The Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner
In the printing and publishing industries, the exhibition business had many years of growth and fat success. We can look back on the glory days of IPEX, Imprinta, Ifra, ANPA, and of course drupa just to name a few. And we can remember their powerful pull on all parts of the business. From caterers to badgemakers, travel agents, PRs and hotels, everyone focused on the megashows, especially the exhibitors and visitors. But for many years those shows were in terminal decline and with the exception of drupa, have now faded from view. Part of the reason was a failure to reinvent themselves to meet changing market expectations and needs. Understanding how things change for visitors is key to economic sustainability in the trade-show business, especially in the digital age.
The attendee numbers at drupa 2024 followed this pattern. The drupa 2024 organisers predicted that 260,000 visitors would come to the show but only 170,000 showed up. Such a dramatic fall is very disappointing, a shock even to a cynic. Perhaps the organisers’ message of “digitalisation”, automation and sustainability did not sufficiently resonate with most printers already neck deep in digital production and automation. Or perhaps printing companies no longer can justify the time, effort and cost of going to drupa. According to post-show reports from the big vendors the show was a great success, falling numbers notwithstanding. Sales from the likes of Fujifilm, Heidelberg and Xeikon were buoyant and companies signed many cooperation and distribution deals. So drupa 2024 was apparently economically sustainable.
As for environmental sustainability, the articulation of a clear sustainability leadership message for drupa 2024 might have made a difference and encouraged more visitors to the show. Print service providers (PSP) need guidance to understand the environmental sustainability expectations of their customers and put that understanding into practise. Most print buyers want to work with PSPs who know how to ensure that their print media production is as sustainable as possible. PSPs need to be able to have sustainability conversations with customers and for all aspects of sustainability, we must start having those conversations soon.
The decline of tradeshows because organisers don’t establish a strong dialogue with their customers in a meaningful way isn’t all bad. It’s created opportunities for other more vibrant and in touch events such as FESPA and Printing Expo Online. Traditional tradeshows belong to another era; events that engage directly with their communities belong to this one. And they can be just as massive and just as meaningful.
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This article was produced by the Verdigris Project, an industry initiative intended to raise awareness of print’s positive environmental impact. This weekly commentary helps printing companies keep up to date with environmental standards, and how environmentally friendly business management can help improve their bottom lines. Verdigris is supported by the following companies: Agfa Graphics, EFI, Fespa, Fujifilm, HP, Kodak, Miraclon, RicohSplash PR, Unity Publishing and Xeikon.
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