Drupa gets major knock as Heidelberg pulls out

Drupa stalwart Heidelberg has pulled out next year’s event. The move by the press manufacturer comes on the back of other notable cancellations, such as Xerox and Bobst, and the scaling down of some stands from the likes of HP.

In a statement, Heidelberg said the “unforeseeable effects of Covid-19” were behind its decision, and that it would focus instead on “new, digital options to present products and innovations.” “We will be investing more in new, virtual trade fair concepts to ensure closer and more individual customer communications as well as in regional events in our growth markets. This means we will be able to consistently align ourselves with our customers’ expectations”, said Rainer Hundsdörfer, CEO of Heidelberg. The statement said: Covid-19 has accelerated the move towards digital and local events. Although there is no way of knowing what the impact of corona will be next year, Heidelberg has to make a decision now. So the company has decided to not participate in international trade fairs next year and will thus not be taking part in Drupa. In 2021, Drupa will be a very different event – global travel restrictions and hygiene regulations mean significantly fewer visitors and constraints on communication. Traditional international trade fairs with busy booths and halls will very probably be difficult to implement and will likely lose their status as global meet-up events for customers and manufacturers. As a longtime partner to Drupa, Heidelberg will be happy to continue to offer its experience when it comes to bringing future trade fair concepts into line with new digital possibilities and customer requirements.