When drupa 2016, the leading international trade fair for print and cross-media solutions, will take place from May 31 – June 11 at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany, the city is ready to welcome the hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world with special activities in the city. Düsseldorf will be painted red with numerous activities as the metropolis will be transformed into drupacity. The goal of this joint initiative of Messe Düsseldorf and Destination Düsseldorf is not to merely create visibility for the trade fair theme in the city, but rather to make it come alive. Be it a rolling 3D laboratory or fashion collections made of paper – dozens of attractive offerings will communicate the core drupa theme in an innovative and creative way that is understandable to the general public while targeting international visitors as well as residents of Düsseldorf.

“With the help of several events, Düsseldorf will demonstrate that the city and its residents identify with the trade fair theme. This promotes location ties. Of course we are delighted about the positive response to the initiative and the fact that Düsseldorf’s service industry is actively involved,” stated Boris Neisser, Managing Director of Destination Düsseldorf. More than 50 partners from the hotel, gastronomy, retail and transportation sectors will support drupacity with diverse activities – from a “paper art market” and innovative 3D projects to “drupabases’ in hotels.

Welcome 
To ensure that visitors feel welcome in Düsseldorf, they will be greeted by Drupaulas and Drupauls teams dressed in red and by a special testimonial billboard campaign at the Düsseldorf airport and the central train station. These testimonials are intentionally not from celebrities but from representatives of individual professions, welcoming drupa guests with personal statements. In addition, over 100 bakeries will offer the special “druPRINTen” cookies, decorated with the drupacity logo and a Düsseldorf motif. They will also be handed out at the airport, central train station, hotels and the fairgrounds.

Wolfgang Goes Mobile: a Bus as a Rolling Laboratory
One highlight will be “Wolfgang” - a Berlin-style double-decker bus converted into a mobile 3D printer laboratory by the GoetheLab at the Technical University of Aachen (Germany). It will bring the latest 3D printing scientific discoveries from the stationary lab into the city, making technology understandable while bringing it alive. Eight computer workspaces complete with 3D printers allow visitors to learn how to virtually construct an object that will later be printed three-dimensionally. In addition,  the FabBus – a combination of the words “fabber” and “bus” – will feature a showroom with specialist books on the subject, a lounge area as well as a coffee and tea bar. The nickname “Wolfgang” comes from Germany’s most famous poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, in reference to the GoetheLab on Goethe Street in Aachen.

Diverse Activity Program
The drupa highlight theme 3D printing will also be visible throughout the city center, in shopping malls, large department stores and also at the airport. Here, visitors can win one of 100 personal 3D figures at the “Win Your Twin” promotion area. In the Schadow Arkaden, visitors will be able to observe how the Düsseldorf TV tower appears on so-called delta towers over the course of the entire trade fair. Or how giveaways (little ghosts that glow in the dark) are produced in as little as 20 minutes. At the Galeria Kaufhof Am Wehrhahn the winner of a drawing contest will receive the subject of his/her drawing as a 3D object. At the Breuninger store, a giant macaroon welcomes visitors who can learn interesting facts about food printing.

The Kö avenue will feature exhibits of extraordinary items made of paper. The “Paper Art Market” at stilwerk will show works by various artists while the art of paper tearing can be experienced at Mr. Lo’s Paper Show at the Kö Bogen. The Kö Galerie will present a special fashion collection made of paper, designed by students of the Media Design School Düsseldorf. The theme of the collection is based on this year’s drupa slogan, “touch the future”. Exhibitions and lectures round off the program.

Service is High Priority in drupacity
Numerous drupartners from the gastronomy, hotel and retail sectors offer trade fair visitors specially marked meeting places in so-called “drupabases” where guests can relax and gather information before and after their trade fair visit. Culinary needs will also be met at the drupabases: the spectrum ranges from free snacks and daily tastings in the gourmet zones to red drupacity welcome cocktails and red alt bier ice. The retail sector is preparing for the international visitors by setting up tax-free service points and hiring multilingual sales personnel. As a fitting souvenir to remind drupa guests of their stay, the city emblem – the Düsseldorf cartwheel – is available at the tourist information locations as a red 3D figure.

Banners with the slogan “welcome to drupacity düsseldorf” will mark the locations in the inner city where special activities and promotions are taking place. The new drupa song “drupa is in town again” will ensure the appropriate musical atmosphere. The city guide “Düsseldorf Inside” includes a detailed summary of the drupacity program. Further information is available at www.drupacity.de.