends that already had and will have a huge impact such as demographic change, circular economy, customisation, personalisation, brand integrity and safety. 

Lastly, dna is the center of disruptive developments. It is a networking space where global players, start-ups, and key players in the industry can engage in productive exchange about new product ideas, prototypes and business models, and present new approaches, solutions and technologies for relevant cross-sectional technologies in the print, industrial, functional and packaging industry.

You have embarked on an epic world tour in the run up to drupa – are you encouraged by what you have seen of print industries in different geographic locations?

During the drupa world tour we have visited 27 countries worldwide with 35 events. We have had exciting meetings with industry experts, journalists and representatives of local media partners, industry and trade associations. The tour has shown that exhibitors and visitors alike are really much looking forward to getting together at the hotspot of the printing industry — the No. 1 for printing technologies, drupa. This is indeed very encouraging. It is good to know that drupa is still the top platform for huge investments, networking opportunities with the right decision-makers and thought leadership. 

Drupa 2020 has been postponed to 2021 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic – that must have been a difficult decision, but certainly the correct one. What goes into making such a major decision and what has been the industry response?

The drupa trade fair scheduled for 16-26 June 2020 will be postponed to 20-30 April 2021. In doing so, Messe Düsseldorf is following the recommendation of the crisis management team of the German Federal Government to take into account the principles of the Robert Koch Institute when assessing the risk of major events. Based on this recommendation and the recent significant increase in the number of people infected with the new coronavirus, including in Europe, Messe Düsseldorf has reassessed the situation. In addition, there is the general ruling issued by the city of Düsseldorf on 11 March 2020, in which major events with more than 1,000 participants present at the same time are generally prohibited. 

The current situation is affecting all industries worldwide in an unprecedented way, and the effects of the coronavirus are already having a drastic impact on public and economic life. As in other industries, the printing industry is feeling the effects of this in the form of short-time work, production downtime and supply bottlenecks – on a national and global level. In this situation, however, the health and protection of employees and partners takes precedence. The reaction of our international customers and partners to the postponement was therefore consistently positive and met with great understanding and acceptance. Three months before the regularly scheduled start of drupa, we were thus able to give many exhibitors the opportunity at this point in time to reschedule their upcoming logistical and very cost-intensive measures, such as the shipment of machines.

How do you believe print businesses can weather the storm caused by the pandemic?

There is no doubt that there will be declines and lasting economic setbacks. The government's measures and aids are on the way. However, it is important that the industry does not suffer a complete standstill in production as a result of the current measures. Our industry must continue to invest in the future in order to seize market opportunities, because print, with its so many different and extensive applications and forms of use, will continue to be indispensable in many markets in the future. The exchange of ideas between industry players and the necessary inspiration are key means to this end and are lived out and introduced in a future-oriented manner at leading world trade fairs such as drupa.

Drupa’s 2021 theme is ‘Embrace the Future’ – what does this mean to you?

With this claim, we encourage, motivate and invite all exhibitors and visitors to experience the innovations, trends and opportunities for growing businesses as the chance to adapt and develop their own business models. The current transformations are indispensable and vital for the industry to open up on new potentials for every company of every segment. For every printing professional, drupa is the place to be if you want to live at the pulse of our times. drupa 2021 has a clear goal: understand the future, then provide a realistic and reliable picture, as well as a vision of our industry and what it will look like.

Innovators, in particular, will find a wide range of presentation and networking options: for example, at drupa touchpoints which are special exhibition areas that bring together a wide variety of experts from CEOs to design students or from global brand owners to start-ups to discuss future solutions and designs in packaging, opportunities of industrial 3D printing or the possibilities of fully networked process chains in textile printing.

Attending drupa means meeting the future – touching it, feeling it and moving on with it; in short: embracing it completely.

What can we expect from drupa 2021? 

From 20 to 30 April 2021, drupa will offer a 360-degree overview of the global print universe alongside the entire value and supply chain. As a global industry meeting place, it brings together all the key players. drupa 2021 is loaded with professional input, innovative ideas and new stimuli every day – and all the touchpoints and forums are included and for free. Our industry still is in a period of continious change and drupa will be the platform that enables to get an idea of the near and far future – therefore, we find it essential to offer a program that is freely accessible for everyone. The show provides orientation, newest technologies and trends that can only be experienced here. drupa is a premium event in an inspiring and fascinating atmosphere with best networking conditions as well as high caliber knowledge transfer.

For more information check out the drupa website