HATS OFF TO DRUPA
In the prevailing phenomenon of not so good weather, it is only drupa who is providing shelter in the form of an umbrella (to avoid getting wet in rains); translucent shelter (to avoid facing dust storms, yet maintaining visibility); temporary air cooled accommodation (to avoid getting affected from extreme heat); and windcheater (to avoid snow storms); etc. It is commendable on the part of top industry event, i.e. drupa, which is trying to maintain the required balance and patience amongst the industry all over the world. Imagine if drupa also takes some preventive steps by way of reducing the number of days of the show or do not put extra ordinary efforts to interact with the industry or not involving print buyers into its fold or do not interact with innovators within the industry what would be the fate? Is it not too frightening? Yes, it is!
We at Print & Publishing, in India must compliment drupa organisers to keep going in such a spirit. The initiatives to collaborate with few more organizations of Germany for offering add-on advantages to attendees in terms of knowledge and information on trends in and around the print were highly appreciable. At the time of recession on the top level in many countries/continents, to keep the printing industry’s flag high, drupa 2012 shall be remembered differently altogether. The industry is staying at the cross roads and someone needs to show the right path to choose and we feel it is only ‘drupa’ who will be known as the pathfinder hereafter.
As the dedicated report on drupa in the following pages of P&P fully described, new technologies – whether Nano Printing or inkjet apart from conventional offset, flexo, gravure or screen – all have been at the display floors providing motivation/inspiration during drupa 2012 to every one. One of the new trends observed at the show was that printing technology providers have effectively been working out to minimize the requirement of a highly skilled manpower. Many of these demonstrated the effectiveness of their machines in maintaining stable high print quality without requiring experienced operators who obviously come at rocket cost.
Though there was substantially lesser number of visitors than before, it was drupa who could convince all manufacturers/suppliers to come and participate and finally make the things going. Analyzing India’s presence it was witnessed that while only 27 Indian exhibitors participated in this ‘Olympics of printing’, visitors’ number reached up to the mark of 15,000 (official figure), making the country second largest visitors nation after Germany. India also entered the orders list of several venders at the show. This all is adequate to clearly prognosticate that Indian printers are ready to take a quantum leap investing in state-of-the-art technologies seeing potentials in well indentified growing segments of the industry. That’s why more overseas manufacturers showed their interest in coming to India finding out appropriate distribution partners.
In totality, drupa has been truly successful in its own way but differently and the industry professionals must thank them whole-heartedly and keep supporting the genuine efforts whenever such an initiative is taken!
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