January 22, 2008 -- Four months before the start of drupa 2008, print media trade fair, the exhibitor registration reflects the international market situation and industry developments. Consequently, the leading technology producing nations will be the most strongly represented countries at drupa 2008: Germany (745,100 sq. ft.), Italy (148,200 sq. ft.), the U.S. (142,600 sq. ft.), Switzerland (130,500 sq. ft.), Netherlands (99,100 sq. ft.), Japan (89,200 sq. ft.), the UK (80,000 sq. ft.), Belgium (70,800 sq. ft.) and Spain (68,600 sq. ft.). Exhibit space booked by emerging industrial countries such as China and India has increased considerably: by 300% for China (84,700 sq. ft.) and 60% for India (25,900 sq. ft.).

With over 1,800 exhibitors on over 1.8 million square feet of exhibit space, 400,000 expected visitors and some 3,500 journalists from around the world, drupa 2008 will be larger than ever before. “These figures once again underscore drupa’s status as the world’s No. 1 trade fair for the print and media industry,” commented Werner M. Dornscheidt, President and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf. “No other event has as profound and all-encompassing an influence on the economics and technologies of the print media industry as drupa in Düsseldorf. What the Olympic Games mean to athletes is what drupa means to the print media industry.”

In the age of Internet and digital media, the competitiveness of print is a recurrent theme of discussion. But the facts show print to be as solid as ever. “Today more paper, cardboard, foil and other materials are printed than ever before. The annual global total is almost 500 million tons,” pointed out Albrecht Bolza-Schünemann, President of drupa 2008 and President of Koenig & Bauer AG. At drupa 2008, the international supplier industry will present an abundance of innovations, integrated solutions and market-ready refinements that could give printed products the edge in competition between the media. “The feel, emotional power and high quality of printed products provide a substantial competitive advantage over electronic media, for example, at the point of sale, in brand communications, personalized mailings and large-format advertising,” added Albrecht Bolza-Schünemann. In addition, new growth markets are opening up due to electronic printing (the keywords here are security printing and brand protection) and networked communications (e.g. interactive campaigns).

Whether sheet-fed or web-fed offset, gravure or label printing, digital or screen printing – all these technologies will be highlighted in XXL format at drupa 2008. With over 322,900 square feet of exhibit space reserved, this product category will be the largest, followed by bookbinding and print finishing on more than 118,400 square feet, prepress and pre-media (over 96,800 square feet) and packaging production/paper converting (over 80,300 square feet).

Compared to drupa 2004, the area for digital solutions has expanded by about 107,600 square feet of exhibit space. The two new halls 8a and 8b will play a central role in this segment. Together with Halls 5 and 9, this will be the stage primarily for exhibitors with a focus on this product category (e.g. Agfa-Gevaert, Canon, Eastman Kodak, Epson, Fujifilm, Hewlett-Packard, Konica Minolta, Ricoh Company, Xerox Corporation).

The other drupa 2008 pillars will be:

• Halls 1 and 2: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, Polar-Mohr
• Halls 3 and 4: printing, materials, services (e.g. Presstek Europe Ltd., Sakurai Graphic Systems Co.)
• Hall 6: PrintCity with MAN Roland, its network partners and other international exhibitors active in print finishing
• Halls 10 to 12: paper converting, packaging production (e.g. Bobst S.A.)
• Halls 12 to 14: bookbinding, print finishing (e.g. Horizon International Inc., Müller Martini)
• Halls 15 to 17: printing machinery, bookbinding and finishing (e.g. Cerrutti Officine, Ferag AG, Goss International, Koenig & Bauer AG, Kolbus GmbH & Co. KG, Komori International, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ryobi, Windmöller & Hölscher KG)
• Hall 12: used machinery market with over 70 dealers

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 site http://www.mdna.com