drupa (Düsseldorf, Germany) has announced the cancelation of the in-person drupa 2021 expo due to COVID-19 concerns. The show s replacement is the virtual.drupa 2021 trade fair, an online event from April 20-23, 2021. The in-person show had originally been scheduled in Düsseldorf for June 16-26, 2020, and first postponed to April 20-30, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before being canceled in favor of the 2021 event.
“The pandemic has caused great uncertainty among exhibitors and visitors regarding participation in drupa 2021. Travel restrictions and budget pressure have increasingly intensified the situation in the print industry, said Erhard Wienkamp, managing director of Messe Düsseldorf, the show organizer. “We have made this decision together with our partners who support this step. It was preceded by a detailed process of considering the current conditions and the needs of the industry.”
Per drupa, its preview platform already offers an impression of what ‘virtual.drupa’ will look like. It will give companies the opportunity to showcase themselves and their innovations virtually, as well as maintain existing contacts and establish new ones via the matchmaking feature. In addition, the conference schedule of the five drupa hot spots will provide key incentives and set the agenda for an online transfer of knowledge. For instance, international speakers from vertical markets will present success stories of Future Technologies in the Cube, outlining the future of our industry.
According to drupa s website, it is the largest printing equipment exhibition in the world, held every four years by Messe Düsseldorf. The next event will take place as scheduled from May 28 to June 7, 2024 in Düsseldorf, Germany.
For more information, visit drupa.com.