December 2007 - An important basis of the overall drupa 2008 concept is the extensive ancillary program, including the Compass Sessions, Highlights Tours, drupa innovation parc powered by HP and industry forum. "This modular system gives our visitors the opportunity to put together a personalized package and thus get the most out of the expertise on offer," commented Manuel Mataré, drupa 2008 Project Director. drupa, print media trade fair, will be held from May 29 - June 11, 2008 in Düsseldorf, Germany.
The Compass Sessions will be two-hour intensive workshops staged daily from 9:00 am - 11:00 am in the Congress Center East at the Düsseldorf fairgrounds. Organized by Print & Media Forum AG, each Compass Session will be devoted to a different topic concerning technology and new lines of business in the printing industry.  Each session will consist of four half-hour talks by industry experts. Participation in the Compass Sessions costs Euro 75 (Euro 60 for members of the German Printing and Media Industries Federation). A detailed program as well as registration will be available in January 2008 at www.compass-sessions.de
The topics of the Compass Sessions will range from digital/inkjet printing, offset printing, pre-media and Web-to-print solutions to digital workflows and packaging printing. One of the highlights will be the theme "printed electronics" on Wednesday, June 4, under the auspices of the Organic Electronics Association (www.oe-a.org). Discussions are currently being held with other potential partner organizations.
The first Compass Sessions at drupa 2004 were an instant hit with visitors. "We are highly satisfied with the total of over 500 participants over the eleven day program," commented Bernd Adam of Print & Media Forum AG. Altogether, 39 speakers from more than five countries addressed nine topics at the 2004 event.