Darmstadt, 19 October 2006 - 10,122 newspaper managers from 87 countries experienced during IfraExpo 2006 in Amsterdam how media can be optimally attuned to one another. They showed high levels of interest in the solutions offered by a total of 336 exhibitors from 25 countries. Special attention was given to the products that permit efficient publishing on various channels. New printing technologies, comprehensive workflow automation and mailroom innovations make the printed media fit for the role of key player. Rapid strikers playing on the wings, such as SMS and MMS, blogs and the incorporation of "user-generated content", help the team captain - the printed newspaper - lead the team to success. From 9th to 12th October 2006, visitors to the capital city of the Netherlands were able to inform themselves about how the future trend towards "media convergence" is causing the different media platforms to merge and mutually complement one another. Ifra, the world's leading association for newspaper and media publishing, has been organising the most important gathering of the newspaper industry since 1970. In Amsterdam, the venue for IfraExpo already for the 15th time, visitors displayed interest in proven systems as well as the latest solutions and innovative technologies of the industry, presented by a record number of exhibitors at the RAI Exhibition Centre. Well-attended technical events and special displays: A programme of accompanying events tailored to the interests of the visitors, consisting of technical events and special displays, contributed to the success of the leading exhibition for the newspaper and media industries as did the IfraExpo itself. For example, the first of the new-style Focus Sessions featured experience and strategy reports from users, while the Solution Park presented innovative solutions of specialised suppliers. Also new this year was the Ifra XMA Cross Media Awards competition as well as the presentation of the nine winners (among 55 participants from 29 countries) and the awards ceremony held during the exhibition (www.ifra.com/xma and www.ifra.com/photos). An institution with a longer tradition is the International Newspaper Color Quality Club, whose 50 members and their results for the period 2006-2008, were presented at the Ifra stand (www.colorqualityclub.org and www.ifra.com/photos). IfraExpo with a record number of exhibitors: This year's IfraExpo, held in the five halls of the RAI in Amsterdam, recorded the highest number of exhibitors since the first Ifra exhibition in 1970: 336 (2005 in Leipzig: 313) exhibitors, including all market leasers, from 25 (21) countries showed the latest technological developments on a net stand space of 14,777 (14,530) m<=. Besides the familiar companies, this year saw the first-time participation of 60 (more than 60) exhibitors. More than 90 (more than 50) suppliers informed about their "IfraFirsts" - an "IfraFirst" is a product that is shown to the public for the very first time at an IfraExpo. 10,122 (8985) visitors came from 87 (72) countries to Amsterdam (Leipzig). Exemplary quotes from visitors and exhibitors: Meets lots of customers: Anna-Karin Jˆnsson, marketing manager of Idab Wamac, says, "It's been a great exhibition. We are very busy with ongoing projects and met with a lot of customers and potential customers at IfraExpo." Interesting companies: Expo visitor Carl Savage works for RHS Europe, an Oxford, U.K.-based consultancy. He says, "I've seen quite a few interesting companies here. (. . .) Mobile is an area in which there's a lot of innovation going on." Multiple media publishing: Gabriella Franzini, Marketing Director of EidosMedia says "there is more and more awareness among publishers about going towards a multiple media publishing strategy, much more than in previous years. The industry is revamping, you can tell that from the number of visitors. Publishers need technology in order to make the change towards multimedia publishing happen. We have very interesting years ahead of us." Fantastic show: Rinus Hoebeke, Segment Marketing Manager Newspaper of Kodak: "The show was fantastic as of the first minute. We had smashing interest with our digital printing equipment. There was very high attendance from Germany, France and the Eastern European countries, but also outside EMEA the numbers are rising. There is a tendency that the event becomes more and more global." IfraExpo 2007 in Vienna and the first IfraExpo India: Next year's IfraExpo will be held for the first time in Vienna (Reed Messe: www.messe.at): from 8th to 11th October 2007. Shortly before this (from 4th to 6th September 2007), Ifra will pay due tribute to the rapidly growing Indian economy by organising a special exhibition for the first time in India: IfraExpo India 2007 (www.ifraexpo.com/india) in the six-million metropole Chennai (Madras). It is co-sponsored by The Indian Newspaper Society. IfraExpo 2008 will take place once again in Amsterdam (RAI: www.rai.nl): from 27th to 30th October 2008. Ifra named five new board members: During Ifra's 54th General Assembly on 11 October 2006, the members present elected five new members to the Ifra board, as proposed by Ifra President Horst Pirker: Philip Alberdingk Thijm (PCM Uitgevers B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands), Mohamed K. Alayyan (Jordan United Press, Amman, Jordania), IÒaki Arechabaleta TorrÛntegui (Vocento S.A., Zamudio, Spain), Mark Mikolajczyk (Florida Today, Melbourne, USA) and Mik‰el Pentik‰inen (Sanoma Corporation, Sanomat, Finland). Re-elected are: Khun Pichai Chuensuksawadi (The Post Publishing Public Co Ltd, Bangkok, Thailand), Philip Crawley (The Globe and Mail, Toronto, Canada), GÈrard DÈmocrate (SPPP, Paris, France), Terry Grote (Independent News & Media Ltd., London, U.K.) and K.N. Shanth Kumar (The Printers Mysore Ltd., Bangalore, India). The Ifra Board is headed by Dr. Horst Pirker (Styria Medien AG, Graz, Austria) as Ifra President, Michael J. Coleman (Cape Publications, Melbourne, USA) as Ifra Vice President and Tore Stangebye (Orkla Media AS, Oslo, Norway) as Ifra Treasurer.