Now that drupa 2016 is complete, the printing industry can take a deep breath and sort out what it has seen. I have been going to drupa at Messe Dusseldorf since 2000, and every four year, there seems to be a new theme.
 
In February 2015, drupa announced that it would shift to a three-year schedule, with 2019 being set for the next drupa. The reasons given were two-fold. First, new technologies are always cropping up, giving attendees new things to see. Second, Interpack, a huge packaging show, is being held at Messe Dusseldorf in 2020, and drupa organizers did not want to have their exhibitors selecting between the two shows if needed.
 
However, drupa officials have reversed themselves, and now drupa has been returned to 2020, with the 11-day show scheduled for June 23-July 3, 2020.
    
A few thoughts:
• I give the drupa team credit for making a quick u-turn on their previous decision. If you want to argue that four years is too much time between showing new products, that is fine, but actually, we saw many new presses that won’t be ready for at least another year. No company holds onto new technology just to release it for a show anymore; manufacturers may set a target date for drupa.
 
• I would guess that drupa organizers heard a lot from their more than 1,800 exhibitors about scheduling the show every three years. drupa is a huge commitment of time and personnel. From talking with what I would term as medium-sized exhibitors, drupa works out to a seven-figure commitment when factoring in booth, set-up, hotel and travel and personnel, among other costs. It is hard to get companies to speed up this sort of outlay.
 
As far as I can tell, drupa works well as a four-year program. Its frequency makes it stand out compared to many shows that are held annually, and the respect that exhibitors and attendees alike hold for drupa is fairly unique in the world of trade shows. Maintaining its four-year cycle makes complete sense.