“There are a lot of things on my agenda right now”
A month before the doors open on drupa 2024, Sabine Geldermann, Director drupa, Portfolio Print Technologies, explains what’s like preparing for a global print trade show, what people can expect from the event, what it means for the print industry, and what the atmosphere is like when it’s in full swing.
What is your day like at the moment?
The dynamics are increasing day by day, as well as the anticipation. We are in regular and very intensive dialogues with our exhibitors when it comes to technical requirements from both sides, especially regarding set construction.
Preparing for our delegates is also at a very exciting stage of development since the whole world is getting ready for drupa. We’re getting emails from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Latin America alongside the bigger markets of Europe, the United States, China, India and Japan. So there are a lot of things on my daily agenda right now.
How important is it that drupa attracts people and companies from all over the world?
Very important. All our exhibitors can expect huge international participation. if you look back to the pandemic and post-pandemic periods, many people were predicting that the world would not return to travelling to European trade fairs. And honestly, it’s the opposite. Drupa is in very good shape this year, with roughly 1,500 exhibitors representing 50 nations.
What will be the key trends at drupa this year?
Drupa is now evolving much more intensively into industrial print applications. Packaging is a huge topic that you will discover in every single home. Other industrial print solutions include printing on glass, metal, aluminium, textile, wood, you name it. So I think areas of interior decoration will see further development. The beauty of the industry is that it’s continuously evolving and conquering new areas.
What role will sustainability have at the event?
Sustainability is one of our five ‘touchpoints’, and in Hall 14, there will be a dedicated forum for sustainability. We have over 30 exhibitor partners joining industry experts to share their insights into how you can increase production while meeting targets for sustainability.
One very important topic is going to be the legislation around sustainability. We all know what’s happening in Europe with EU restrictions and the requirement for companies to report their emissions. That’s got very complex, and a lot of companies need to understand how to work through that very bureaucratic process.
What’s the atmosphere like at drupa?
Everyone must experience drupa for themselves. It’s unlike any other trade show. At the moment, 20 companies will be occupying spaces of more than 1,000 square metres each, with the highest individual area being 5,000 square metres. There’s a real strength of innovation and strength on display, with so many product launches and premieres, all done within a tangible climate of investment everywhere you go. It’s truly a landmark event.
Say hello to Two Sides
Jonathan Tame, Managing Director of Two Sides, will be giving a presentation at drupa 2024 about the work of Two Sides and how the organisation provides the sector with resources and information about the sustainable nature of paper products. Jonathan will be speaking at The Cube on Sat 1 June at 12.15pm.
For more information about drupa 2024, go to drupa.com
