Shorter drupa exhibition planned for 2028

The next drupa will be held in May 2028, a nine-day event. Organisers say the trade fair is adjusting to the changing needs and expectations of exhibitors and visitors and reflecting the continued transformation of the industry.

The next drupa will be held in Düsseldorf from 9 to 17 May 2028. 

“drupa 2024 was more international than ever, and the positive atmosphere throughout the halls reflected our industry’s determination to drive profound change to make the printing and packaging industry more sustainable through automation, artificial intelligence and strategic partnerships. And these are exactly the kind of important goals that will continue to require a reliable platform such as drupa in future. What was also apparent, however, was that, as a B2B trade fair with a very high proportion of decision-makers from all over the world, the length of stays at drupa has become shorter. That’s why we want to facilitate trade fair visits with maximum efficiency”, says Wolfram N. Diener, Chairman and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, explaining the decision.

At this year’s drupa, 76 per cent of visitors were from upper and middle management.

“We believe that this adjustment is also confirmed by the experience we have gathered at our leading global trade fairs in the fields of machinery, plants and equipment, interpack and K, that address comparable customer profiles and do very well with a similar duration,” continues Diener.

The unique presentation of cutting-edge technology and machines in operation will remain. Organisers say the slightly shorter timeframe will still allow exhibitors to present and stage wide-ranging product portfolios, machines, and workflows effectively and an impressive stage programme.

Dr Andreas Pleßke, chairman of the drupa committee and CEO of Koenig & Bauer AG, emphasises the trade fair’s importance and is a supporter of the new duration: “For Koenig & Bauer, drupa offers an unbeatable marketing format, as this year’s event has once again impressively demonstrated. We expressly welcome the new trade fair duration starting in 2028, as it will meet changing industry requirements without limiting the international scope of the trade fair. This is also demonstrated by the fact that visitors from 173 countries attended drupa, emphasising the global appeal of the event. No other format generates such a high level of interest from the industry.” 

“We comprehensively and carefully analysed the recommendations of our drupa committee, the results of exhibitor and visitor surveys and feedback from partners and associations”, says Sabine Geldermann, Director of drupa. “Shortening the fair’s duration is a direct response to the industry’s desire for a more focused, efficient event that continues to provide international participants with a unique opportunity to discover groundbreaking innovations and technology.”

Selected results of the exhibitor and visitor surveys and key figures, data and facts for drupa 2024 are published in the Post Show Report and at www.drupa.com.