The Exhibitors that will win at Drupa, will be those with the best stories…

Of course, no one will go to the show with a scorecard comparing stories. But I guarantee you that it will be the exhibitors with the best stories that you remember. Not those parroting facts, features and promotional ‘blah’.

So next week Drupa is finally taking place. If you are a print industry professional and did not know that you have been living under a huge rock. 

Already the noise is reverberating around the industry, talk of AI, Software, heads, inks, curing, new machines, new this, new that, there is much anticipation for what is hoped to be an event that will help us all understand where the industry is at, and what we should be thinking and investing in for the future. 

Next week though I expect to feel overwhelmed by the size and scale of the show. By the promotional cacophony, the hype, the gossip, and hopefully the optimism! It has been 8 years since the last one, and the best gauge of the global printing industry is without a doubt Drupa. 

What will we end up actually remembering though? My guess is the exhibitors who tell the best stories. We so often conflate promotion with storytelling. A good old fashioned press release gets internal approval, and then many of us think that our job is done. But there will be stories at the show with well thought through booth designs that factor in the journey for the visitor. There will also be more that do not do that at all. I am not judging them, but they will not be the ones people truly remember. Stories have as much importance at a large trade show as they do in a book, report, talk, podcast or film. Particularly when you are competing for share of voice, or more importantly people’s time and attention. 

Sure, sometimes a much anticipated new technology will steal the show, this could be coming from a tech giant who clearly has the advantage of scale and impact in that their customer base is eagerly awaiting their next iteration. But really, out of the 1000 plus exhibitors at the event, I would venture that these kinds of exhibitors really are in a very small minority. 10 or so I reckon, and for the rest storytelling really levels the playing field in my opinion. Storytelling enables smaller companies, with smaller budgets, but with big ideas, to command attention at a show like Drupa without the need for a gigantic booth. I am sure we will all come away from Dusseldorf having met a few of these. At least I hope so!

DrupaCube content is free for show attendees. See podcast interview with Jane Waight, Strategic Planner

To those of you who are interested in storytelling and improving how to communicate, please do come along to the DrupaCube on June 6 as I will be giving a talk at the DrupaCube ‘Reigniting the forgotten art and science of Storytelling’ 

On June 5 Frazer gives a talk on innovation, again, all welcome!

CHECK OUT DRUPA PROGRAM OVERVIEW HERE

All that leaves me to all our partners and contacts, is to have a great show, do wear comfortable shoes, have a wonderful time and we look forward to sharing stories with you all from the show floor! And if you are interested in more info on the impressive content programme for the DrupaCube, do check out the podcast interview with Jane here!