Trade show drupa will be held again in May 2028, this time as a nine-day event running from 9 – 17 May 2028 at the Messe Düsseldorf, Germany. The decision to shorten the fair’s duration from 11 days is a direct response to the industry’s desire for a more focused, efficient event, said Sabine Geldermann, director of drupa.
The 2024 running of the event was described as ‘more international than ever,’ by chairman and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, Wolfram N Diener. He said the show reflected the industry’s determination to drive profound change to make the printing and packaging industry more sustainable through automation, artificial intelligence and strategic partnerships.
However, research shows that visitors to drupa are increasingly international and also are increasingly likely to be decision makers in middle to top management positions, and this is leading to shorter visitor durations at the show overall.
Mr Diener added, ‘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.’
Dr Andreas Pleßke, chairman of the drupa committee and CEO of Koenig & Bauer, supports the change to a shorter show. He commented, ‘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.’
Further information regarding the future of drupa will be presented to the print industry in 2025, according to the organisers.
