January 21, 2008 -- Visitors to drupa 2008, print media trade fair, can look forward to a first-class ancillary program. Seminars, workshops, talks, individual tours of the trade fair as well as special presentations such as the "drupa innovation parc presented by HP" and "drupacube" add up to unparalleled knowledge transfer for international experts. "The ancillary programme is a key building block in the overall drupa concept and the ideal complement to the exhibitors' technology offerings," said drupa Project Director Manuel Mataré. The program's individual building blocks are modular, allowing them to be freely combined according to visitors' interests. "Our priority is achieving a target-group-specific appeal. Print buyers and those on the creative side, for instance, will be in their element at the drupacube while printing and media service providers will be able to ask specific production-related questions on the Highlights Tours. Decision makers will be able to probe new lines of business at the Compass Sessions. drupa has an appropriate answer to every question!" explained Manuel Mataré.

drupacube

With the drupacube, drupa 2008 will for the first time provide a special event aimed at the print buyer target group. Here the spotlight will be on printed products - with one key difference. At drupacube, the focus will be on marketing-driven applications for printed products - the technology that makes this possible will play a secondary role. This gives marketing and publishing directors, production managers, account executives and creative directors the possibility to get a compact overview of the potential of printing in the marketing mix. "With this tool, we intend to attract print buyers to drupa in greater numbers. Undoubtedly, many of the exhibitors also have products catering to this target group. But at a technology trade fair such as drupa, this type of information is often in danger of being overshadowed," noted Manuel Mataré. "The drupacube acts as a portal for print buyers by providing concise infotainment on everything concerning print communications and directs them to the exhibitors' stands." Symposia and workshops will address the most diverse topics, with each day dedicated to a specific motto. For instance, one day will focus on newspapers and/or magazines, another day it will be on direct marketing, catalogs and corporate communications. Also planned are symposia addressing brand protection, green printing and the relationship between the arts and print. For more information, visit www.drupacube.com.

drupa innovation parc

With its 160 exhibitors on some 32,000 square feet, the "drupa innovation parc presented by HP" in Hall 7.0 will be the hotspot for new software technologies which open the door to online interfaces and production opportunities for the printing industry. "Following the highly successful debut at the last drupa, we have optimized the concept and will be offering topic-based visitor guidance," remarked Bernd Zipper, coordinator of the drupa innovation parc. The following eight theme parks will address the latest forward-looking technologies:

- "printbuyer integration parc powered by AlphaPicture"
- "creative production parc"
- "jdf experience parc powered by Heidelberg"
- "document management parc"
- "pdf + xml production"
- "digital picture parc"
- "online communication parc"
- "print + publishing parc powered by Agfa"

Talks, live demonstrations and daily special events will complement the dip exhibits.

Highlights Tours

In order to give trade visitors an overview of individual industry themes, guided tours highlighting current developments will take place. These topics will range from workflows, Web and print to offset and digital printing as well as packaging production and finishing. The Highlights Tours take visitors to six or eight selected exhibitors on each tour. In addition to German and English, the tours will for the first time also be conducted in Chinese, Spanish and French. In addition, the "Technology Guides" will provide a comprehensive overview of the relevant topic in brochure format. Exact dates for the tours and registration are available online at www.highlightstouren.de.

Compass Sessions

The Compass Sessions are two-hour intensive workshops staged daily on topics regarding technology and new lines of business in the printing industry. The themes will range from digital/inkjet printing, offset printing, pre-media and Web-to-print solutions to digital workflows, printed electronics and packaging printing. Each Compass Session will be devoted to a different theme. Held from 9:00 am to 11:00 am and combined with a light breakfast, they form the ideal start for the drupa day. Further information can be found online at www.compass-sessions.de.



DOXNET on site

DOXNET, the independent European association for digital printing and document management professionals is inviting visitors to the "DOXNET on site" event in the Congress Center Düsseldorf (CCD-East) on June 4. Professor Frank Romano from the U.S. will speak on the latest trends in printing techniques, especially digital printing. Ralf Schlözer (Director of the On Demand Printing & Publishing Service Europe at InfoTrends, the digital printing and document management industry's leading market research and consulting company) will discuss market trends and developments in the field of transpromos. Talks by major European users outside of Germany on the market situation and development opportunities in their relevant countries are also planned. DOXNET President Peter Dehm (T-Systems DDM GmbH) will report on the association's activities and goals.

PEFC event: trend towards certified wood and paper products

Society's growing concern about environmental and climate issues has led to a step-up in demand for certificates of origin. "Green procurement" - the sustainable acquisition of materials - is experiencing a boom in printing as well. As a result, demand for certified wood and paper products is on the rise. A similar trend is noticeable in the number of PEFC-certified printing operations which increased ten-fold in 2007 to 46. To do justice to this surge in interest, PEFC Deutschland will organize a comprehensive information event at drupa 2008 in the afternoon of June 10. Aside from an in-depth talk, activities will focus on discussions that address the topic from various different angles. Through this forum, PEFC aims to appeal primarily to representatives of the printing industry but also to production managers, advertising experts, publishers, logistics professionals and consultants. A concrete, targeted invitation, outlining the finalized program will be sent out before the start of drupa. The latest information can be found at www.pefc.de.

Fourth FSC Global Paper Forum in Düsseldorf

On June 9 and 10, the 4th FSC Global Paper Forum will be staged in during drupa 2008. The forum is an international get-together attended by FSC players from the worldwide paper and pulp sectors who gather to examine market opportunities. Forum discussions, workshops and information on all the latest developments in the FSC paper sector form part of the event. The following basic themes will be covered:

- Success: good brands on good paper

- Opportunities: bringing together supply and demand for FSC paper

- The impact of FSC certification on forestry, conservation, trade and legislation

- New FSC standards for the chain of custody

Further information can be obtained at www.writingthefuture.org

Print and media industry forum

Current market developments, entertaining panel discussions and the exchange of news and views with colleagues are central to the industry forum that will be staged by the German Printing and Media Industries Federation (bvdm) in cooperation with IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG on June 5 at 6:15 pm. High-calibre representatives of the print and media industry will present views from a range of different perspectives. Participation in the industry forum is free of charge, but those interested are asked to register. It is anticipated that the program and registration form will be available starting February 2008 at www.bvdm-online.de. The forum language will be German.

For further information on visiting or exhibiting at drupa 2008, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2920, Chicago, IL 60601. Telephone: (312) 781-5180; Fax: (312) 781-5188; E-mail: [email protected]. Or visit the web sitehttp://www.mdna.com