January 24, 2008 - The drupa 2008 service portal is the international print and paper industry's most important online platform offering users more than just facts and figures relating to the trade fair. This extraordinary website is dedicated to the entire print and media industry community. At www.drupa.com, the global industry comes together in an interactive environment to access relevant information and news, communicate among themselves and network with business partners from around the globe.

With over 1,800 exhibitors spread across some 1.8 million square feet of exhibit space in 19 halls and 400,000 expected visitors, this record-breaking staging of drupa promises to be the industry highlight of the year. Exhibitors and attendees have the possibility to prepare for their exhibit or visit of the trade fair in advance on the drupa Internet portal. Structured around five, easy-to-navigate main menu items, precise planning and preparations for the print media fair, to be staged from May 29 - June 11, 2008, is easy.

The complete range of news offerings is located under the drupaWorld section, where the latest on drupa 2008, its special presentations as well as top reports from the print and media industry can be found. In addition, users can sign up to receive the free newsletter which is customized according to subscribers' individual interests. "Specials" contains multimedia features that present information interactively. The "FlipBook" allows turning the virtual "pages" of the latest issue of the drupa report, while the "mediacenter" offers entertainment - from photos and podcasts to drupaTV.

Companies & Products is filled with multifaceted options to help with the perfect planning of a successful trade fair visit focused on individual interests. With the drupa search engine, it's easy to conduct targeted and detailed exhibitor and product research. Selected companies, complete with the relevant hall plan, exhibitor's exact location and stand number, can be conveniently managed in "My Organizer". The automatically created print version can then be used as a navigational aid to guide visitors directly to the exhibitors of their choice. "My Catalog" assists users in compiling their own personalized catalogue of company profiles, product details and exhibitor contacts – it's the perfect companion to the official drupa 2008 trade fair catalogue, which will be published in ten languages.

A new tool making its debut in time for drupa 2008 will be the "matchmaking" function. This online feature works much the same way as a digital notice board and brings together supply and demand.

Visitor Service not only features a comprehensive database of facts and figures including opening hours, hotel and city info, contacts and travel tips but also a cost benefit. Ordering admission tickets online saves more than 30 percent. Plus, the tickets entitle holders to travel to drupa and back on buses, trams, trains and the underground free of charge within the fare zone of the Rhine-Ruhr and Rhine-Sieg Regional Transport Networks (VRR and VRS).

Every registered exhibitor receives a personal login to the Exhibitor Service. Here, exhibiting companies can take advantage of a wealth of presentation options that help potential customers to get information on the company and its products before the trade fair. With the ServiceCompass, exhibitors have the option to organize their participation entirely via the Internet.

Devoted primarily to journalists, the Press Service is the section for the press releases and photos relating to drupa 2008. After registering online, members of the press are given access to exclusive information such as specialist articles, the list of exhibitor press conferences and PR activities.